Agenda
AAA to Indie: What a 30-Day Experiment Taught a Veteran Designer
Benjamin Reeves (Principal Writer & Strategic Consultant, SC Creative Labs)
Pass Type:
Academic Pass, Festival Pass, Game Changer Pass, Indie Pass, Start-Up Pass -
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Track:
Design, Independent Development
Audience Level:
Entry-Level
Format:
Microtalks
Vault Recording: TBD
Audience Level: Entry-Level
For two decades, AAA narrative designer Ben Reeves has written for AAA titles like Marvel's Midnight Suns and Civilization VII. But what happens when a veteran writer strips away the safety net and builds a game completely alone? In this session, Reeves explores his thirty-day experiment learning the lightweight Godot engine from absolute scratch to ship an indie prototype.
In this talk, Reeves argues that the most dangerous trap in modern game development is getting insulated inside a single discipline. He offers a candid look at the friction and humility of solo game development. Through the lens of his 30-day Godot experiment, Reeves demonstrates why infinite resources can stifle design, how technical literacy builds genuine reverence for other disciplines, and why giving yourself permission to be a beginner again is the ultimate key to surviving in an ever-changing industry.
In this talk, Reeves argues that the most dangerous trap in modern game development is getting insulated inside a single discipline. He offers a candid look at the friction and humility of solo game development. Through the lens of his 30-day Godot experiment, Reeves demonstrates why infinite resources can stifle design, how technical literacy builds genuine reverence for other disciplines, and why giving yourself permission to be a beginner again is the ultimate key to surviving in an ever-changing industry.
Takeaway
Attendees will gain concrete strategies for scoping narrative experiments, diagnosing when a story is masking a broken mechanic, and integrating story with mechanics. They will learn from real-world failures, such as debugging UI rounding errors and restructuring tangled script architectures, while discovering how to break out of their comfort zone and become better collaborators.
Intended Audience
This session primarily targets narrative designers and writers at any experience level seeking to prototype faster, build technical literacy, and take direct control of game mechanics. However, designers, producers, and general developers will also gain valuable insights into rapid prototyping, cross-team communication, and using constraints to solve design flaws. No prior Godot or coding experience is required.