Why I’m Finally Taking Game Development Seriously

Hey, Blue Turtle Dev here.

Well, my real name is Dan.

And no, nobody actually calls me Blue Turtle except me.

One day I’ll explain where the name came from, but for now I want to talk about something more important: why I’ve decided to seriously pursue game development and document the entire journey.

The interesting part is that I’m both new to game development and not new to game development.

I’ve been interested in creating games for years. I’ve participated in game jams, experimented with different tools, started countless tutorials, and dreamed about making my own games.

But if I’m being honest, I never fully committed.

Life always seemed to get in the way.

I’m a father of three children, with a fourth on the way. I work full-time as a Project Manager at a large corporation, and I also freelance on the side. Between work, family, and everyday responsibilities, there was always a reason to postpone taking game development seriously.

Until now.

For years I kept telling myself that one day I would learn everything properly.

One day I would finish a game.

One day I would stop treating it like a hobby and start treating it like a real goal.

I’ve finally decided that “one day” is today.

The Plan

My goal is simple:

Become a professional game developer and eventually build games full-time.

The path to get there is not simple at all.

Instead of focusing on a single skill, I want to understand the entire game development process. I don’t expect to master everything, but I want to learn enough to bring my own ideas to life.

These are the areas I’m focusing on:

1. Game Design

For me, this is the most important skill.

Why do some games keep players engaged for hundreds of hours while others are forgotten after ten minutes?

What makes gameplay satisfying?

What creates memorable moments?

I want to understand the psychology, systems, and principles behind great games. This also includes level design and player experience.

2. C# and Unity

Many people ask why I’m choosing Unity instead of Unreal Engine.

The answer is simple.

Unity was the first engine I seriously spent time with years ago. I’ve used different versions of it, experimented with projects, and it feels familiar.

Rather than constantly switching engines, I want to commit and go deep.

3. Concept Art

AI is changing this field rapidly.

But I still believe that being able to visualize ideas is incredibly valuable.

Even rough sketches can help communicate a vision and guide development.

Some of my biggest inspirations include games like Max Payne and Alan Wake, and I want to learn how visual ideas evolve into complete game worlds.

4. 3D Modeling

Even if I never become a professional 3D artist, I believe every game developer benefits from understanding how assets are created, modified, and optimized.

Being able to create or customize my own assets will give me much more freedom when building games.

5. Game Production

This is where my professional background becomes useful.

Projects succeed because of planning, execution, communication, and consistency.

I want to understand the full lifecycle of game development — from idea to prototype, from production to release, and eventually marketing.

The Supporting Skills

There are also secondary skills that I plan to develop along the way:

• Mathematics
• Audio and sound design
• Storytelling
• Community building

Game development sits at the intersection of many different disciplines, and that’s one of the reasons I love it.

Why Share This Journey?

Because I know I’m not the only one.

There are probably hundreds of people reading this who have careers, families, responsibilities, and dreams they keep postponing.

This blog isn’t about pretending I’m already successful.

It’s about documenting the process.

The wins.

The failures.

The lessons learned.

The games that never make it past the prototype stage.

And hopefully, one day, the games that do.

Right now I’m starting from the ground floor.