Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The Games, Movies, TV & Comics You Love
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
  • TV
  • Movies
  • Hardware
  • Video
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Guides
  • Deals
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
Total Film
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
Subscribe now
Trending
  • Gamescom 2025 schedule
  • Gamescom
  • Battlefield 6
  • New Games for 2025
Don't miss these
Ultimate Chicken Horse screenshot of raccoon
Games "Most players have no idea" how much games cost to make and "everything's more expensive than people think," devs say, as indie hits like Balatro are "the exception"
Rusty's Retirement
Simulation Games Where Eric Barone used his indie bucks to buy a proper PC, creator of Stardew Valley-inspired hit Rusty's Retirement says he's got the same $1,000 rig after selling half a million copies: "We've literally done nothing else differently"
Among Us crewmate popping out of a TV with a hush hand sign
Games After handing out millions, Among Us dev says its indie fund has a signing rate roughly 8x higher than most publishers, most of its games are under $500k, just 6 are $1 million or more, and RPGs are king
Clair Obscure Expedition 33
RPGs Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leads predict rise in "AA-class games" as production costs reach ridiculous heights, say only GTA 6 maker Rockstar "is able to meet that demand"
Schedule I
Games Hits like Schedule 1 are a dangerous bar for indies, Steam expert says: "That top potential has completely warped people's brains about what they should be making"
Best Steam Summer Sale games: A close-up shot of a player holding a gun in Cyberpunk 2077.
Cyberpunk After working on an indie between Cyberpunk 2077 and a new vampire RPG from The Witcher 3 leads, veteran writer says indies have more "constraints" than AAA, but that makes them even more "original and unique"
Baldur's Gate 3 screenshot showing companion Shadowheart, a young half-elf woman with long tied-back black hair
RPGs Baldur's Gate 3 dev says AAA is "perversely fascinated" by indie games, because those devs still understand how to make good ideas that aren't reliant on data
Split trailer screenshot of man sitting at computer desk
Horror Games He made a viral horror game in 2 months – it sold 6 million copies, and now he can make whatever he wants for the rest of his life: "My final theory is that gambling is very fun"
Key art for Sea of Stars showing two characters holding swords in front of the moon.
RPGs Hit Chrono Trigger-inspired indie RPG Sea of Stars "was about 7 times more successful than we anticipated from the best sunny day scenario," say devs
Dying Light: The Beast promotional screenshot
Survival Horror Games 2025 already belongs to double-A games, and Dying Light: The Beast is helping Clair Obscur prove it – "Do you really want to play every game for 100 hours?"
Sloclap
Sports Games Rematch director doesn't want to make "$50-100 million" games, "because that's what the big studios do" and all it does is limit the studio's creative freedom
SuitNtie models
Simulation Games "My savings had run out": In a few months, a Sonic 3 animator made an N64-style game based on an iconic Animal Crossing mechanic and chucked it onto Steam because "I needed to pay rent," and it worked
Hollow Knight Silksong
Action Games Hollow Knight "was so underpriced" that a fellow Metroidvania dev was nervous to go higher than $15 and bought Team Cherry's masterpiece "multiple times because I'm just like, take my money, please"
Zoomed in picture of a Balatro Joker plush.
Games "It was not 'one guy', look at the dang in-game credits": Balatro's Localthunk joins team size discourse after Geoff Keighley fumbled it at Summer Game Fest by saying Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was made by "under 30" people
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's Gustave in a French-inspired outfit
RPGs Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 studio is "just the right size" for a "full-priced turn-based RPG," so don't expect its success to lead to AAA ambitions: "I'd prefer working as a small team"
  1. Games

Ask an indie developer: What would you do with a huge budget?

Features
By GamesRadar Staff published 13 August 2013

More money, more problems?

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

More money, more problems?

More money, more problems?

