Game Making vs Fulltime Job?

[Yoraee]

So I was wondering, for those who make games while keeping full time jobs (that are not game making related) + families + other such responsibilities, how do you usually manage your time between life and game making?


I work 7 to 5, and although I try to squeeze at least two hours of game work into my daily schedule (usually in the later hours of the day), I find it extremely difficult some days to muster up the brain power to make any progress at all. I then end up feeling bad that I hadn’t done anything on my project that day.


I am also interested in the experiences of those who have completed games while working full time. How were those experiences?

 

[Tome571]

Wake up early and do it first. It might seem crazy to wake up at 4am, but it is peaceful, you have the most mental bandwidth, and the least interruptions. Get your hour or two in, then head off to the normal job. You will actually perform better at the day job as well because you are more alert, awake, and mentally engaged. 

 

[Yoraee]

@Tome571 I can't believe I never thought of that! I guess I got complacent with my own routine, haha!


I'll actually try to do this today (or it is tomorrow?) and see how it goes

 

[Shaz]

Wow - 7-5 is a 10-hour day!  That'd leave me exhausted!


I can +1 the wake up early idea.  During summer a few years ago, when game making WAS my full time job and I was studying full time as well, I'd often get up around 4:30 and just work on something for a few hours before everyone else got up.  It was incredibly productive.

 

[Kes]

I do the early morning routine quite often, though I also do some evening work as well, it all depends on RL commitments.  I also have small habits which help.  e.g. I always have a small notepad on me which I only use for game related ideas and I have discovered that an average day will have lots of tiny gaps in them.  Waiting for a meeting to start?  Out comes the notepad.  Waiting in line for something?  Thinking time and possibly notepad.  Stuck in a traffic jam?  More thinking time (and reduces the stress of wondering when we will start moving again), and so on.

 

[Yoraee]

@ksjp17 Ah! That's similar to what I do, but in my case I use my Blackberry and type in ideas and concepts into one text file. I like the notepad idea more, though. Since using a note pad also allows for sketching and doodling designs, mock interfaces etc.


I'm learning a lot already! Thanks guys!

 

[taarna23]

I work 8-4:30, so I get a little half hour lunch that I take at my desk while flailing through both eating my food and working on some project work, lol.


I'm also lucky - I'm at a workplace that understands that a brain-drained programmer is a useless programmer, so we tend to take smaller breaks when work makes us want to bash head on desk. Some play a round of agar.io, I get a sprite frame or two done, or add a few tiles to a tileset. It's actually a nice little recharge before diving back in.


After work I'll sometimes do some more work on my project, sometimes not. Depends on how long the day felt. I usually get the most done on Sundays, as life has no real demands on me that day. Well, at least on the days I don't go and get a migraine.

 

[Canini]

I usually take three hours off every day of the weekend to work on my game no matter what. I am a printer engineer which is a pretty draining job with lots of traveling, plus I am a lodger so I really can´t wake up early or go to bed early due to noise.

 

[sabao]

I do this weird thing now where I get home, I do whatever needs doing like chores, dinner and shower and then take a nap to recharge. I get up at maybe 1 or 2 in a morning and chug in maybe an hour or two of work before deciding to turn in for the day. I like working late at night-- there's a lot less things like emails or the people around you to distract you.

 

[Ravenith]

What I have to offer is a piece of advice; make the most out of the time you have, try to keep a schedule and teach yourself to be productive. I currently work 80-hour weeks and daydream about how it felt to have all the time in the world to work on my game.

 

[BigToastie]

I work full time. I tend to do bits here and there through the day, and on a night when I fancy it.


I never set a specific time to do work, as I can spend 10-15 mins on eventing or hours on game development, it depends how I feel :3

 

[bgillisp]

I usually block off one of my off days to work on the game as if it were an 8 - 5 job. Usually that is my most productive day too of the entire week. Otherwise, sometimes I get 1 - 2 hour breaks between classes (as I work as a college teacher and have no research requirements at my job, so our free time is our own once we are done with student requests and grading) and I use those to open up the laptop and do light tasks that can be easily put down if needed.

 

[RogdagoR]

I work fulltime too and often I have RL stuff to do, so basically I work at night when i'm inspired and still got some energy!


By the day i have google docs shared on evey device, even at work, so i can write down ideas that come to my mind.


I have also a little notebook like @ksjp17 for drawings and fast flow charts because you never know when inspiration come

 

[Ms Littlefish]

I'm a morning person through and through and pretty much brain dead by the time 5-6PM rolls around. All I want is dinner, active relaxation, and bedtime. I'm done. So, I +1 waking up early as well. I absolutely love being up early in the morning. It's completely quiet and no one and nothing needs to bug me at 4:30AM. Also, like bgillsp; I'll sometimes use a day off to do a burst like that; especially if it's a time consuming task on my agenda (I hate leaving certain things unfinished). I get really engrossed into things, so having a few large time windows like that can end up extremely productive and feel very rewarding for me. I also take a lot of notes and do a lot of pre-planning so I can really punch things out by the time I get to the computer.

 

[Pierman Walter]

I have to go to school, and I try to tie in some aspects of game making into assignments, not to the point where people go,"There's Pierman Walter, jamming that crappy game into everything we do again.", but wherever it's applicable. Helps that it is hard scifi, which means I can relate some aspects of it to many subjects without looking like a narcissistic interrupting fartlump.

 

[Yoraee]

@sabao I'm assuming you don't have to wake up very early in the morning then, given you work on the game till around 4am?


@bgillisp & @Ms Littlefish Weekends are out of the question for me because I visit family, but I've had times where I've taken paid time off of work with the aim to binge-game-make. I found that I was the most productive at those times. Sad I can't take time off like that more often.


@Ravenith I already look back with nostalgia at the lull between me graduating and getting employed. I lived with my parents and had nothing to do all day, so I spent my time making AMVs all day and nigh long. Ah those were the days..  


@Pierman Walter Good idea to incorporate the game (or elements of it) wherever applicable. I think it makes you more invested in your assignments and school projects. I used to do that all the time in my classes, particularly in English writing assignments.


Its reinforcing to know that others also resort to the note taking and making the most out of every second of the day. I feel like I've found others who understand my struggles 


So its 8 in the evening where I live. I plan to turn in early for the night and wake up at 4 in the morning. I'll post back with how that works out! *fingers crossed I don't just switch the alarm off and go back to sleep*.

 

[sabao]

@sabao I'm assuming you don't have to wake up very early in the morning then, given you work on the game till around 4am?

My office allows for flexible work hours where I can come in anytime between 7-10. I just need to make sure I clock in all nine hours. Also, the office is 15 minutes away from home, at least until I move homes in two weeks. After which this little habit of mine is likely screwed.

 

[TheOriginalFive]

I don't currently work, but I resolve to do as much as I can on a project in a day. Such as 1 character walking set a day or a section of town mapping. Drawing huge props is also a big project that can be done in a week.


If I'm working I do smaller versions such as 1 character's clothes a day instead.

 

[HexMozart88]

For me, I usually do it when I have time after school and on weekends. I would try to finish the menu script one day, and start contemplating a battle system the next. 

 

[Yoraee]

Update on my quest to wake up early for game work: I slept through the alarms!


I woke up 15 minutes earlier than my regular time though. Its a start, haha!