I made $2,200 for 2 Hours of work

From Earning $350/Month to $1,100 an Hour

When I landed my first job (Game Designer) in the games industry 6 years ago, I was making just about $350 per month.

Actual payment receipt on PayPal

Fast forward to a few days - I earned $2,200 for only 2 hours of game development work.

Let me share exactly how that happened, along with the long and winding path that led me here.

My Journey in Game Development

I’m a 27-year-old indie game developer from Vadodara, Gujarat - a tier-2 city in India.

My journey into development started about 13 years ago, creating websites and Android apps. Games weren’t even on my radar initially.

About 6 years back, I pivoted into game development. Like many others, I took a job at a small game studio, excited but unsure of what to expect.

Over the next few years, I moved through a series of positions (Game Developer, Publishing Manager, Game Lead/Producer), each ending with layoffs.

My last full-time position was as a Game Producer in Germany in 2022.

I moved back home to India, determined to build something of my own.

Since late 2022, I’ve focused entirely on making browser games - simple, engaging games that run directly in a web browser without any downloads.

To date, I’ve developed over 15+ browser games, mostly solo, but occasionally working with small outsourced teams.

One standout success has been my “Watermelon Game”, which not only hit the top 3 on Coolmath Games but also won the Game of the Year award last year.

My game, won GOTY for Coolmath Games

Overall, my web games have reached more than 30 million players worldwide - an incredible milestone considering how uncertain everything seemed just a couple of years ago.

My IGDC talk on web-games

I started creating content around this on LinkedIn & YouTube and got invited to give a small talk on web-games! My first ever offline talk, I was super nervous 😬

The Two Models for Making Money in Browser Games

To understand exactly how I made $2,200 in just two hours, you need to know how browser game developers typically earn:

• Revenue Share Model: You integrate ads into your game, and revenue from these ads is split between you and the hosting website. It can be lucrative but fluctuates based on user engagement and traffic.

• License Fee Model: You sell a license for your game to a platform upfront. You integrate their logo and SDK and hand over the build. You receive a fixed amount regardless of how the game performs.

You can also check out this detailed video guide I made on browser games.

Stay tuned for more updates, insights, and behind-the-scenes details by joining my Discord server.

How I Made $2,200 for 2 Hours of Work

A few months ago, I proactively reached out to a number of browser game platforms via LinkedIn and Email, showcasing my portfolio of games.

This is something I regularly do - I keep pitching to platforms to increase my games’ exposure.

Surprisingly, AFTER MONTHS, the founder of one of these platforms replied, expressing interest in two of my games.

After a brief discussion, we agreed on a fee of $2,200.

The tasks required were straightforward: integrate their logo, make a few minor adjustments, and deliver the build. Despite Unity’s notoriously slow WebGL build and testing cycles, the entire process took me around two hours.

To my delight, the founder paid upfront via PayPal, demonstrating not only professionalism but genuine respect for my time. Just like that, my rate effectively became $1,100/hour - beyond anything I’d ever imagined.

Key Takeaways from This Experience

If you’re an indie developer or aspiring to become one, here’s what I’ve learned:

• Be proactive: Don’t wait for opportunities to find you. Regularly pitch your games to different platforms.

• Understand your market: Recognize the difference between revenue-share and licensing models, and choose wisely based on your goals.

• Build relationships: Connect genuinely with people in the industry. Networking on platforms like LinkedIn can lead to surprisingly lucrative opportunities.

• Keep things simple: Sometimes minor adjustments are enough to close a valuable deal. Focus on providing polished, adaptable builds to prospective buyers.

What’s Next?

My next big step is my indie mobile game, Squishy Cats - a physics-based puzzle game featuring jelly-like cats that squeeze through obstacles to cuddle up with their partners.

Until next time,

Anul