Ultimate Indie - A 7-Week Live Training Program
Design smarter, scope better, build your confidence - get the 2025 playbook for building an indie game that SELLS.
What you'll learn
Get unstuck: Get direct, expert feedback on your current game, your design ideas, your steam page, and your marketing strategy.
Build and validate: Work on your own project during the program and practice the most important aspects of Indie success.
Spot Winning Game Ideas: Learn how to identify trending genres and mechanics using real-world data and frameworks like the Success Matrix.
Design for Impact: Master techniques like 5-Minute Stickiness and 5-Hour Durability to make your game instantly engaging and long-lasting.
Prototype Like a Pro: Quickly bring ideas to life with playable prototypes using the game engine of your choice.
Plan and Scope Effectively: Avoid burnout with realistic project planning, version control setups, and scope management.
Polish with Purpose: Learn what separates good games from great ones—UI, particle effects, feedback loops, and visual polish.
Make it Marketable: Craft your pitch, trailers, GIFs, and presskit with a focus on what grabs attention in the indie space.
Build for Shareability: Learn how to design games that naturally encourage players to stream, share, and advocate.
Master Steam Launches: Set up your Steam page, wishlists, achievements, pricing strategy, and post-launch support plan.
Get the Motivation You Need To Finish - Hang with people that have been there, and ask questions to people that know the answers.
Don't get stuck on your own - Connect with like-minded, supportive folks who are happy to provide encouragement and feedback.
What's Included In The Program?
7 Weeks of Live, Guided Training With Indie Dev Pro Stefan Persson (Imphenzia)
Learn directly from Stefan Persson—aka Imphenzia—a full-time indie developer, YouTube creator, and co-developer of the hit multiplayer RTS Line War.
Stefan has applied all of the same lessons and insights that you'll learn within the Program to create his own game - Unfair Rampage: Knightfall (URK). Stefan will take you through all of the decisions and workflow he used to build URK, create the marketing hooks, land himself a publisher and prepare the game for launch on Steam and Nintendo Switch. This is not one of those programs where the developer talks about a game they made 10 years ago! Everything in this program is fresh, up-to-date and extremely relevant for indies looking to improve their skills in 2026.
In some cases Stefan will use Unity to showcase ideas and concepts, but everything in this program is applicable to every game engine.
Whether you're just starting out or finally committing to having a red-hot go at making your dream game, you're in good hands. Stefan’s blend of technical skills, creative insight, and 14+ years of indie experience will help you turn your game idea into a reality.
Learn EXACTLY How to Design & Market Your Dream Game - In As Little As 5 Hours Per Week
We recommend setting aside at least 5 hours per week to get the most out of the program. That includes watching lecture content, joining weekly coaching calls and working on your game project
There are no daily tasks or rigid deadlines - this program is built to be flexible for your needs. Some folks have been making games for a week, some for a lifetime. All skill levels are welcome.
Each week we will set a handful of "required watching" videos and suggested actions to take on your game project.
You can move at your own pace, revisit any video lecture at any time, and apply the lessons to your own game when it makes sense for you.
We’ll use the live calls and Discord community to keep you connected and on track, but you won’t fall behind if life gets busy.
This isn’t just a 7-week process - it’s a toolkit you’ll return to for years to come throughout your dev journey.
All participants will gain lifetime access to the library of lectures and any other resources shared in the program.
Direct, Actionable Feedback Specifically FOR YOU & YOUR PROJECT
Each Program participant will set up their own Discord Forum thread where they share the progress and updates on their game project, ask questions, share ideas and get maximum support.
Not only will our dedicated team of GameDev.tv Instructors and Teaching Assistants provide customised feedback for you, our supportive community will be right there with you to playtest your game, bounce ideas, share concerns and empathise with your challenges.
Even if you're a solo developer, YOU DON'T HAVE TO MAKE GAMES ALONE. The power of a supportive community is massive and that is exactly what you get in this Program.
All communication will take place in Discord. You'll have guaranteed lifetime access to network, share progress and get support from a passionate community of fellow devs within the Program.
