Burnout (and how to recover)

I am trying to refrain from putting up demos of my games, because I always seem to lose motivation after I do, I guess its because I have the game out there kind of so I lose motivation, idk why though :p I'm struggling to not put up a demo of the game that I'm doing now, I don't feel like ill lose my motivation but I dont want to post it just in case. ehhhhhhhhhhhhh I wanna post it but I cant, but I have tooooooo, ehhh. Heres the new demo (I better not lose motivation D:)

http://www.stencyl.com/game/play/9022

wow this post is a fail, I talk about how much I dont wanna put up demos, but then because I was thinking about it, it tempted me to put up a demo D:

It is a fail, but it is an extremely important point. I have stopped a lot of projects because of that. Getting feedback is very important, but make sure you can handle it emotionnaly.

1. You want your demo to be a good surprise. Releasing a demo too early can spoil it, especially when showing it to close friends or the people you really hyped or want to impress.
2. Some feedbacks can be more negative than you expected. Sometimes people don't understand your vision and cannot imagine the potential of the game and what it is going to be when done because it is a prototype.
3. The 'wow effect' is over, all the next demos you will release will only be updates and people won't be as interrested.

Mainly your first point is what gets me, once its out there people just see it in its form where there isnt much to it and is just kind of messy and sloppy, thats why I wont update it, until I release the final game, that way it will be so different it wont really matter

BTW, in your demo you have bug where game won't restart after health = 0. Also you really need to work on name.

Ya I should have remembered about the health thing but in good news I hvent lost motivation yet

One thing that I know some developers do is set tasks that they must complete in a day/unit of time. For example, maybe in one day, you want to make all the sprites for your game (not easy to do of course.) Or maybe you want to make a few behaviors.
If you would rather play it than make it, just be bored and do a good job making it for a while, so that you can spend even more time playing it.

i tend to idk how to put it "loose interest or motivation" in a project and it ends up take space up on my hard drive lol

Delete it.

For what /Type here any reason

What?

Haha, what gave me motivation is posting my game and having others enjoy it. Before I posted it I had motivation loss for game making for about 1-1/2 months now. It's not necessarily making the engine, but working on graphics for too long gives me motivation loss. Especially since I wanted it to be 1 of the bigger aspects of the game.

Check out this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO7cVIk8CmY

Always gives me motivation to make games.

As someone who has been making games for ten years, and now does this professionally (i.e. someone who is poor and has to work a lot):

- Try working on small projects that you know you can finish.
- Always be aware that big projects, hell, all projects, will go through phases where they are more work than fun. This is also true of all other artforms, from theatre to film to writing. Sometimes you just need to keep going until it's fun again.
- Take breaks! I know a lot of game developers, including myself, who have experienced severe burnout. It can take a real toll on your health, too. Relax. Play some games. Go for a walk. Read a book. It really helps to recharge your batteries.

I made a game and when I came back everything I had touched had dissappeared, twice.

I got past a lot of motivational crysis and now i can manage myself quite well.
The most firm boss is yourself.
My dad keep me saying that.The worst insult is to have low self-esteem.
Thinking of what you have done positively, or keeping a good hobby is a good thing.

I agree that demos spoil out the wow effect, but talking of new features helps to keep tension high!
I often release demos of my games, but only when i get on hand a brilliant feature ready to implement.
I actually published on Stencyl only one scene and 5 actors, while i coded 7scenes and 98 actors.

I usually don't make myself 'deadlines' because i still know very little of flash.
Viceversa i'm quite strong on myself when i recode something i already did/i know perfectly how to do.

When i feel tired or 'stunned' by a problem, i usually take a 15min break by doing something else, like playing piano, kung fu or crafting little objects.
Folklore note:in Italy everyone who works with a computer(and stencyling is 'work') is forced to take a break of 15min every 2hours.In that break the person must do an alternative activity decided by his boss(except working with another computer), or if not specified, at his choice, except sleeping and within the limits of other restraints.
Funny thing is that also students and computer players have to follow this law!

Take programming as a sport!
If you are new train yourself and ask about rules.
Make first matches in a friendly environment,
Then start to make goals, break records and help others!

 Lots and Lots of icecream.

I'm an avid project hopper, currently involved doing art on 2 games and slowly trudging through my comic i'm drawing.
For me lately time management is my focus, being able to pick some time and dedicate it to one of these projects. It also helps me to break a project down into more managable parts and keep building on it, it's always easy to get excited and do half a dozen things that arent even close to being implemented..... a lot of the time its the cool stuff too and not being able to get to it sooner might defeat some people. Make a plan that fits your lifestyle and stick to it, take a break if you want and know that you can come back.

A good motivation cycle can be something like: Task/Goal/Recognition.

Set your TASK within a reasonable limit and work to it. Reach your GOAL, celebrate, take a break to review whats next. Recogniton  is very important because we all like to have our efforts acknowledged. Show your friends, post a demo, let the RECOGNITION of others drive you to set the next task and start the cycle again.

And lastly enjoy what you do, if you're not enjoying something even though you've committed to it you're not going to be motivated Cheers - Luke

I never learned how to properly motivate myself.

Instead, when I want to create something, I tend to quit my job -- run myself out of money, and convince myself that my current project is life or death and if I don't finish it, I will be a miserable failure like my parents and have a miserable life doing a boring job that I hate and then grow old and die alone.

That usually does the trick. However, I'm sort of a miserable person all the time, and my games never live up to my obscene expectations.

I used to think that games weren't art. But if the criteria for art is that the creator must put every ounce of their living fiber into the product... I think they qualify

Games are really hard to make. It takes a special mindset to be a creator. If you have it, the games will make themselves. If you don't... then I'm not really sure you can just "get it". I've never felt like I had any other option in my life other than "make games". The rest has just fallen into place over time.