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Ryan Laley on Teaching a Sidemen Member, Success on YouTube, and Making the Survival Horror Game Mimic
What’s it really like to make games solo? In this episode of the Ready Aim Fire Podcast, Kezia & Tom chat with Ryan Laley, teacher, YouTube content creator and indie dev behind Mimic, a multiplayer survival horror game built for players and streamers.
Ryan reveals how he went from teaching game design (including a member of the Sidemen) to building a thriving YouTube community and now running his one-man studio. We talk about the highs and lows of solo development, coding, art, marketing, late night testing and the surprising ways he keeps the momentum going.
You’ll hear:
- How a hobby project became a full time career
- Why teaching (and even architecture) shaped his process
- Letting fans watch and influence development live
- Building a community on YouTube
- Behind the scenes stories from conventions, Sidemen and Mimic
“I think the number one thing is having an idea that you are interested in first and foremost. Because games take a long time to make and you want to make something that you are interested in. If you don’t have interest in it, then it won’t matter” — Ryan Laley
If you’re curious about indie games, YouTube dev culture, or the future of survival horror, this episode is packed with insights, laughs and inspiration .
🧭 Timestamps:00:00 - Games: Art, Story, & Interaction
06:21 - Balancing Freedom and Responsibility
12:05 - Student Foley Project Success
18:18 - Teaching's Impact: Learning and Explaining
25:25 - Engaging Players in Indie Games
27:23- Game Launch with Diverse Maps
33:11 - Creating a Tactile Game for Son
39:45 - Blueprints: Intense Puzzle Gaming
43:27 - Role of a Game Publisher
51:05 - Passion Essential in Game Development
55:03 - Wholesome Feedback at Game Exhibitions
59:28 - Leveraging Audience to Fund Indie Game
👤 Guest Info:Ryan Laley - Is a notable figure in the game development community, known for his expertise in Unreal Engine. He shares comprehensive tutorials and educational content on YouTube & Twitch, helping thousands of aspiring developers. Ryan is also the founder of Ryan Laley Games and the creator of Mimic, a multiplayer survival horror game built for both players and streamers.
🌐YouTube 📸 Instagram
🔗 Resources & Mentions:(chronological order of appearance)
- KSI
- Sidemen
- Unreal Engine
- Mimic
- Ryan Laley Games
- Among Us
- Patreon
- Resident Evil
- Call of Duty
- Twitch
- Steam Deck
- Sony
💬 Quotes:
“I've always said, like, this wasn't my job, it would be my hobby. And it just so happened I fell into a job that pays me to do my hobby, which I feel very blessed.” - Ryan Laley
“When you're a solo developer, you don't want to be in that mind space of like, oh, I can just change things whenever I want, because otherwise you'll get into this pattern of never actually finishing a project.” - Ryan Laley
Enjoyed the episode? Don’t forget to:
- Follow the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
- Subscribe on YouTube for full episodes and clips
- Leave a review and let us know who you want featured next!
🎧 Check Out More ReadyAimFire Episodes:
- Episode 1: Devora Wilde on Lae’zel and Performance in Baldur’s Gate 3
- Episode 2: Michael Geary on Warhammer, Magic, and Mushroom Warriors
- Episode 3: Damien Goodwin on directing Returnal, Helldivers 2 and more
- Episode 4: Doug Cockle on D&D love and voicing Geralt in the Witcher
- Episode 5: Tom McKay & Luke Dale on Kingdom Come Deliverance 2
- Episode 6: Kirsty Gillmore on directing for games including Baldur’s Gate 3
- Episode 7: Hannah Price, Oli Chance, Morgan Rushton & Martin Vaughan on Final Fantasy XVI
- Episode 8: Anthony Howell & Will Porter revisit Alien: Isolation
- Episode 9: Charlotte Mcburney on a Plague Tale
- Episode 10: Inel Tomlinson on voice acting, The First Descendant & Space Marine 2
🔗 Listen & Subscribe:
🎧 Spotify: https://readyaimfire.tv/spotify
🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://readyaimfire.tv/apple
▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadyAimFireStudio
🌍 Website & Email Sign-Up: https://readyaimfire.tv
📱 Follow ReadyAimFire:Instagram: @readyaimfirestudio
TikTok: @readyaimfirestudio
Twitter/X: @rdymfr
LinkedIn: ReadyAimFire
Bluesky: readyaimfire.bsky.social
New episodes drop every other week.
Subscribe now and rediscover the games you love.
