Small teams with limited budgets typically create indie games. Developing an indie game can be challenging and costly; the average cost is around $250,000. But some projects can be done under the game budget if you follow specific tips and tricks.
Creating a well-planned game budget for your indie game’s art assets is vital to its success. Planning may not be the most exciting part, but with proper organization and structure, you can significantly increase your chances of success.
This article will provide tips on effectively planning your project, how much it costs to make a video game, and the long-term benefits it brings.
Plan a Path
A brief planning stage is significant, even in smaller endeavors like participating in a game jam.
Organizational skills, collaboration, brainstorming, and prototyping are all crucial elements in game development. They help ensure your game budget stays on track and ultimately reaches completion.
Trello, Asana, and ClickUp are some of the excellent tools for planning a project, with free tier usage.
Schedule Before Budget
Creating an accurate schedule for a game requires the following:
- Conducting individual and group interviews with team members.
- Seeking advice and insights from experienced developers or project managers.
- Staying updated on the latest technology, methodologies, and equipment.
- Understanding each task and goal that needs to be accomplished in the project.
To create game budgets and schedules effectively, it is essential to have a degree of understanding of project management. A skilled project manager will perform these tasks diligently, ensuring success and gaining valuable insights for future endeavors.
Estimating
Independent studios have shared valuable advice to assist in game budgeting for their next indie game. It is essential to recognize that schedules and budgets in game development are estimates and not precise predictions. Estimating is not to shield from significant mistakes or incompetence but to illustrate the realistic range of variation in a schedule.
Explaining how estimates were derived is essential as providing a “freshness date” indicating when the estimate was made. Recognizing the inherent variability in schedules and game budgets allows for a more realistic assessment of the project’s scope and potential fluctuations in resource allocation.
Prioritize and Allocate your Art Assets
In indie game development, resources are often limited, so it is crucial to prioritize and allocate them wisely.
Identify the most crucial art assets significantly impacting gameplay and visual appeal. Allocate a significant portion of your budget to these critical assets while considering where you can make cost-effective choices for less essential elements.
Obtain Quotes From Artists
Reach out to artists and request quotes for the specific art assets you need. Provide them with detailed information about your game, including its scope, requirements, and preferred art style. Compare the quotes received to assess their compatibility with your game budget.
Build in a Buffer
Set aside a contingency amount within your budget to account for unforeseen expenses or adjustments that may arise during the art development process. A buffer will help you manage unexpected costs and changes without jeopardizing the project.
Design Document
It is vital to have a preliminary version of your design document outlining the basics of your game. This information serves as an encoded version of your schedule and game budget. When a publisher reads your treatment, they can gain a clear understanding of the development requirements for the proposed title.
It is also important to consider holidays, conventions, and other significant dates when creating your schedule. These should be factored into employee hiring and management considerations.
Every Penny Counts
Keep repeating this mantra throughout the game development process to prevent impulsive decisions and unnecessary expenditures.
Game budgeting is a crucial aspect of success for any entrepreneur and requires thorough research, careful planning, and a realistic mindset. If you lack experience in budgeting, it is important to exercise extra caution.
By implementing these strategies, you can effectively manage and reduce the costs associated with game art styles and stay under your game budget.
Check out Camlann Games to learn more!