Independent game development is low cost by its very nature. Many developers are working out of their homes, foregoing payment until the game is completed, and hoping against hope their finished title sells enough to fund the next game. Indie devs are used to dealing with a shoestring budget, but what if their next game came with all the funding they could dream of?

In part two of our Indie Week series, we asked more than a dozen high profile developers what theyd make if they had a comparable budget to Battlefield or Batman: Arkham City. Some would be happy with the extra cash, some would worry about dealing with something on that scale, and others would just pocket the extra money and stay small. Our economic debate begins with...

Page 1 of 16
Page 1 of 16
Jake Kazdal, 17-Bit (Skulls of the Shogun, Galak-Z)

Jake Kazdal, 17-Bit (Skulls of the Shogun, Galak-Z)

Go crazy with voice actors, hire more level designers, and quit working 12 hour days! Go to every trade show all over the world! Hire a professional PR team! Hire a full time community manager! Not wake up in cold sweats every night!

Page 2 of 16
Page 2 of 16
Kevin Geisler, Young Horses (Octodad: Dadliest Catch)

Kevin Geisler, Young Horses (Octodad: Dadliest Catch)

I think with a large budget, Id like to invest in ways to make sure we were running an efficient operation that focused on a quality work environment and ease of development. I wouldnt want to entirely spend it on making a larger scoped no boundaries game. It feels like a lot of companies get into the trap of having these large budgets where theyre essentially operating like someone would paycheck to paycheck. I wouldnt be opposed to making modest-sized games and stretching out that budget for life.

Page 3 of 16
Page 3 of 16
Sean Murray, Hello Games (Joe Danger)

Sean Murray, Hello Games (Joe Danger)

Maybe get a cleaner? Ryan could do with a new keyboard I mean, we used to work on huge games, with ridiculous budgets and I dont know that it made the actual games better. Those budgets bring this horrible risk with them, that means suddenly you have to play things real safe. Suddenly you have to work on a sequel, or a first person shooter. Having your options constrained by a small budget means you need to focus on the very best aspects of your game, but weirdly it also gives you a freedom too.

Page 4 of 16
Page 4 of 16
Jenova Chen, thatgamecompany (Journey, Flower)

Jenova Chen, thatgamecompany (Journey, Flower)

At first, I'll feel pretty stressful about not screwing up that budget and be the cause of hundreds of people losing their jobs. To create that much profit and value under such investment, you can't just make any game on a whim. Copying some existing, successful games won't work unless youre entitled to make the sequel to it. But we tend to focus on new concepts. I'm going to work pretty hard on a concept that I believe that will truly make many people feel better, something worth devoting many years of my life to. And odds are that kind of game doesnt need a AAA budget to exist.

Personally, I'd rather the budget be split to fund several smaller games because I don't feel its very efficient to work with hundreds of people on one project. One AAA budget could fund 20 to 50 indie games at the scale of Flower and Journey. Taking that kind of approach would be less risky for the people who gave me that much money in the first place.

Page 5 of 16
Page 5 of 16
Mike Roush and Alex Neuse, Gaijin Games (Bit.Trip, Runner 2)

Mike Roush and Alex Neuse, Gaijin Games (Bit.Trip, Runner 2)

Is make a AAA game considered a decent answer? In all seriousness, wed make a game with a scope and level of detail that extends beyond anything weve released in the past. Wed also avoid making a game about shooting dudes in grey environments with grey guns. In other words, wed take a gamble and release a game that isnt typically what you see released in the wild world of AAA games.

Page 6 of 16
Page 6 of 16
Collin van Ginkel, Two Tribes (Toki Tori)

Collin van Ginkel, Two Tribes (Toki Tori)

After a certain period of time in development your game will really start to let you know which areas it is lacking in. Often times this is pretty late in development, meaning there isn't always time or budget to do another iteration of those areas.

So I'd like to continue making smallers games, but make sure we give them the time to grow into perfect experiences. I truly believe most indie developers are capable of making close to perfect games if they're given the time.

