Finishing Games | Ep. #044

I chat with @Pontypants for the second time on the podcast about making viral games, burnout, coming up with ideas, and finishing games! ► Learn how to make a game studio from your bedroom, free: https://www.fulltimegamedev.com/opt-in-how-to-make-six-figures ► Follow Ponty: https://x.com/pontypants?lang=en ► Enroll in my 3D workshop, free!: https://www.fulltimegamedev.com/opt-in-15-minute-3D-game ► Make your game instantly beautiful with my free workbook: https://www.fulltimegamedev.com/opt-in-instant-beauty-color-workbook ► Get my 2D game kit, free: https://www.fulltimegamedev.com/opt-in-2D-game-kit ► Join my 2D character workshop, free: https://www.fulltimegamedev.com/opt-in-2d-character-art-workshop ► Wishlist Twisted Tower: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1575990/Twisted_Tower/ ► Learn how to make money as a YouTuber: https://www.fulltimegamedev.com/opt-in-indie-game-income-workshop ► What I believe: https://youtu.be/jQK3LniPMq4 Chapters 0:00 Intro 0:59 Free Webinar: Turn Ideas into Revenue 1:12 Small Games vs. Magnum Opus 2:01 Avoiding Burnout and Staying Happy 3:11 The Happiness Factor in Game Dev 4:06 The Outlier Success of A Difficult Game 5:56 The Hunch That Led to Success 8:04 Innovating Rage Game Mechanics 10:04 Falling in Love with Your Game Again 12:25 Rebuilding Twisted Tower’s Story 15:41 Pushing Through Creative Challenges 20:56 Story vs. Mechanics in Game Design 24:14 The Role of a Supportive Partner 27:42 Vibe Coding and AI in Development 35:23 The Future of Art in an AI World 41:58 Following Your Passion for Ideas 47:09 Courage and Constraints in Creativity 54:07 The Adventure of Game Development 1:00:14 Opening A Difficult Game About Climbing in Unity 1:15:39 Optimization Tips for 3D Games 1:32:30 Outro and Where to Find Pony Pants