5 Career Mistakes Everyone (From Newbies to Experts) Should Avoid to Prevent a Mountain of Unfinished Projects

A few weeks ago, I asked 12 Indie Game Developers one simple question:

“What early career mistake will you never make again?”

Procrastination, poor planning, and rushing projects are some of the most dangerous mistakes any indie developer can make.

That’s why I decided to ask several indie dev friends, ranging from newbies to more experienced professionals, about their greatest mistakes. What I ended up with was a messy notepad full of notes. After completing this interesting experiment, I unlocked a completely new perspective.

I discovered five profound mistakes every developer should avoid in their indie game development career if they want to succeed.

Let’s dive in:

Mistake #1: Overloading Your Game with Features

We’re often very excited to start a new game or project.

With great passion and fantastic ideas, it’s easy to get carried away by adding an endless number of amazing and unique features.

However, overloading your game can lead to scope creep, making the project unmanageable, unsustainable, and unfinished.

“Focus is about saying no.” — Steve Jobs.

To this day, I hang this quote up on my desk because it reminds me that prioritizing core features allows me to deliver a polished, complete game.

Mistake #2: Skipping the Planning Phase

A lot of indie developers, especially newbies, dive straight into development.

Jumping into a project without a solid plan is like setting out on a journey that could jeopardize your mental health. Even if the planning phase seems tedious, you can’t progress effectively without clear goals and a straightforward roadmap.

No one should code in a void of chaos. With proper organization, game development can be one of the most enjoyable experiences of your life.

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” — Benjamin Franklin.

This quote reminds me that thorough planning at the start can save a lot of time and trouble later on.

Mistake #3: Ignoring Playtesting Early On

Sometimes we finish a game and rush to publish it on our platform of choice because of the excitement of the moment or because we’re eager to start earning revenue.

However, playtesting is a crucial step to understand how players interact with your game. Many developers make the mistake of waiting until the end to gather feedback, which can lead to major revisions and wasted effort.

Players may struggle, get frustrated by bugs or lack of optimization, and eventually leave the game out of irritation.

“Feedback is the breakfast of champions.” — Ken Blanchard.

I keep this quote at hand to remind me to seek and act on feedback early, which helps me refine and improve my game iteratively.

Mistake #4: Failing to Prioritize Development Tasks

Traditional wisdom says you should “finish what you start.”

But that’s only true if you do two things correctly:

• Identify high-impact tasks: Focus on tasks that drive the core mechanics and overall experience of the game.

• Manage your resources wisely: Allocate time and effort to tasks that align with your game’s vision and goals.

Then, “finish what you start” works great. It’s about finishing the right parts of the game, not everything.

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