Page 7 of 16
Page 7 of 16
Chris Cobb, Ragtag Studios (Rays The Dead)

Chris Cobb, Ragtag Studios (Rays The Dead)

Itd be nice to have an office, and pay someone to balance the books! But seriously, we wouldn't do much terribly differentl The biggest benefit wed see from a larger budget is the freedom to hire some additional help so that we could finish the Ray's the Dead much sooner. From the start, its been important to us to choose a game that we can develop to a level of quality and polish that well be satisfied with. If we couldn't do it, we wouldve chosen a project of a different scale. Were very happy with what we have going, but it would be nice to get things done more quickly!

Page 8 of 16
Page 8 of 16
Edmund McMillen, Team Meat (Super Meat Boy)

Edmund McMillen, Team Meat (Super Meat Boy)

I would buy my family members new homes, then make the same scale game as I've always made. Perhaps that game would have a slightly bigger music budget, and I'd possibly hire one or two more people to help out so we could get it finished faster.

Page 9 of 16
Page 9 of 16
Brian Provinciano, Vblank Entertainment (Retro City Rampage)

Brian Provinciano, Vblank Entertainment (Retro City Rampage)

With a AAA budget, I'd make everyone's eyes explode with eye candy, or might you say, "eye popping visuals." With RCR, limiting the game to 8-bit accurate hardware limitations was important for my vision, but moving forward, I want to go in the complete opposite direction. Particle effects, everywhere!

Page 10 of 16
Page 10 of 16
Mel Kirk, Zen Studios (Zen Pinball)

Mel Kirk, Zen Studios (Zen Pinball)

Id probably embark on a game that we would never finish. Seriously, a huge budget is scary in this day and age. To succeed in todays environment you must create something that is timely, relevant and interesting. Bigger budgets actually get in the way of these critical components because it likely means dev cycles are longer and the project scope is much bigger. Plus, long development cycles are huge risks, as youre likely to miss current trends and opportunities.

Page 11 of 16
Page 11 of 16
Bryan Sawler, Muteki Corporation (Dragon Fantasy)

Bryan Sawler, Muteki Corporation (Dragon Fantasy)

Probably the exact opposite of what AAA studios do. With the kind of budget they throw out we could do 10, or even 100 really out there, interesting games. And we'd be able to do them without the fear of what might or might not work. Look at what Mojang is doing right now. They're taking the money they made off Minecraft and spending it on projects interesting to them. They don't need to worry about everything being a huge success because of where they're already at.

Or if you're insisting I use that AAA budget on a single game, I'd acquire the rights and make Shenmue 3.

Page 12 of 16
Page 12 of 16
Jonathan Lavigne, Tribute Games (Mercenary Kings)

Jonathan Lavigne, Tribute Games (Mercenary Kings)

We often talked about how cool it would be to make an all-new 52-in-1 NES/pirate style game collection. Im aware that theres already a legitimate game on NES called Action 52 that features "new and original exciting games", but they obviously didnt have a AAA budget. With a AAA budget, we could spend a couple years making these 52 games and make sure that theyre all actually very fun and all have a high level of quality. It could have tons of Trophies/Achievements, feature crossovers between games, but most importantly itd be really fun to work on! I enjoyed Retro Game Challenge a lot on Nintendo DS, so it could be something like that, but on a much larger scale!

Page 13 of 16
Page 13 of 16
Graham Smith, Drinkbox Studios (Guacamelee!)

Graham Smith, Drinkbox Studios (Guacamelee!)

I could picture us using a larger budget to explore other types of games or features that we have previously shied away from because of the expected costs. A multiplayer online cooperative game, for example, is something we have always wanted to do, but have never had the budget for.

It would also allow us to increase the size of our team, move into full 3D, and target a more retail-scoped project. I'm not actually sure that we would want to do this though... Can we use the money to make 10 indie-sized games?

