Indie Game Academy

I discovered Indie Game Academy through one of their free workshops. The class was a great introduction into the indie side of the games industry. They spoke about their Publish Program and I was very interested. William offered to answer any questions I had over a video call and was great in helping me decide if I thought it was a worthwhile investment of my time and money. Needless to say I don't regret it at all!

There are many positives to the Indie Game Academy that I would like to highlight. Every week we had small lectures with practical exercises to broaden our knowledge of the game dev pipeline. There was also several people that were brought in from specific parts of the games industry to teach in their area of expertise. It is also worth noting the main professors were charming and brought a lot of positive energy to the space. 

Speaking on the game development side I thought the teams were well put together. Based on our surveyed values and skill sets we were sorted into houses. I have nothing but positive things to say about the others that were on the project. There was some stressful moments due to deadlines but we made it to the end with a complete, and published game! In case you are not aware everything was developed in the unity engine.

After we had finished and had our house cup night there was a survey and was offered further support in our game dev journey through their discord. The IGA discord is lively and they hold classes and workshops regularly. If you need feedback on a project or portfolio, or want to promote your work there is a welcoming community eager to connect and share their game dev journey with you. 

Anyways, to wrap this review I would defiantly say I loved my experience and would highly recommend their classes at any level. Indie Game Academies classes were a crucial step into bridging an educational gap I had after college as an artist trying to get into the games industry. 

To begin: My background is in writing (MFA in writing for kids) and programming (self-taught programmer working in the industry for about 6 years).
I started my official journey with IGA in a Level 1 course where we built a Galaga clone, and it was one of the coolest experiences I've ever had. It was absolutely a firehose of information, but it sparked a joy in me that I haven't been able to find elsewhere, and pushed me to apply for Level 2.
Honestly, taking this course has been one of the best decisions I've ever made -- such a good investment in myself and a ton of fun.

This course was incredible. It was a perfect mix of self-teaching and instructional guidance that was really invaluable when trying to not only do the work, but understand what it is doing. I never felt like I was floundering, and even still there were additional pre-recorded versions of the lectures to help with anything after the fact. Those helped immensely on the class night that I wasn't able to make.

We covered a little bit of everything, from programming to animation. Then we also had verticals (mine was narrative), which was an additional video and homework outside of the class days -- the additional work from the verticals led to me officially completing and uploading my first game ever (Galaga was a fail on my part :') ) using a revised version of my graduate thesis (a middle grade novel). I have revamped it a number of times, but this class is the first time it actually came alive for me.

I have never felt so proud of something that I've made before and have never been so thrilled to show it off during the showcase.

The course itself was 10 classes, 2 a week for 5 weeks. The time frame was just right for getting through the material, and we were then given an extra two weeks to prepare for the showcase and polish up our game for demo. The classes themselves were straightforward, getting both hands-on and lecture learning for all sorts of topics, especially programming in Unity. Personally the programming side of things was the most valuable thing for me, and I feel like I learned so much more than I would have on my own (I fear I likely would have given up before getting anywhere with it without this course).

All in all, the course, the verticals and homework, and the showcase were all absolutely incredible. I learned so much, and even after an intensive five weeks, I almost signed up for the next Level 2 course to make a Diablo clone (I absolutely will be keeping my eyes open for a repeat in the coming years when I have more flexibility).

IGA completely changed my game dev journey. I am a graduate of both Level 1 and Level 2. Each course has different targets, methods, durations, etc., and both courses were very valuable. A cumulative 6 weeks of IGA classes did more for my abilities as a game dev than a year and a half of personal projects, game jams, and self-study. Instructors are generous with their time, flexible to different ability levels, and encouraging. I took Level 2 first, then circled back to Level 1 to use the class prompt as a foundation for a portfolio piece, and it turned out better than I expected. I would take either class again, and may take another Level 1 this year as another portfolio exercise. I do think it is a great way to get started for anyone who wants their first hands on experience, and who wants to feel enabled/empowered to make cool games!

IGA Level 1 was so much fun. I joined Level 1 to network and meet others.  There were many students there of varying experiences from all walks of life. The staff there was incredible. They had very well organized presentation that were very easy to follow and they were able to answer questions as they were able to. they also made the whole community feel very open and friendly. this made it easy for all of use to interact, ask questions , and over all enjoy the company of others. There is a good mix of friendly competition and comradery. would recommend for any skill level. 

