Ideas Before Genres

   Some of the most fun games are based on an idea and feeling a director wants to get across rather than a genre. Games like this feel original and fresh in a world where all else can be classified as RPG, Shooter, or the like. I like when games are so unique that you have to describe them by what you do in it rather than naming a genre. Sony's Tokyo Jungle is a recent example of this.

Make Games You Like

   Indies should always try to stay true to their passion. As a creator, making the games you would like to play leads to great titles with high quality and innovation. It's pretty hard to make a revolutionary Bejeweled clone when you'd rather be making a game like Zelda. The Zelda idea would shape itself into a unique vision formed with care and lots of new ideas while the Bejeweled one would be calculated, forced, and rushed.Always let the ideas and fun flow free, chasing a market becomes a trap and that's no fun for the developers or the players.

Assume NOTHING, Test EVERYTHING!!

   I learned the hard way that quick coding can lead to trouble. With programming it's best to take it slow and make sure the job is done right. You need to document code changes and never assume it works right after you type it and let it compile. If you don't, that one little line you forgot will be the bug you're digging all day for later. Try to test as often as possible and you will save time overall.

Using Unity to Make 2D Games - The Interface

   An introduction to Unity and the 2D Toolkit interfaces. This is a great way for beginners to see what Unity is like and get an idea of what can be done with it. Sometimes getting a look at the tools you'd like to use helps you ease into them. Since I just made my first Unity game TriGrid recently, I want to share what things came in handy and what all those crazy menus do.