8 Live Coaching Calls Where You Can Ask & Share Anything
Each week we'll run a 90 minute Live Group Coaching Call, where we discuss the actions for the week, answer questions, share ideas and generally make sure you have the support you need to move forward. You'll have direct access to Stefan and other GameDev.tv team members.
And YES, the calls will be recorded so you can watch them later on if you aren't able to attend in person.
If you've ever joined group coaching calls you'll know that you learn a ton from seeing what other people are battling with and what questions they have.
A Program You Can Trust To Get Results
We've had people turn their projects into Steam games, we've had people learn a lot and then go off and start work on their killer idea. We've connected people who have teamed up to work on games together and we've helped many people save ALOT of time by showing them what to do and not to do when making Indie games.
And we've spent a lot of time listening to feedback from the folks who have already participated in previous intakes of the Program. We've shifted the emphasis more to making your own game project and less on learning lesson content. We've created individual project pages for each person in the program so that we can keep an ongoing conversation with feedback and visible progress. And we're spending a lot of time helping you practice the steps for success without the pressure of trying to make the next hit game. You can trust that you're in good hands and that you'll definitely improve your skills and knowledge if you join us in the Program.
30 Day Money-Back Guarantee
Not feeling it? No problem. If the program’s not right for you, just let us know anytime during the first 30 days of the Program (ie. 30 days following the first coaching call) and we’ll give you a full refund—no questions asked.
There’s zero risk. No fine print. No hard feelings. We only want you here if it’s genuinely helping you move forward.
100% Money-Back Guarantee
Not satisfied? Get a full refund, anytime during the first 30 days of the program.Lifetime Access
Access your content on any device, at any time.Teaching Support
Never get stuck with our teaching assistants on call.About the program
Get ready to take your indie game dreams from concept to completion.
The Ultimate Indie Game Dev 7-Week Program is your fast track to planning, building, and practicing launching a real indie game, even if you’re starting from scratch. Designed for beginners, hobbyists, and aspiring devs alike, this hands-on live training gives you the structure, support, and tools to go from “I’ve got an idea…” to “people are playing my game!” (even if its just a prototype or a demo or the first level of something that you can grow into a fully launchable game).
What’s Included:
- 7 Weeks of Live, Guided Training: Join weekly live calls with our instructors and indie dev mentors for motivation, coaching, and feedback as you bring your game to life. Our kick-off call is Sunday October 26th at 1pm Pacific Standard Time (4pm Eastern Time).
- Real-world Progress: Work on your own game project throughout the program following the guided instructions and milestones, practicing the principles necessary to succeed as an Indie Developer.
- 8 Live Coaching Calls + Recordings: Stay on track with live accountability calls, Q&A sessions, and expert insight across each stage of game development - from concept to launch.
- Lifetime Discord Access: Join our private Indie Program Discord server, where you can network, share progress, and get support from a passionate community of fellow devs.
- Comprehensive Learning Library: Unlock 100+ lessons covering design, development, marketing, publishing, and more—plus templates, checklists, and case studies from real indie games.
- Over-the-Shoulder Bonus Content: Watch the key lessons and milestones as we make an entire game in 400+ hours from scratch, wrestling with design decisions, tuning and polishing, all the way up to building a steam page and finding a publisher.
- Launch-Ready Blueprint: Walk away with a real, playable game prototype and the knowledge of how to take it further an ship it - plus a Steam-ready checklist and marketing plan.
Dates for Live Calls (8 coaching calls in total):
- Kickoff Call at start of week 1: Sunday October 26th, 1pm PST (4pm EST)
- Start of Week 2: Sunday November 2nd, 12pm PST (3pm EST)
- Start of Week 3: Sunday November 9th, 12pm PST (3pm EST)
- Start of Week 4: Sunday November 16th, 12pm PST (3pm EST)
- Start of Week 5: Sunday November 23rd, 12pm PST (3pm EST)
- Start of Week 6: Sunday November 30th, 12pm PST (3pm EST)
- Start of Week 7: Sunday December 7th, 12pm PST (3pm EST)
- Final Wrap-Up Call: Sunday December 14th, 12pm PST (3pm EST)
- ** Please note that daylight savings changes may impact different time zones at different times.