I don't think I've ever learned so much in 8 hours, and I took college classes on some of this stuff. This course goes over each job path in game dev and walks you through building a complete game level. I've tried making games from scratch before but it all becomes so overwhelming, especially if you're trying to do everything solo. Now I know a little bit more about the areas that were unknown to me (narrative, production) and most importantly, I learned to just make games! The first few you make are going to be bad so get those out of the way quickly so you can move on to the better ones with the skills you learn.
Everyone (the instructors, the classmates) were incredibly nice and patient and I would recommend this course to anyone. 

I had an amazing experience learning the full process of game development at the Indie Game Academy. I took both the level 2 and level 3 program.

The level 2 program was an amazing place to hone my individual game development skills. In level 2 I gained a better understanding of the Unity game engine and got to work in the different disciplines of game development. This broad understanding of the other disciplines set me up to be more effective in a team setting. I also used level 2 to improve my programming skills. The best part of level 2 is that you can ask the instructors questions and get help on areas of your game when you run into problems or need guidance.

Level 3 was an amazing opportunity to work with team of dedicated individuals. It was both challenging and rewarding. The most valuable skills I gained in level 3 was the ability to better work with a team, learn to manage team conflicts, and learn an actionable process to make games as a team. The instructors were amazingly supportive and knowledgeable. Level 3 was a great opportunity to make connections with my team and the competing teams.  In the end, my team and I published an amazing rogue-like tactical card game. Working with a team in level 3, I accomplished more than I could have imagined before taking the program.

The game development projects I work on now after graduating IGA would not have been possible without the skills I learned in Level 2 and Level 3 of IGA. The Indie Game Academy is Amazing!

I joined the Indie Game Academy's Discord server before ever taking one of their classes, and I have since been through every level currently offered. My favorite level, and the one that helped me the most, was Level 3: Publish. It begins with a daunting challenge: publish a game or game prototype in only three months with a group of people you probably don't know very well (external circumstances notwithstanding). Out of these three months, our team spent around seven weeks were spent actively working on our final game.

I found the class environment to be amicable, but challenging and competitive. Everyone was excellent at performing their jobs in their teams, and it pushed me to accomplish more than I had previously. I was very proud that my team won the cohort's pitch night and subsequently published our game to mobile. In such a short period of time, we managed to make a project we loved and we created invaluable friendships. The value of this program extends past the stated goal of releasing a game. This program fundamentally shapes your ability to work under somewhat stressful conditions and in a collaborative manner. That said, there is always supportive and friendly community members to be found whenever you might need it.

Due to the time limitations and scope of the class, it is important to keep realistic expectations. Every game that gets made is a miracle, and you are incredibly lucky if the game you make 1) feels high quality enough for your portfolio and 2) feels like a piece that would help you get the job you want. These things cannot be guaranteed given the structure and time constraints of the course, but even if your game does not meet those points, you will certainly be more prepared to make the projects you need for your portfolio. Furthermore, I have found the IGA community to be full of people willing to offer career related support, including tips for job seekers, job opportunities, and career mentorship on occasion.

I would recommend IGA courses to anyone wishing to learn how to make games and anyone looking for other talented people to make games with.

IGA is one of the best groups I've seen for growing your skills as a game dev. Where as most courses and bootcamps have a certain curriculum they follow and leave you at that, IGA is the most personal, self aware, and is one of the only groups I've seen that consistently is trying to improve itself to help it's members get jobs in the industry. It is one of the best places to network, learn and grow your confidence as a new game dev, and have a like minded community cheering you on. While the courses may not be perfect, I don't regret a dollar I spent with them or any second I spent in one of their courses or in a community event. Even if you don't want to pay for a course still join the community as they host many free classes and events that are great to attend. Also the podcast they host is always a fun time to chime in and ask some questions. Couldn't recommend joining IGA to anyone interested in becoming a game dev anymore.

I have taken two free short classes through the Indie Game Academy and last weekend I took their level 1 bootcamp. Their instructors are legitimate industry professionals who are kind, knowledgeable, and supportive. The classes are well-structured, provide students with everything needed to learn and participate and the "Headmaster" is such a positive person/influence. They foster a fun and supportive environment where everyone feels welcome regardless of their current knowledge level. Highly recommended.

This course is more than just creating a simple game. It's a window into the game industry with experts explaining various fields like level design, narrative crafting, and UI design. Learning Unity at my own pace, I crafted a 2D Tower Defense game, facilitated by the convenience of recorded sessions. The exclusive game scripts created by Dylan were a plus. The class environment was fun, and the friendly Discord community felt like a supportive place. I totally recommend this course to anyone, no matter your age, gender, or nationality. You'll definitely feel welcome!