Playing vs Making Games

When I talk to young aspiring game dev (and their parents), a common misconception is that they will often conflate playing games with making games. The logic is that because they love playing games, they will love making games and should go on to make games for a living.

But this is not quite true. Yes, playing games will make you a better game dev. But playing and making are completely different.

To illustrate this concept, I’ve started using a simple analogy: playing vs. making games is kind of like eating vs. cooking. The parallels are clear.

Eating & Cooking	Playing & Making Games
Just because you love to eat, doesn’t mean you will love to cook.	Just because you love to play games, doesn’t mean you will love to make games.
The only way to learn how to cook, and whether you like cooking… is to practice cooking.	The only way to learn game dev, and to learn whether you like game dev… is to practice making games.
Trying lots of different foods will expand your palette, and by extension your cooking toolbox.	Trying lots of different games will expand your perspective, and by extension your game design toolbox.
Cooking for other people and taking their feedback gracefully will make you a better cook.	Playtesting your games with others and taking their feedback gracefully will make you a better game dev.
If you want to be a professional chef, you must spend many years honing your cooking skills and gradually working your way up the ladder.	If you want to be a professional game dev, you must spend many years honing your game dev skills and gradually working your way up the ladder.
If you’re light on cooking experience, you probably shouldn’t quit your day job to open up a food truck.	If you’re light on game dev experience, you probably shouldn’t quit your day job to open up an indie studio.

These ideas are easy for the average person to grok because everyone eats, most have tried cooking, and many are exposed to professional chefs in popular culture. The ideas are cross-applicable because both career paths are highly competitive and rooted in a creative artform

I hope you find this useful!

Nine Dev Log #3: 9 Lessons from Making Nine

In March 2021, I gave a talk for Boston Post Mortem about Space Cat 9 (at the time still under its tentative title “Nine”). I I frame it as a “mid-mortem”, because we were still in the middle of development on the game. We went on to release a beta version on 9/9/21, and then went on hiatus because I was starting a new job at PeopleFun and expecting my first child.

3 years later, I now have a toddler and development is still on hiatus! But looking back on this talk, I am quite pleased with how it turned out. The lessons are real and should apply to many other kinds of creative work. I stand by 90% of what I said here, and proudly share this talk as one of the stronger presentations I’ve given. Enjoy!

ps – One day when we eventually ship Space Cat 9, I will do a full postmortem. It will be interesting to see which lessons still hold true, and what new lessons I’ve learned.