How To Make Indie Games In 2026 w/ Jonathan Blow — Full Time Game Dev Podcast Ep. 061

I chat with the legendary Jonathan Blow about how indies can make games in 2026.
► Wishlist Order of the Sinking Star: https://store.steampowered.com/app/49...
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Chapters:
00:00:00 Intro: Jonathan Blow's 10-Year Journey on Order of the Sinking Star
00:01:58 Ad Read: Full Time Game Dev Program (50% Off for New Year's)
00:03:05 Marketing Indie Games in 2026 vs. Past Eras
00:04:04 Pricing Games in a Changing Industry
00:06:44 Value, Gameplay Hours, and Sophistication in Pricing
00:09:56 Revenue Split: PC vs. Console Over Time
00:13:32 Platform Discoverability and Indie Priorities (Steam Focus)
00:16:59 Why Partner with a Publisher in 2026
00:19:18 Burn Rates, Budgets, and 10-Year Development Costs
00:22:24 Art Fidelity and Shaders in Order of the Sinking Star
00:23:52 Art Team, Costs, and Scale of Levels (~900 Screens)
00:25:59 Art Directives and Custom Engine/Language Origins
00:30:45 Why Create a Custom Programming Language (JAI)
00:37:03 AI, Coding Languages, and Future of Programming
00:45:16 Debugging with AI Tools and LLM Limitations
00:55:39 Game Pitch: Combining Worlds and Mechanics
00:57:38 Demo: Overworld, Territories, and Basic Mechanics
01:00:56 Editor Overview and Gameplay/Art Integration
01:02:41 Engine Features: Free Release, Water Effects, and Painting
01:06:18 Camera Views, Cutscenes, and Level Perspectives
01:08:38 Building Islands: Meshes, Blending, and Decals
01:12:23 Optimization: Draw Calls, Inanimates, and Rendering
01:15:46 Debug Modes, Vertex Colors, and Material Blending
01:18:47 Lighting: Maps, Probes, and Dynamic Shadows
01:23:35 Deeper Pitch: Fun Through Combining Elements
01:26:42 Gameplay Analogy: Mastering and Merging Worlds
01:29:29 Character Abilities and Combo Puzzles
01:31:59 Overworld Progress and Integrated Puzzles
01:35:07 Game Scale, Multiple Endings, and Beating the Game
01:36:47 Outro and Wishlist Call-to-Action
01:37:42 Ad Read: Full-Time GameDev Program (Repeated)