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Derek Yu

What Derek Yu thinks about video games

@derek-yu · 9 positions · 0 changes of mind

Independent game developer, creator of Spelunky and Aquaria and co-creator of UFO 50, and the founder of the indie-games site TIGSource. Writes about the craft and the discipline of making games at derekyu.com and, earlier, at makegames.tumblr.com.

Derek Yu did not write this page.

We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.

7 dated positions, 2010 to 2022, in their own words. Our reading of what Derek Yu has said — not written or endorsed by them.

  1. Our readingEach project you finish makes the next one easier to finish and teaches you more about what a successful one takes.

    Their words"Finishing games gets easier with each game you finish, and the more games you finish, the better you will understand what it takes to make a successful game."

    ↗Indie Game Dev: Death Loopsderekyu.com 1st of 4 in this piece

  3. Our readingThe right way to size a project is by the size of the projects you have already finished, not by how skilled you are.

    Their wordsthe best metric for scoping a project is not technical skill, but the scope of the previous games you've finished!

    ↗Indie Game Dev: Death Loopsderekyu.com 2nd of 4 in this piece

  5. Our readingGet the whole work playable from beginning to end before polishing any part of it.

    Their wordsI find it best not to spend too long on any one part of the game until the entire game is playable from beginning to end.

    ↗Indie Game Dev: Death Loopsderekyu.com 3rd of 4 in this piece

  7. Our readingAiming to make an objectively great work is the wrong goal; make the best you can now and treat it as one of many.

    Their wordsMy advice is to abandon the goal of making an objectively great game.

    ↗Indie Game Dev: Death Loopsderekyu.com 4th of 4 in this piece

  8. 12 years earlier

  9. Our readingA project has not started until something exists that can be played; plans, documents, teams and art are not a start.

    Their wordsJust remember: a damn game can be played, and if you have not created something that can be played, it’s not a damn game!

    ↗Finishing a Gamemakegames.tumblr.com 2nd of 5 in this piece

  11. Our readingEvery project reaches the point where the code is a mess, so starting over to fix that only returns you to the same place later.

    Their wordsThis is true at some point during every game’s development. Your code will always be a mess.

    ↗Finishing a Gamemakegames.tumblr.com 3rd of 5 in this piece

  13. Our readingLimited time and resources are what force a work to be tight and to feel like it has a purpose.

    Their wordsIt’s our limited resources and time that forces us to make tight games that feel like they have a purpose.

    ↗Finishing a Gamemakegames.tumblr.com 4th of 5 in this piece