Greg Wohlwend cautions indies: 'Don't quit your day job'

Greg Wohlwend, a full-time independent developer of six years who has worked on titles like Ridiculous Fishing, Hundreds and Gasketball recently published a blog post where he wrote of the realities of being a full-time indie developer, cautioning others that the job is not as glamorous as it sounds.

"For a lot of game developers, it's the dream," he writes. "Going indie means you probably have a cache of cash. Maybe 6 months worth or more if you're lucky. Now it's time to take the leap, put in your two weeks and buckle down."

Wohlwend says while he "wouldn't trade it for anything," he cautions those planning on taking a similar leap that it's anything but easy.

"We [indie game developers] band together because we're often weary," he writes. "We trade stories of pain and sacrifice, and it's not honorable or anything, this is just Video Games after all..."

He goes on to describe the sense of "depression that won't let you fix anything in your life other than your game ... an immortal solitude that's safe yet destructive ... [and] the constant worry that the game isn't fun enough..." that plagues many independent developers.

Wohlwend's post also contains advice on the benefits of keeping a day job (which extend beyond having a sturdy source of income) and the pressure that comes with completing a game after you've quit your job. He also talks about why he chooses to be indie.

His full blog post can be read here.