How to build a team and start developing a game by being a simple manager

Hello! In this blog, I’ll share how, driven by my passion for game development, I built a team from scratch.

Although I can’t write code or create amazing models, my management experience in an IT company provided a solid foundation for building a strong team.

I started with an analysis of the gaming market. Statistics showed that a large portion of the market is dominated by mobile gaming. So why did I decide against developing a mobile game? After studying this sector, I realized that most mobile games are “one-hit wonders.” Small companies create and maintain games only as long as they are profitable, then move on to new projects. The market is oversaturated, so I decided to abandon this idea.

No one will work for free on a one-hit wonder game. I needed people who wanted to create something meaningful, with experience to back them up. To attract such enthusiasts, I developed an idea that would inspire.

I decided that the first project would be for PC. However, to implement it, I needed to come up with an interesting yet technically simple game.

It’s important to assess your strengths realistically.

The PC project should be easy to implement but engaging in gameplay. Development began with the creation of a design document—this was my first step toward forming the team.

But the design document is only part of the work. You need to create a space to store the backlog and all documentation, as well as choose a ticket system to manage tasks. Well-organized work increases the chances of attracting developers.

I chose Yandex.Wiki for documentation and Yandex.Ticket for task tracking. But since I had no experience with coding, my first priority was finding a team lead—someone with experience in C# and Unity, completed projects, and team management skills.

In the world of game development, delegation is a key tool for achieving success. It allows the creator to focus on strategic decisions and the creative aspects of the project while entrusting technical and routine tasks to specialists. Delegation increases team efficiency, speeds up development, reduces the risk of burnout, and improves the quality of the final product by involving experts in specific areas. Additionally, it optimizes the process of interaction within the team.

I had the requirements for the team lead ready; I just needed to find the right person. I turned to the event listings in my city and found a speaker giving a talk on game development. That’s where my search began.

After practicing on acquaintances, I began searching for my team lead after the event ended. It was good that I had prepared the requirements in advance. I approached everyone who was there, first briefly describing my idea, then simply asking if they found it interesting. Some took my contact information, while others refused to listen. But in the end, a couple of days later, my future team lead reached out to me. He had heard about me from those who were willing to listen. He met all the criteria, and we began working on the project together.

Most people won’t listen to you, but I’ve never met a hardworking person who didn’t succeed.

In the next post, I’ll share how we recruited the team, built a competency matrix, and defined the requirements for technical implementation.