This is a Game Dev Podcast with my guest René Habermann who is behind games such as Domekeeper and PVKK (Planetenverteidigungskanonenkommandant), running a games studio called Bippinbits together with his wive. In this conversation we dive into how to validate your game ideas early.

Links to my Guest

➤ Wishlist PVKK on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2956040/PVKK_Planetenverteidigungskanonenkommandant/

➤ Play Domekeeper on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1637320/Dome_Keeper/

➤ Bippinbits Website: https://bippinbits.com/

0:00 - Introduction

0:50 - Why Indie Games Fail

2:05 - The Minimalist Approach to Game Development

3:09 - Using Validation Points to Succeed

4:10 - Fun vs. Appeal: What's More Important?

8:00 - The Crucial Role of "Fantasy" in a Game's Success

12:21 - How YouTubers Can Spark a Game's Success

17:10 - Can a Game Succeed Without Appealing Visuals?

19:39 - Why Did Dome Keeper Work So Well on YouTube?

23:08 - Designing for Yourself vs. The Market

26:26 - "Make a Game You Enjoy": Good or Bad Advice?

32:03 - Using Itch.io and Game Jams to Test Ideas

39:05 - Is it Possible to Enjoy the "Tryhard" Approach to Game Dev?

43:27 - From a 3-Day Prototype to a Full Game

47:37 - The Demo vs. The Announcement: What to Do First?

59:10 - What to Do When a Validation Point Fails

01:06:17 - The Growth of Bippinbits Studio

01:17:30 - Rene's Role in a Growing Studio

01:23:18 - The "Mini-Teams" Approach to Scaling

01:30:21 - Sharing Profits With The Team

01:40:43 - Why Bippinbits Prefers the Godot Engine

My game "Thronefall":

➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/

➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8

➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview

My game "Will You Snail":

➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/

➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK

For the game developers among you:

➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