Hey good folks! I want to make 2D casual games for a living, nothing crazy . I’m a longtime Flash game developer. I also have experience with mobile app development (via Adobe AIR back in the day). Long story short right as Flash was dying I got a boring job for the last 7 years or so. But I’ve been daydreaming of getting back into game development. The problem is, industry standard game engines out there (Unity, Unreal) look like too steep of a learning curve to me with my background. I recenly made a game in Phaser and was happy with the framework but it had some noticeable lag on mobile devices being browser-based. So I decided to switch to OpenFL.
I’ve been porting the game I made to OpenFL and have been loving it. It reminds me of the Flash days, there’s just something about it. I’m primarily an artist/animator so it just feels so natural coding with the OpenFL display list. I’m just wondering though, this community seems small. Is there hope for my dreams of being an OpenFL developer? Or should I go back to learning JavaScript or worse Unity and try to make it over there like everyone else?
When it comes to making and releasing indie games, I think what’s more important than whatever tech stack you use for your game is 1) finishing the game and 2) marketing the game effectively. A lot of popular indie games were made with game engines other than Unity or Unreal, such as Balatro, Luck Be The Land Lord, and the original Vampire Survivors.
When it comes to being desired by a potential employer for a developer job, then I would recommend learning more mainstream tech.
I’ve been making a good living with OpenFL and have never worked on a game with it. It’s got excellent potential for app development when used with FeathersUI or HaxeUI. Perhaps if you went that route you could support your games on the side.
If you want to make money from a game or any app or website or product, start with the obvious; start with the revenue system and marketing strategy on day 1. And then build the game around it. At least that way you’re sure you’re building a game/app/website/product designed to make money in the first place. Of course there are tons of great games that weren’t designed that way… But it’s no surprise to learn that they bring zero or near zero revenues…
@calimero has a valid, strong point! It all depends on your intentions with the project. Considering the title of the post, the (quite valid) objective is to make money with your work using OpenFL. Here, project planning and marketing are much more than choosing the tool. Rest assured that OpenFL fits very well in projects with this objective, yes, but think about this planning first.
. I’m a longtime Flash game developer. I also have experience with mobile app development (via Adobe AIR back in the day). Long story short right as Flash was dying I got a boring job for the last 7 years or so. But I’ve been daydreaming of getting back into game development. The problem is, industry standard game engines out there (Unity, Unreal) look like too steep of a learning curve to me with my background. I recenly made a game in Phaser and was happy with the framework but it had some noticeable lag on mobile devices being browser-based. So I decided to switch to OpenFL.