Strategy from the Logbook

Every Strategy entry in the Expedition Log — hard-won lessons from the frontlines of indie game development.

Production Community Strategy Post-mortem Success

The Clowdr AI Standard: What Counts as Shippable Work

AI arguments usually collapse into a purity test. That is useless for a game project. Clowdr needs a standard a developer, artist, composer, designer, writer, or project lead can use before AI-assisted work becomes part

9 min read

Strategy

Sound Is More Than Generation

If you write music for games, the AI pitch probably sounds familiar. It is not just "this tool can make a melody." It is "we do not have a budget for a composer, so we will generate something." It is "we only need backgr

7 min read

Strategy

Taste Is Still the Job

If you are a game artist, the AI conversation probably does not feel abstract. It feels like watching your portfolio get scraped, your style get imitated, and your job get described as a prompt away by people who never h

7 min read

Strategy

How to Pick Your Next Indie Game Bet (Without Burning Two Years On a Lottery Ticket)

Most indie devs don't pick their next game. They buy a lottery ticket. One idea, one five-year swing, sold as passion. Then the numbers hit. The graveyard you don't see Walk through any indie-dev gathering and count the

9 min read

Strategy

Working as a Game Composer for Free: When It Works, When It's a Trap

A decision framework for composers tired of being told "never work for free," and equally tired of getting burned when they do. The median indie composer in the 2025 GameSoundCon survey made $8,500 a year. The median per

10 min read

Strategy

Your Game Art Portfolio Is a Graveyard. Here's How to Fix It.

If you've been making game art professionally for more than a year, there's a good chance you can show less than 10% of what you've actually made. Cancelled projects. Perpetual NDAs. Studios that went silent. The work ex

9 min read

Strategy

Solo Dev vs. Team: Which Path Is Right for Your Game?

There's a question that never dies in indie dev circles: should I make my game alone or with a team? You'll find strong opinions on both sides. Solo devs point to Stardew Valley and Undertale. Team advocates point to the

10 min read

Strategy

Why 90% of Indie Games Die in the Idea Phase

Your indie game isn't stalled because you lack talent, discipline, or ideas. It's stalled because you're doing creative work in an environment rigged to kill creative work. You probably disagree with that. Most stuck sta

11 min read

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