Page 14 of 16
Page 14 of 16
Yousuf Mapara, Switchblade Monkeys (Secret Ponchos)

Yousuf Mapara, Switchblade Monkeys (Secret Ponchos)

AAA games get a little scary because as everyone knows the titles need to sell many millions of copies to cover their development costs. This tends to make the people funding the production really risk averse, and limit creative options for the developers. That's why I love working in the digital space, you have freedom to take some creative chances, and its your own skin on the table. You can make games that might be a bit weird and go against the grain, like Journey or Limbo to call out some of my favorites.

A few AAA games have dared to take some big risks, like Demons Souls and Shadow of the Colossus to name a couple. They went against the grain on huge scale projects, and created very compelling and large scale experiences, so that's inspiring. They were able to create a unique player experience, without the fear of losing tens of millions of dollars holding back or watering down the risks the creative vision required. I would hope that I would set out to do something in that fashion.

Page 15 of 16
Page 15 of 16
Money, thats what they want

Money, thats what they want

Thats how these devs would deal with a massive pile of money, but what would you like to see them do with that much cash? Tell us in the comments, and be sure to stay tuned for more answers to burning questions over the next few days.

And if you're looking for more indie love, check out the top 7 best indie crossovers and what is indie?

Page 16 of 16
Page 16 of 16
CATEGORIES
Android iPad iPhone PC Gaming Wii-u Nintendo PlayStation PS4 Xbox Xbox One Platforms Mobile Gaming
GamesRadar Staff
Social Links Navigation

GamesRadar+ was first founded in 1999, and since then has been dedicated to delivering video game-related news, reviews, previews, features, and more. Since late 2014, the website has been the online home of Total Film, SFX, Edge, and PLAY magazines, with comics site Newsarama joining the fold in 2020. Our aim as the global GamesRadar Staff team is to take you closer to the games, movies, TV shows, and comics that you love. We want to upgrade your downtime, and help you make the most of your time, money, and skills. We always aim to entertain, inform, and inspire through our mix of content - which includes news, reviews, features, tips, buying guides, and videos.

