Darenn Keller, the developer of Dawnfolk, recently shared that leaving what he thought was his dream job at Ubisoft allowed him to create the indie puzzle-strategy game and made him happier.
Keller told his story in a Reddit post back in February to celebrate the game’s first anniversary on the market. Keller says he chose to work solo after years on massive teams. He says he left Ubisoft with only 2 years of savings and no structured plan.
He says that over time, what had been his dream job as a game designer began to feel less joyful than he’d imagined, though he admits that having these feelings during the global pandemic probably played a role.
Still, the game he released has overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam, over 26,000 copies sold, and a Nintendo Switch port that he released himself.
Dawnfolk Isn’t a Viral Success, But It Sustains Keller
Keller went on to say that even though Dawnfolk isn’t a viral success in the vein of a Balatro, it sustains him and allows him to work full-time on his next game because it generates enough revenue to cover his rent.
“It’s not a viral success story, but I’m incredibly proud of it. Making a sustainable living from games is brutally difficult, and the fact that this one lets me keep creating feels like a win,” he says.
A free demo of the game is currently available on Steam.
The Current State of AAA Gaming
Unfortunately, the gaming industry is going through a rough time. The cost of development for AAA games continues to increase, and more redundancies at studios and game shutdowns have become common.
Ubisoft, Keller’s former employer, has undergone several major restructurings this year. These changes have resulted in numerous cancellations. Learn more about that at this link.
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