Summary of How to make a living from your game design hobby | Joe Slack

00:00:00 - 00:55:00

In this YouTube video titled "How to make a living from your game design hobby | Joe Slack," Joe Slack shares insights on how to turn game design into a full-time career. He advises diversifying skills and exploring different methods like teaching, coaching, consulting, and creating resources. Slack emphasizes the importance of sharing knowledge and helping others, and discusses the sacrifices required to pursue one's passion. He also discusses financial planning, the challenges of transitioning into game design, and the importance of having a supportive spouse. Additionally, Slack discusses the importance of building relationships, being open to failure, and finding value in business transactions. He also touches on the hybrid approach of publishing games, the importance of planning and accountability, and the value of having a supportive community in the gaming industry.

• 00:00:00 In this section, Joe Slack discusses his approach to making a living from game design. He suggests that designing games alone may not provide a full-time living, as it can take a long time for a game to pay off. Slack suggests that designers must diversify their skills and explore different methods, such as teaching, coaching, consulting, and creating resources. He also highlights the importance of sharing knowledge and helping others, rather than purely focusing on profit. Slack discusses his own personal situation, living in Honduras and having multiple full-time jobs, but emphasizes the sacrifices needed to pursue a passion.
• 00:05:00 In this section of the YouTube video, the speaker discusses his early experience of transitioning from a six-figure salary in healthcare to a career in game design. He acknowledges the challenges of making the switch, including the potential for lower income and lack of stability. However, he also notes the benefits of increased happiness and satisfaction in his new career. The speaker emphasizes the importance of financial planning and having a backup plan, as well as considering other income streams such as a spouse's income. He also discusses how there is no one "easy way to make a ton of money" in game design and that it takes hard work and dedication to succeed.
• 00:10:00 In this section, Slack talks about the importance of having a supportive spouse who can help with financial stability and understand the risks and rewards of pursuing one's dream. He also mentions having a backup plan and knowing what to run away from, as well as determining what would be considered "hell" and "heaven" in one's ideal and worst scenarios. Slack emphasizes the importance of thinking this through and writing it down.
• 00:15:00 In this section, Joe Slack discusses the importance of having the right relationships in one's life to support and help them in their pursuits. He shares a personal anecdote about his wife having a conversation with him about an issue he was not willing to admit, which ultimately helped him to reflect on his actions and make changes. Slack also highlights the challenges he faced when transitioning from a full-time job to pursuing his passion for game design, including unexpected time spent sitting in front of a computer and the need to adapt to digital implementations of games. He emphasizes the importance of perseverance and flexibility in the face of unexpected challenges, and encourages listeners to pursue their dreams and passions even if they face obstacles along the way.
• 00:20:00 In this section of the video, the speaker discusses the topic of making a living from game design. He mentions that he had an idea to create a game design platform, but ultimately decided to hold off on it because it would be too much work to evaluate and make sure the games were good. He also discusses how there are other successful people who have done something similar to that. The speaker then brings up his own experience with writing books on game design and how he found that more specific, detailed topics were more successful than broad games. He also talks about the importance of trying different things and pivoting if necessary.
• 00:25:00 In this section of the video, the speaker discusses the importance of being open to failure and using that experience to learn and grow in game design. He also talks about the various ways that individuals can monetize their skills, including teaching and creating courses. The speaker shares his own experiences with teaching game design and how it opened up opportunities for him to create courses and become an expert in the field. He emphasizes the importance of being helpful and engagement with others to establish oneself as an authority and potentially gain paid consulting gigs.
• 00:30:00 In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of finding value in any business transaction and not expecting anything in return. They also emphasize the need to genuinely want to help people and be passionate about it. The speaker shares their experience of finding gaps in the market and applying their skill set in a different way to create opportunities in the board game design industry. They talk about the benefits of starting a podcast or creating a project that aligns with their passions and values. The speaker also talks about their experience in coaching and development and how they received these opportunities.
• 00:35:00 In this section, the speaker discusses their experience with game design and how it has led to various opportunities for development work and consulting. They mention learning about project management skills and how these can be useful for larger publishers. The speaker also talks about the two types of people who approach them for their services, either self-motivated individuals or people looking for a professional's help. They connect their success with crowdfunding and the importance of giving away useful information for free while still making money. The person mentions reaching out to the author of "Crowdfunding Nerds" for advice on giving away information while generating revenue. They also touch on limitations of licensing options for game developers. In a specific note, the speaker is asked if they are willing to design a puzzle game for a new project.
• 00:40:00 In this section of his video, Joe Slack discusses various ways to make a living from game design. He suggests pitching your ideas to publishers rather than the other way around and highlights the possibility of getting help from others during game development. He also stresses the importance of building relationships and treating people decently online, as it can lead to better opportunities and improve how one is perceived in the industry. Additionally, he talks about the hybrid approach of publishing games, where one can work with publishers or launch their game on Kickstarter.
• 00:45:00 In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of considering the audience and brand fit when deciding whether to publish a game themselves or pitch to a publisher. They mention their publishing company, Crazy Like a Box, which specializes in puzzly games that make players feel clever. They discuss the hybrid approach, where a game designer can try different things and decide if they want to publish on their own or pitch to a publisher. The speaker mentions several games they have designed that don't fit their company well but could be successful with other publishers. They also discuss the challenges of being a game designer and publisher, including scheduling and maintaining a work-life balance. The speaker advises planning and breaking tasks into manageable chunks to ensure that all of their responsibilities are being met.
• 00:50:00 In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of planning out goals into 12-week chunks and breaking them down into manageable steps. This strategy allows for greater focus and motivation, as well as the ability to accomplish more in a limited amount of time. The speaker also emphasizes the importance of prioritizing tasks and being more efficient with time. Additionally, the speaker suggests preparing during calm periods to be ready for unexpected or busy periods. Finally, the speaker highlights the importance of accountability and sharing ideas with others in a mastermind group setting.
• 00:55:00 In this section of the video, Slack emphasizes the importance of having a supportive community, such as entrepreneurs or people facing similar struggles, for game design hobbyists looking to make a living from their pursuits. He also discusses the value of accountability and highlighting one main goal to focus on each week. This helps prevent burnout and allows for proper planning and work on projects. He mentions his own projects, including publishing a book and running a Kickstarter campaign, and the variety of skills and backgrounds of other game design professionals, emphasizing the versatility of career paths in the gaming industry.