The Thomas Brush Show How To Make Indie Games In 2026 w/ Jonathan Blow — Full Time Game Dev Podcast Ep. 061
Dec 31, 2025
Jonathan Blow, the mastermind behind iconic indie games like Braid and The Witness, shares insights on creating games in 2026. He discusses the challenges of marketing amid the crowded internet landscape and how pricing pressures have evolved. Blow emphasizes the importance of choosing the right platform, notably Steam, for indie success. He reveals his ambitious 10-year project, Order of the Sinking Star, describing the need for a custom programming language and engine to enhance workflow and artistic vision. His thoughts on the future of AI in game development complete this enlightening conversation.
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Episode notes
Games Now Fight Non‑Game Attention
- The internet and social media have multiplied attention channels, making game discoverability much harder than a decade ago.
- Jonathan Blow warns this forces tougher marketing or different pricing strategies for indies to reach players.
Pick Steam First For Maximum Reach
- If you can release on only one platform, target Steam for the easiest access to the largest PC audience and discoverability tools.
- Building for Steam also covers most Windows work needed to support other PC stores later.
Use Publishers For Promotion And Funding
- Partner with a publisher if you need promotion muscle and completion funding to avoid your game getting lost online.
- Let the publisher run marketing so you can focus on polishing gameplay and finishing the project.