Shipping Your First Indie Game: Lessons From Indie Founders

In this panel discussion, local indie founders share real lessons on starting a studio, funding your first game, and shipping successfully. Thinking about starting your own game studio? Join an honest, behind-the-scenes panel discussion with experienced indie founders as they break down what it really takes to go from early idea to shipped game. This panel will explore the realities of launching a studio before you incorporate, including how to find your niche, how to align expectations with your team, and how much runway you actually need. It will also walk through Business 101 fundamentals: incorporation, equity splits, shareholder agreements, trademarks, and defining roles. From there, they will dig into how to get started on your first indie project, from testing ideas, validating your market, choosing genre and platform, managing scope, to surviving the “last 10%” that often makes or breaks an indie project. You’ll also learn practical strategies for building an audience, gaining Steam wishlists, running a Kickstarter campaign, deciding when to start marketing, and navigating what happens if your first launch doesn’t go as planned. The event will close with actionable advice for developers starting today: how to stay lean, ship smart, and build momentum without overextending yourself. Whether you’re solo, forming a small team, or exploring your first indie idea, this session is designed to give you clarity, realism, and optimism for the road ahead. Ship something. Keep it small. Learn. Then ship again. Doors open at 6:00, and the panel will kick off at 6:30!