Summary

This episode of the Player Driven podcast features Michael Csokas, founder of Iron Octopus Productions, and focuses on his journey from working in the oil field to becoming an indie game developer. He shares how his experience managing logistics in oil spills influenced his approach to video game development, especially with problem-solving and world-building. The conversation highlights his creative process, the development of his first game The Broken Ceiling, and his plans for the new project Omega. Csokas also offers advice for aspiring game developers, touching on time management, community building, and the importance of hiring the right people to fill knowledge gaps.

The discussion is filled with behind-the-scenes insights on the indie game development process, from artistic inspiration and conceptualization to technical challenges like navigating Steam's platform.

5 Key Takeaways

1. Apply Your Past Experience to Game Development (02:06 )Michael discusses how his experience managing oil spill logistics directly influenced his approach to video game development. His method of breaking down big problems into smaller tasks and overseeing a "war room" to manage crews mirrors how he approaches level design and world-building.
   
2. Storytelling & World-Building in The Broken Ceiling (03:39 )Michael introduces The Broken Ceiling, a cosmic horror game where a rabbit accidentally becomes a key to a cosmic prison. The concept blends mythology and existential dread, with players navigating a surreal, interconnected world. His background in storytelling from children's books is clear in his attention to narrative.
   
3. The Importance of Focused Roles in Indie Game Dev (10:33 )He emphasizes the value of specialization. While Michael can animate and manage projects, he doesn't program, instead hiring a dedicated programmer. His approach illustrates how focusing on your strengths and hiring experts can accelerate development timelines.
   
4. How to Stay Organized as an Indie Developer (29:58 )Michael shares his creative organization process. He uses physical notebooks and multi-colored pens to brainstorm and document ideas, later translating them into more organized spreadsheets. His "chaos first, order later" approach helps bridge creativity with production.
   
5. Lessons Learned from Publishing on Steam (38:27 )He reflects on his first experience launching The Broken Ceiling on Steam. Michael learned to avoid price changes before holiday sales to maintain eligibility for promotions. His plan for future releases includes earlier marketing and taking social media marketing courses to strengthen his outreach.