- Each call will last about 100 minutes, It will be in Webinar format, and all students can participate via chat and ask questions/get feedback on their project or any aspect of the game development journey.
- All calls are recorded and uploaded for easy access
Why Choose This Program?
- ✅ Perfect for beginners or devs who are stuck - no coding experience required, just a willingness to learn
- ✅ Learn from real devs who’ve shipped games and know what works in 2025
- ✅ Make a playable game (not just a nifty idea) with a proven roadmap
- ✅ Join a supportive community of indie creators with lifetime access
- ✅ Click above to enrol now and take the first step toward becoming a published indie developer!
During the program you will be watching video content and also working on your game project. Don't worry if you've never made a game before and aren't sure on how to do so, we'll guide you. The idea is that you practice the techniques which are critical to becoming a successful Indie Developer.
Each week we will set recommended milestones for your project. You don't have to follow them exactly, you can go faster or slower if you like. Remember, there are no grades, no pass / fail, everything we are doing is intended to help you practice and improve.
These are the milestones we will follow for the game projects:
- Week 1: Pick your genre and high level design
- Week 2: Start prototyping and experimenting
- Week 3: Set art style and iterate on core gameplay
- Week 4: Get feedback and improve core game
- Week 5: Add content and polish
- Week 6: Practicing finding your marketing hook
- Week 7: Make marketing material and prep for launch
In addition to the game project, you'll be provided with a huge library of up-to-date knowledge in the form of video lectures. The lectures are divided into 6 modules and include the following topics (and more):
Module 1: Design - Trends & strategies
- Trends in 2025 - what's working right now?
- Why do you want to make a game?
- How to increase your game’s success?
- Success Matrix
- 5 Minute Stickiness
- 5 Hour Durability
- 4 ways to achieve worthiness
- 4 ways to achieve freshness
- 6 ways to achieve tightness
- 5 ways to get eyeballs
- 4 ways to make a shareworthy game
- 5 ways to make an advocate-friendly game
- What game to make?
- Selecting a game genre
Module 2: Design - Ideas & prototyping
- How to design & prototype
- Brainstorming
- Initial Game Design
- Game Design Documents
- Choosing a Game Engine
- How to Prototype
- Choosing an Art Style
- Story & World Building
- The Player Experience
- How to come up with game ideas
Module 3: Development - Productivity & Tools
- Checklists
- Free Tools for Indie Developers
- Planning & Work Management
- Version Control
- Productivity Tips
- Services
- Packages & Plugins
- Modifying Assets for Cohesiveness
- Automated Testing
- Investors & Funding
- Scope
- Reusability
Module 4: Development - Decisions & Polish
- Overall & Session Duration
- Architecture Tips
- Multiplayer Considerations
- Monetization Strategy
- Game States
- User Interface
- Feedback Loop
- Scoring
- Art Asset Production
- Keyframe Animations
- Tweening Animations
- Physics Animations
- Triggers & Overlaps
- Jumping
- Particle Effects
- Object Pooling
- Persistent Settings System
- Audio & Mixing
- Sound Effects
- Music
- Input Handling
- Tutorials
- Play Testing & Feedback
- Smoke & Mirrors
- Post Processing
- Lighting
- Colors
- AI (as in Enemy AI)
- Generative AI
- Level Design
- Progression
- Decision-based game case study
- Balance
- Interactive Game Design Challenge
- Polish
- Software Monitoring & Bug Reporting
- Bug Fixing
- Modding & User Content
- Player Statistics
- Fundamentals of Optimization
- How to Increase Replayability
- How to Localize Your Game
- Security & Obfuscation
Module 5: Marketing - Outreach & Awareness
- Publisher
- Early Marketing
- Announcement Trailer
- Animated GIFs & MP4s
- Crowdfunding
- Presskit
- Gameplay Trailer
- Legal & Licensing
- Influencer Outreach
- Influencer Marketing Services
- Review Sites
- Competitions
Module 6: Marketing - Launch & Steam
- Steam Page
- Steam Pipeline
- Screenshots
- Steam Price Management
- Steam Trailer
- Steam Achievements (& Stats)
- Steamworks SDK & API
- Steam Cloud Save
- Steam Leaderboards
- Steam Keys
- Steam Wishlists
- Steam News
- Prepare Mentally for Steam =)
- Steam Visibility
- Steam Store Broadcast
- Steam Visibility Rounds
- Steam Discussions
- Release Date Planning
- Early Access
- Discord & Community
- Private Beta Testing
- Public Beta Testing
- Launch Trailer
- Demo
- Steam Next Fest
- Steam Launch Weeks
- Support
- Communication
- Reviews
- Updates
- Steam Fests
- Steam Discounts
As a final note, we want to make it clear that you DO NOT have to watch all the video content during the 7 week Program. We expect these videos to be a valuable resource that you return back to many times for many years, when you are needing insights or solutions. Some of the content will be relevant right now when you're starting a project, other content will be most useful when you are launching your game on Steam and want to stand out.