See more Games Features
Read more
Ultimate Chicken Horse screenshot of raccoon
"Most players have no idea" how much games cost to make and "everything's more expensive than people think," devs say, as indie hits like Balatro are "the exception"
Rusty's Retirement
Where Eric Barone used his indie bucks to buy a proper PC, creator of Stardew Valley-inspired hit Rusty's Retirement says he's got the same $1,000 rig after selling half a million copies: "We've literally done nothing else differently"
Among Us crewmate popping out of a TV with a hush hand sign
After handing out millions, Among Us dev says its indie fund has a signing rate roughly 8x higher than most publishers, most of its games are under $500k, just 6 are $1 million or more, and RPGs are king
Clair Obscure Expedition 33
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leads predict rise in "AA-class games" as production costs reach ridiculous heights, say only GTA 6 maker Rockstar "is able to meet that demand"
Schedule I
Hits like Schedule 1 are a dangerous bar for indies, Steam expert says: "That top potential has completely warped people's brains about what they should be making"
Best Steam Summer Sale games: A close-up shot of a player holding a gun in Cyberpunk 2077.
After working on an indie between Cyberpunk 2077 and a new vampire RPG from The Witcher 3 leads, veteran writer says indies have more "constraints" than AAA, but that makes them even more "original and unique"
Latest in Games
A player character looks out at a sci-fi landscape in No Man's Sky's Worlds Part II update.
No Man's Sky hits a Steam player high it hasn't seen since the survival game's disastrous launch 9 years ago, thanks in part to yet another free update
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Hollow Knight: Silksong will have a free Nintendo Switch 2 edition upgrade at launch, meaning you don't have to pay extra to get the 120hz mode
Monster Hunter Wilds trailer screenshot showing a young woman with long blonde hair tied back into a ponytail smiling slightly, pumping her left fist in the air
Monster Hunter Wilds' struggles aren't just down to PC optimization issues, Capcom boss says – the PS5's lofty costs are also to blame
A screenshot of three Borderlands characters in Borderlands Game of the Year Enhanced.
Borderlands 4 could have looked very different – the OG RPG initially had realistic visuals that were too similar to Fallout 3, so Gearbox "rebuilt the whole game" after 2 weeks of experimenting led to its iconic comic style
Where Winds Meet hands-on preview
I played Where Winds Meet and fell in love with the RPG's open world so fast I could barely pay attention to any of the missions
A black dragon roaring with a manor house behind it and lighting in the sky during Skyrim.
Skyrim player marries a literal dragon with the help of a mod, giving "Dragonborn" a whole new meaning as he breaks the RPG and makes it run as "buggy as Oblivion"
Latest in Features
Valor Mortis
Ghostrunner devs abandon parkour for Valor Mortis, a first-person soulslike that might explain why the rest of the genre follows Dark Souls' lead
A mech firing a machine gun in the desert in Menace
Menace is an XCOM-Warhammer hybrid that makes turn-based strategy feel like an immersive sim, and for the first time in my life I'm playing a game that seems made for me
Metal Gear Solid 5 showing Snake and Ocelot looking to the horizon in front of more soldiers
10 years later, Metal Gear Solid 5 remains a masterpiece that was never going to live up to its own hype
Dogtooth
The new Yorgos Lanthimos movie is getting rave first reactions out of Venice Film Festival, but I think it's worth revisiting his breakout feature Dogtooth before Bugonia hits theaters this fall
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Legacy of the Forge DLC showing Henry and two allies standing looking down
I built a home and ran a business in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2's next DLC, and the added role-playing guarantees I'll spend another 70 hours in my current game of the year
D&D Player's Handbook laid out on a wooden surface
Will romantasy be the next great crossover for Dungeons & Dragons? Fourth Wing could be the perfect D&D setting, if you ask me
  1. Kaser clad in black and Victor in white clash swords in Lost Soul Aside
    1
    Lost Soul Aside review: "We (don't) have Final Fantasy Versus 13 at home"
  2. 2
    Hell is Us review: "The lack of waypoints and explicit objectives is a double-edged magical sword that pulls me deep into its harsh world"
  3. 3
    Shuten Order review: "The Danganronpa creator's new multi-genre mystery feels like a forgotten DS cult classic I would have been obsessed with"
  4. 4
    The Rogue Prince of Persia review: "I roguelike but don't roguelove this freerunner – there's just not enough to stand out"
  5. 5
    Shinobi: Art of Vengeance review: "So close to being to a pitch-perfect revival of a classic series, but just can't quite line up the killing blow"
  1. Jacob Elordi as the monster in Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein
    1
    Frankenstein review: "A classy, if somewhat safe, adaptation"
  2. 2
    Weapons review: "A twisted fairytale that bests Barbarian"
  3. 3
    The Fantastic Four: First Steps review: "An occasionally thrilling heroic adventure that sits safely within a B-tier MCU range"
  4. 4
    Superman review: "A triumphant reinvention and a promising start for the DCU"
  5. 5
    Jurassic World Rebirth Review: "An unscary sequel that needed a little more time in amber"
  1. John Cena as Peacemaker holds a gun to the head of a different John Cena as Peacemaker in Peacemaker season 2.
    1
    Peacemaker season 2 review: "Darker and sadder than the first year, but there's still a lot of fun to be had with the 11th Street Kids."
  2. 2
    Wednesday season 2 part 1 review: "Complex and exciting but weighed down by too many subplots"
  3. 3
    Alien: Earth review: "Arguably the franchise's strongest outing since James Cameron's Aliens"
  4. 4
    King of the Hill season 14 review: "Hank Hill himself has evolved into a much more open and accepting person"
  5. 5
    Eyes of Wakanda review: "A creative premise shortchanged by the runtime and Marvel bloat"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...