Full-Time IndieDev Journey (Original Post Not Updated)

I decided to split off the revenue reports from the other topic: http://community.stencyl.com/index.php/topic,38536.0.html

$12,149 total for 2015 ($11,283 after subcontracting)
$2,967 total for 2016

Development (all done in Stencyl):
$540 Card Game
$260 2048 Game
$275 Memory Match Game
$275 Picture Finding Game
$260 King's Colors Type Game
$300 Picture Finding Game
$350 Education App
$38 Tap Game
$120 MMO Companion
$400 Brain Training Game
$200 Avoider
$400 Kid's Game
$700 Platformer
$2120 Card Game 4 Milestones
$200 Infinite Runner 2 Milestones
$520 Board Game Companion App
$2650 Space Shooter and Brick Destroy 3 Milestones
$15 Quick Game prototype
$750 Dead6hot
$750 Training Game
$700 Action Platformer (WWUJD: The Game)
$50 Soccer game
$500 Arcade game

Writing Design Documents:
$100 Tycoon Style Game
$1500 Medical App 3 Milestones
$60 Mathematical Pattern Game

Other:
$180 Advertising Revenue (from my own Stencyl games)
$680 Tutoring Stencyl
$223 Helping out on other people's Stencyl projects

Expenses:
($866) Subcontracted Out Work

I had wanted to take it easy during August and work on my own projects. But then got sick with a respiratory infection. It seems to be going around and keeps on ticking. Monday will be 4 weeks of having it for me. My sister-in-law has had it for ~6 weeks. Needless to say, I did not have time to work on my own things

$700 for a platformer
$10 for a small project
($104) contracted out programming to a fellow stencyler
$400 for a kid's game
($54) contracted out programming to a different fellow stencyler

$952 for August

I have pretty much $740 guaranteed for Sept. So rent will be paid for another month

Hello,

Thanks for sharing these figures. I saw your other post too and I thought it's very nice of you to show this to other people and boost the morale Do you do this full time? Or do you have a job too? Sorry to hear about the infection, hope it clears away soon

Yes, I do Stencyl full time.  And to answer your unasked question, no I do not have experience.

I am actually trained as a biology professor. Other than using excel or powerpoint or playing games, I haven't used computers for much of anything in the past 25 years. When I was a kid, my brother and wrote some simple choice options in BASIC. After looking for a job for two years and being out of work for 8 months, I decided to try my hand at game development.

It is not easy breaking into game development with no training. However, it is possible.

Haha, thanks for answering my unasked question

I think that's great that you had the courage to start something that's so different and succeeded! And games are fun both to create and play

I don't have any programming experience either. I studied classical music until university, where I studied literature. And now I'm a 3d modeler. Funny how things turn out in time

Updated the top post and combined some of the similar lines to condense it a little. For instance, all of other people's projects that I have helped on and all tutoring jobs are lumped together. Also, also milestones from projects are now combined.

$540 Card Milestone 3
$100 Infinite Runner Milestone 1
$327.50 Board Game Companion App
$17.50 Tutoring Stencyl
$15 Helped out on a small project

$1000 for September

Great Stats!! Hope to reach there someday.

I just don't get it how you get people to pay you for games. Do you have personal contacts or using freelance websites? Sorry if I'm asking a 'should not ask' question.

I use anything and everything.

I read an article about indie game development. They said that you will probably hit a dry patch where your games do not make enough money to pay the bills. In those cases, do whatever you have to do to get by. I took that as meaning go crazy applying everywhere I can. People are constantly asking me the same question, "where do I find clients?" The answer is, "everywhere." There are a million contract jobs out there. There are a million more contracts with people who don't even realize that they want a contractor. Do not limit yourself to the traditional methods of going to FGL or publishing on a flash portal. You don't even have to limit yourself to getting contract work like me. Sponsorships, publishing and contracts are not the only way to make money in indie development.

I'll be honest, 1/3 of the money has come from the same client. I am really lucky to be working with him.

October Report

$500 Card Milestone 4
$100 Infinite Runner Milestone 2
$192.50 Board Game Companion App
$120 Tutoring Stencyl
$750 Shooter Game
($104) Artwork for shooter
($100) Artwork for halloween game (which I didn't have time to finish )

$1458.50 Total

You've gotten really good at this.  I get stressed enough dealing with one collab project and can't imagine managing as many as you do.

I've always been someone who works better with multiple things happening at once. I have my limits, though. Once I hit more than 4 or 5 things at one time, everything begins to fall apart and nothing gets done. That's why I like the idea of bringing other people into the mix. If I could grab 5-10 projects, then I could take on 3 comfortably and others could take the rest.

Man get me into your team then I'll help as much as I can.

That's not a sufficient CV is it?

Thanks for the interest. I'm going to be moving more in that direction next year.

Wow!! Interview me for Stencyl knowledge and I'll prove myself

I've been pretty lax with finding new contracts in October. The next one I get, I'll pass to you, Bhoopalan, as your "interview"