Dreaming of making your own indie game, but don’t know where to start?
Do you have game ideas stuck in your head but not sure on how to bring them to life? Or perhaps you're tired of half-finished projects, confusing tools, and project show-stoppers that block you from progressing? Or maybe you want to build a game people actually play - and who knows, perhaps publish it on Steam and make some money?
We've seen that the best way to learn is by doing. So the best way to learn how to make successful games is by practicing making games - even if they are just prototypes or demos with one level.
In this Program, wach week you'll be given actions to take on and insights to learn. You'll be guided through the process of creating, sharing, iterating and improving your game. On how to make an engaging game and on how to find the marketing hook so that in the future if you decide to take it further, it can stand out and get noticed.
And don't worry if you've never made a game before, we'll show you how to practice the important Indie Game Dev lessons without getting blocked by gaps in your programming or art knowledge.
Each week you'll be provided with detailed video lectures for learning the key insights and with specific actions to take on building your game project.
Remember, the goal of the Program is to Get Good At Making Games. In 7 weeks we don't expect you to make a game that is ready for public launch. But we will help you become an indie developer who is capable of turning ideas into reality.
- Week01
Select Genre & High Level Design (Oct 27 to Nov 2)
- Focus: Identify the sort of game you are going to make for your project at a high level.
- Daily tasks: Start thinking about game types, learn some insights for how to research and select your game, start thinking about how your game is going to be interesting to you and others.
- Week02
Start Prototyping & Experimenting (Nov 3 to 9)
- Focus: Open up a game engine and get creating. Improve your processes and learn some tips for planning.
- Daily tasks: Start working on your game's core mechanic, experiment with ideas, and figure out some of the technical challenges you might not know how to do. And you know, have some fun dangit!
- Week03
Set art style and iterate on core gameplay (Nov 10 to 16)
- Focus: Improving your game based upon your own thoughts on how to make it better.
- Daily tasks: Identify the visual style for your game, figure out your art assets, work on tuning the core game so it feels good, add some new features if you have time.
- Week04
Getting Feedback & Improving Your Game (Nov 17 to 23)
- Focus: Share your game with our community, listen to the feedback, improve.
- Daily tasks: Share your game or short videos of your game if its not properly playable yet. Ask specific questions, get feedback, iterate on your game to improve it.
- Week05
Add Content & Polish (Nov 24 to 30)
- Focus: Continue to improve your game based upon feedback by adding polish, fixing bugs and padding out the content.
- Daily tasks: Update the look and feel of your game, add more levels / enemies / weapons / etc to make it a richer experience. Eliminate the things that players don't like and add more of the things that they do like.
- Week06
Practive Your Marketing Hook (Dec 1 to 7)
- Focus: Dial in on the main marketing messages for your game, it's wow-factor and the thing that people like most about it.
- Daily tasks: In addition to continuing polishing your game you'll practice (just within our community) your marketing messages and experiement with what you need to to do make a game stand out.
- Week07
Create Marketing Materials & Prep For Launch (Dec 8 to 14)
- Focus: Practice the steps required for properly launching a game.
- Daily tasks: Your project may not yet be ready for a Steam launch but we can practice creating an itch page, making a marketing video, getting the game ready for launch by having a full gameplay loop, adding all the menus, etc required for launch.