Making is Connecting: Creative Freedom for Indie Developers

Creative Freedom. It catches the attention of any aspiring game developer or player. However, gamers and creators have discovered this is often too good to be true.

Today, the accessibility of free platforms for creating games is greater than ever. 

The exponential increase in indie games over the last decade has become proof of this. 

Players and developers alike have found connection through collaboration and engagement with indie games.

However, just like everything, money and consumerism ultimately have affected this industry as well. 

In Making is Connecting: The Social Power of Creativity, David Gauntlet discusses the positivity of the internet as a platform to connect and create, yet he also expresses concern over the limitations put on creatives with online mediums. 

He brings up online creativity’s need for better platforms due to exploitation of users for profit.

In the age of corporate greed, we see this affecting developers and players alike.

Take for instance, Unity’s new policies for 2024. 

Unity was a major platform for both large and small developers, including myself. 

It put the tools for creative freedom in users hands. However, Unity’s new CEO is now charging developers 20 cents per download of games, unless they pay a higher subscription fee. This means free to play games that typically receive thousands of downloads will now struggle. This has led to the removal of extremely popular games like Cult of the Lamb from stores by their indie devs.

Players are experiencing some of these creative restraints as well. Gauntlet also mentions the issue of games being labeled “interactive” or “collaborative” but falling short of those creative promises.

Much of my research is around illusions of choice and fake open world games. I’m exploring trickery in game design that causes disappointing experiences for players. I have discussed with other devs the issue of games being produced fast for the sake of sales. This results in cookie cutter missions that are all the same and corporations publishing unfinished content. Too, we see customization options hidden behind a paywall or battle pass. 

All hope is not lost for indie developers or players though. I still believe we’re in an age of creative connectivity between developers and players. 

Gamers have a wider range worlds to engage with and indie developers have more power than ever to create using other platforms such as Unreal Engine, RPG Maker, and more. 

Players are able to engage and connect with each other online or through streaming. They can have collaborative experiences in sandbox style, fixed narrative games, or massive online multiplayers games.

Baldur’s Gate and Tears of the Kingdom being contenders for game of the year in 2023 also demonstrates the values of developers for producing incredible experiences and environments that support creativity. 

Concerns about digital platforms effects on indie devs are valid, but I still see growth and positive things in the future. 

Creative connectedness in gaming will not die out because we’re gamers after all. 

We’ll always find ways to obtain the freedom to create, connect, and play.