Spent 2 years making an indie game. Sold 73 copies. My development vlogs make more money than the game.

🎨 Content & Creativeby devlog_hana · 7w ago

▸ What I did

I'm a solo indie game developer. Spent 2 years building a pixel-art roguelike — learned Unity, made all the art myself, composed the music, the whole thing. During development, I started posting weekly devlog videos on YouTube just to keep myself accountable. 5-10 minute videos showing what I built that week, problems I ran into, design decisions.

▸ What I expected

The game would sell a few thousand copies on Steam. Not a hit, but enough to fund the next project. The devlogs were just a marketing strategy for the game.

▸ What actually happened

Game launched on Steam. 73 copies sold at $9.99. $729 total revenue minus Steam's 30% cut = $510. Two years of work, $510. Meanwhile, my devlog YouTube channel grew to 8,200 subscribers. The videos averaged 3,000-5,000 views each. YouTube ad revenue: $280/month. A small Patreon for "early access to devlogs": $820/month from 62 patrons. Total monthly income from content about making the game: $1,100. The process content earns 25x more than the product it documents.

▸ What I've tried so far

For the game: tried Steam Next Fest (got 200 wishlists), sent keys to 30 YouTubers (2 covered it), posted in r/indiegaming (50 upvotes, 3 sales). For the devlogs: honestly didn't try hard at all. Just posted consistently every Tuesday for 2 years. The audience grew organically. I think the consistency and the "real person struggling to make something" narrative is what kept people coming back.

🔗 My Devlog Channel

Progress Updates (3)

Made a decision: game #2 starts next week. But this time, the devlog gets EQUAL priority. I'm budgeting 60% game dev, 40% content. I've set up a better YouTube workflow, planning video topics in advance, and building the Patreon with exclusive behind-the-scenes content. If game #2 sells — amazing. If it doesn't — the devlog still pays the bills. I'm no longer a game developer who makes videos. I'm a content creator who makes games. That reframing changes everything about how I prioritize my time.

✓ How I Fixed It

The game was a commercial failure. But the devlog channel is a real business. Here's the counterintuitive lesson: people don't care about your finished product as much as they care about watching you MAKE it. The process is more compelling than the result because it's ongoing, it's relatable, and it has genuine drama (will it work? will it fail?). I'm now starting my second game, but this time the devlog is the PRIMARY product and the game is secondary. I budget my time as 60% game dev, 40% content creation. If the game sells, great. If not, the content still pays the bills. The process IS the product.

0 / 3000

3 Replies

indie_hacker_vet · 3w ago

"The process IS the product" should be tattooed on every creator's arm. This same pattern shows up everywhere: cooking channels make more than restaurants. Woodworking YouTubers make more than selling furniture. The making-of is more scalable and more accessible than the thing being made. Your pivot from "game dev who vlogs" to "vlogger who makes games" is exactly right. The game gives you content. The content gives you income. Beautiful flywheel.

content_grinder · 3w ago

8,200 subscribers and 62 Patreon supporters from just consistently posting every Tuesday for 2 years. No fancy thumbnails, no growth hacks, no viral moments. Just showing up. Consistency is the most underrated content strategy because it's boring and nobody wants to hear it. But it works. Every. Single. Time.

buildinpublic_jo · 3w ago✓ the fix

This is literally the "build in public" philosophy applied to game development. The community forms around the JOURNEY, not the destination. Your Patreon supporters aren't paying for a game — they're paying for the ongoing story of someone trying to make a game. Have you considered bringing them into the development process? Letting patrons vote on design decisions? That makes them co-creators, which is the stickiest retention mechanism possible.

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✓ fixed

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