Amidst what some perceive as increasing pressure and a stifling of creative freedom within the mainstream games industry, developers are finding outlets for their ingenuity through a vibrant spectrum of personal side projects. These endeavors, often born from a simple urge to create or explore new ideas, serve as a testament to the persistent and "undimmable" nature of human creativity. Many of these projects are shared online, showcasing a diverse range of interests that extend far beyond traditional game development.
Dr. Holly Nielsen, a historian of play and game developer, has created short interactive fiction pieces. One project, developed during recovery from a heart issue, is intended to be integrated with a heart monitor as an installation. Nielsen also produces interactive fiction to bring the medium into academic settings.
Korina Abbott, a communications specialist, finds fulfillment in creating pixel art during her lunch breaks as a form of "creative meditation," producing small, personal art pieces daily.
Freya Holmér, a tech artist, has demonstrated "movement in non-euclidean quaternionic space," a complex concept that highlights the unique technical explorations undertaken by game developers. Holmér noted the satisfaction of seeing such ideas take form, even without immediate plans for playability.
Rob Shaer, a seasoned game and level designer, applied his skills to a non-game project, designing and building a pergola and privacy screen using Blender.
John Livingston, a senior level designer at 2K, is developing an immersive sim game in his spare time, with approval from his studio. Inspired by titles like Mosa Lina, Scribblenauts, and LittleBigPlanet, his project explores a unique take on the genre.
Ste Curran, known for the puzzle game Mindset, has also created "skyspace," an alternate interface for Bluesky that emulates the look of MySpace from 2005. Curran also highlighted Maraoke, a collection of karaoke songs rewritten with video game themes.
Dr. Nic, a technical narrative designer, is collaborating with a partner on a mecha-themed tabletop role-playing and wargame, with plans for further playtesting.
Fidel Destro is working on GaleriaLux, an "endless art gallery made of light," utilizing Godot and Blender. Destro recently resolved a performance issue related to level loading, allowing for a smoother experience.
Ed Lu, a multiplayer engineer, has begun creating maps for Quake, participating in recent game jams. Lu expressed gratitude for finding the community during a time when the validity of his profession felt uncertain.
A developer known as GRIM has produced the Twine Grimoire series, offering tutorials and templates for aspiring developers to learn from.
Fran Vergara, a freelance lighting and cinematic artist, is developing a game cinematic, sharing a striking image that evokes a sense of space combat reminiscent of Star Fox.
Alex Evans, co-founder of Media Molecule, observed a significant trend of game developers transitioning into making modular synthesizers. He cited Thonk, a synthesizer shop founded by a former developer from Relentless Software, and the Expert Sleepers brand, founded by an ex-Sony employee, as examples of this crossover. Evans himself created Plinky, a synthesizer project, during his tenure at Media Molecule.
Joel Auterson, a developer at indie studio Bearwaves, collaborates with poet Antosh Wojcik on interactive poem projects. One such project is described as a "game-poem" exploring themes of hypochondria, featuring branching narrative pathways.
Thomas Keene, an indie developer, has created a sample project in Godot Engine showcasing "Wind Waker style polygonal light pools." The project, including source code and a playable demo, is available on GitHub.
Mike Meyer, formerly of sports games, has dedicated his spare time to painting models.
A 3D artist known as Moth shared a clip from an abandoned game jam project.
Valentine Kozin, a lead technical artist, is prototyping a drawing game inspired by "Exquisite Corpse" mechanics, where players collectively contribute to a classical painting.
Ste Pickford, a developer, is planning and beginning work on a fanzine featuring pen and ink drawings of stone circles, accompanied by anecdotes from his father.
Abban, who works part-time in fundraising, has been developing a UFO game daily for nearly three years, enjoying the learning process and creative freedom it offers.
A hobbyist developer named Pixel Prophecy is restoring old videos, providing examples of their work.
Joram Wolters, a developer from the Netherlands, has transformed a low-poly spaceship demo into a short solo game about choice and self-sacrifice. He is also working with his wife on a game about the experience of parenting while losing a parent.
Another developer, Taconite, is focusing on orbital mechanics to simulate Kessler syndrome and illustrate the dangers of space combat, refining their simulation for stability and accuracy.
Annie VanderMeer, a writer recently laid off, is freelancing and working on an interactive retelling of Hamlet in Ren'Py. She is also reviving a YouTube podcast and cultivating a garden, with aspirations to create a gardening game, potentially in VR.
An artist who goes by DiceDeeds has adapted their backlog of personal artwork into a "wacky dungeon card game."
One developer at a major studio, who wished to remain anonymous, has created a unique project centered entirely around the PlayStation 5's DualSense controller. This game aims to highlight the often-overlooked tactile experience of interacting with game hardware. It uses the controller's adaptive sensors and haptic feedback to create a sense of intimacy and non-verbal communication, with the goal of reaching a "desired state" through experimentation. The player's progress is indicated by the controller's vibration, described as a "heartbeat," which intensifies as the correct state is approached. Incorrect inputs result in jarring jolts and a temporary cessation of the heartbeat. The developer intends to release this project for free in the future.
These diverse projects underscore a persistent drive for creative expression, independent of commercial pressures, demonstrating that passion and innovation continue to thrive within the broader games development community.