Managing scope and completing projects
Finishing and publishing projects is hard for everyone. Video games are expansive works of art and even simple games can take months to polish. The success stories in the media often portray a lone developer making millions of dollars with their first idea, but that is not often the reality. Rather than attaching to one idea, most pros build many quick prototypes and iterate on their best ideas. It is like any artistic endeavor - who ends up the better painter: the student who takes thirty days to meticulously paint one picture, or the student who paints a new picture every day for thirty days? The student who paints 30 paintings has the opportunity to learn far more.
It is for this reason that I recommend starting with simple puzzle games. Make a snake clone, a Tetris clone, and a gem game clone. If you can finish and publish these simple games, you are probably in great shape to take on more challenging artistic pursuits. You will become a better...
