How long does it take to make a game?
Anywhere from a day to many years. A jam game takes a weekend, a solo indie game often takes years, and big studio games take three to five years or more. Scope decides almost all of it.
Real timelines
- A weekend: jam games. Ludum Dare and Global Game Jam games are made in 48 to 72 hours. Small, but complete.
- A few days: Flappy Bird. Its creator said he made it in about two to three days.
- Weeks to months: a first Roblox or mobile game. A simple obby or tycoon by one person is often weeks of evenings. Testing and publishing add more.
- Four and a half years: Stardew Valley. Eric Barone made it alone and released it in 2016. Art, music, code and design were all one person.
- Three to five years or more: studio games. Big console games with large teams often take that long, sometimes more.
What makes game projects slow
- Scope creep. One more feature, one more level. The fastest way to never finish.
- Art. Models, animation and sound take longer than code for most games.
- Multiplayer. Networking and testing with real players can double the work.
- Publishing. Store pages, reviews, age ratings and device testing take days to weeks.
- Rewrites. Starting over because the first version got messy.
How to make it faster
Cut the scope to one mechanic and one level, then add only what playtests ask for. Use a platform that handles servers, like Roblox. Use templates or free assets for the first version.
The slowest part of any project is learning whether the idea is fun. In Roam, a free iPhone app, you describe the game and play a first version the same day, then change it by asking. That turns the first playable from a month of work into a test you can run tonight.
Create your first version with Roam
Find out if your idea is fun before you spend months on it. Describe it on your iPhone and play it today.
Try: "tiny farm on a floating island, crops grow while I am away, sell at the sky market, unlock a second island"Questions people ask
How long does it take to make a Roblox game?
A simple obby can take a few days to a few weeks for one person in Roblox Studio. Bigger games with saving and multiplayer systems take months.
How long does it take to make a mobile game?
A small one by one person often takes a few months, including testing and store review. Studio mobile games often take a year or more.
How long did Stardew Valley take to make?
About four and a half years. Eric Barone made it alone and released it in 2016.
Keep exploring
- How to make a game in one day
- How much does it cost to make a game?
- How to make a video game, from idea to playable
- How to make a small game you will actually finish
- How to make a game on your phone
- How to make a game on iPhone
More on Roam: All Roam games Games to play, by kind