Listen to ReadyAimFire
Copyright 2025 ReadyAimFire
View all episodes
By ReadyAimFireWhat’s it really like to make games solo? In this episode of the Ready Aim Fire Podcast, Kezia & Tom chat with Ryan Laley, teacher, YouTube content creator and indie dev behind Mimic, a multiplayer survival horror game built for players and streamers.
Ryan reveals how he went from teaching game design (including a member of the Sidemen) to building a thriving YouTube community and now running his one-man studio. We talk about the highs and lows of solo development, coding, art, marketing, late night testing and the surprising ways he keeps the momentum going.
You’ll hear:
- How a hobby project became a full time career
- Why teaching (and even architecture) shaped his process
- Letting fans watch and influence development live
- Building a community on YouTube
- Behind the scenes stories from conventions, Sidemen and Mimic
“I think the number one thing is having an idea that you are interested in first and foremost. Because games take a long time to make and you want to make something that you are interested in. If you don’t have interest in it, then it won’t matter” — Ryan Laley
If you’re curious about indie games, YouTube dev culture, or the future of survival horror, this episode is packed with insights, laughs and inspiration .
🧭 Timestamps:00:00 - Games: Art, Story, & Interaction
06:21 - Balancing Freedom and Responsibility
12:05 - Student Foley Project Success
18:18 - Teaching's Impact: Learning and Explaining
25:25 - Engaging Players in Indie Games
27:23- Game Launch with Diverse Maps
33:11 - Creating a Tactile Game for Son
39:45 - Blueprints: Intense Puzzle Gaming
43:27 - Role of a Game Publisher
51:05 - Passion Essential in Game Development
55:03 - Wholesome Feedback at Game Exhibitions
59:28 - Leveraging Audience to Fund Indie Game
👤 Guest Info:Ryan Laley - Is a notable figure in the game development community, known for his expertise in Unreal Engine. He shares comprehensive tutorials and educational content on YouTube & Twitch, helping thousands of aspiring developers. Ryan is also the founder of Ryan Laley Games and the creator of Mimic, a multiplayer survival horror game built for both players and streamers.
🌐YouTube 📸 Instagram
🔗 Resources & Mentions:(chronological order of appearance)
- KSI
- Sidemen
- Unreal Engine
- Mimic
- Ryan Laley Games
- Among Us
- Patreon
- Resident Evil
- Call of Duty
- Twitch
- Steam Deck
- Sony
💬 Quotes:
“I've always said, like, this wasn't my job, it would be my hobby. And it just so happened I fell into a job that pays me to do my hobby, which I feel very blessed.” - Ryan Laley
“When you're a solo developer, you don't want to be in that mind space of like, oh, I can just change things whenever I want, because otherwise you'll get into this pattern of never actually finishing a project.” - Ryan Laley
Enjoyed the episode? Don’t forget to:
- Follow the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
- Subscribe on YouTube for full episodes and clips
- Leave a review and let us know who you want featured next!
🎧 Check Out More ReadyAimFire Episodes:
- Episode 1: Devora Wilde on Lae’zel and Performance in Baldur’s Gate 3
- Episode 2: Michael Geary on Warhammer, Magic, and Mushroom Warriors
- Episode 3: Damien Goodwin on directing Returnal, Helldivers 2 and more
- Episode 4: Doug Cockle on D&D love and voicing Geralt in the Witcher
- Episode 5: Tom McKay & Luke Dale on Kingdom Come Deliverance 2
- Episode 6: Kirsty Gillmore on directing for games including Baldur’s Gate 3
- Episode 7: Hannah Price, Oli Chance, Morgan Rushton & Martin Vaughan on Final Fantasy XVI
- Episode 8: Anthony Howell & Will Porter revisit Alien: Isolation
- Episode 9: Charlotte Mcburney on a Plague Tale
- Episode 10: Inel Tomlinson on voice acting, The First Descendant & Space Marine 2
🔗 Listen & Subscribe:
🎧 Spotify: https://readyaimfire.tv/spotify
🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://readyaimfire.tv/apple
▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadyAimFireStudio
🌍 Website & Email Sign-Up: https://readyaimfire.tv
📱 Follow ReadyAimFire:Instagram: @readyaimfirestudio
TikTok: @readyaimfirestudio
Twitter/X: @rdymfr
LinkedIn: ReadyAimFire
Bluesky: readyaimfire.bsky.social
New episodes drop every other week.
Subscribe now and rediscover the games you love.
Listen to ReadyAimFire
Copyright 2025 ReadyAimFire