Why I Don't Solo Dev

Knowing What You're Bad At

The first and perhaps most important reason Tim gives is brutal self-awareness. After decades of game development, he knows exactly where his weaknesses lie — and some of them aren't going away.

Dialogue

Tim can write good descriptive text and monologues, but NPC dialogue has never been his strength. He's made a separate video on this topic.

Polish and Shipping

He can get a game to a good state, but has always relied on other people for optimization, quest completion, and the enormous work of turning a playable build into a shippable product.

There's a Lot He Doesn't Know

Despite his long career, Tim is keenly aware of what he doesn't know. He's never done artwork, music, or sound design — none of his attempts at art have survived in a shipped game.

He anticipates the counterargument: "Just buy assets from the Unity or Unreal stores." But Tim argues that even buying assets requires good judgment. He's watched artists look at a game and instantly know what the inventory screen, options menu, or font should look like. He can't do that. A solo dev doesn't just need to make everything — they need to judge everything, including things outside their expertise.

The Joy of Working in Teams

Tim loves working in teams and has spoken about it before. He acknowledges that not everyone feels this way — some people are drawn to solo dev precisely because they struggle with teams.

But his counter: a particular team might not be right for you, but you'll probably do your best work in a team. There's something about other people's energy and progress that stokes your own passion and momentum in a way that solo inertia simply can't replicate.

Missing Brainstorming

Of all the things Tim would lose as a solo dev, brainstorming is the one he'd miss most acutely. He describes the experience of sitting down with a group at the start of a new game and new IP — people regularly come up with ideas he never would have had in a million years.

Even when an idea isn't used directly, there's usually a "germ" in it that sparks something brilliant. When making his personal toy projects at home, the biggest thing he misses is having someone to turn to and ask: "Do you think I should do this? Do you have any ideas for what I should do here?"

He does note one upside of solo work on his toys: the complete and utter lack of commitment. No one asking when he'll be done, no pressure to ship. The joy is entirely in the making — but that's precisely why he'll never be a solo dev. He doesn't intend to ship his toys.

Every Game Was Made Better by Someone Else

Tim's strongest argument and final point: every game he has ever made contains elements that were improved by someone else on the team. He references his "Rejected Ideas" video, where he walks through ideas of his that were replaced by better ones from teammates.

Every single time it happened — a system mechanic, a setting detail, a game ending — the result was better than what he originally proposed. This isn't hypothetical. He has concrete proof across his entire career that solo dev would have produced worse games.

Encouragement for Solo Devs

Despite all five reasons, Tim explicitly says he's not trying to discourage anyone from solo development. He often encourages it — solo dev teaches you an enormous amount about game development, even if you eventually move to team work.

His real message: try to be better than he was. That's the whole point of mentorship — having the next generation surpass you. And if someone out there becomes an awesome solo dev, Tim gets his wish too: more great games to play in retirement.

References

• Tim Cain. YouTube video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tFCCGeduUc