As you are probably aware, we are not the only YouTube channel.
There's at least couple others out there.
Maybe one or two...
Okay fine: YouTube is seriously drowning in content.
For aspiring, and indeed professional, game developers there are some fantastic channels
out there packed with all the information and advice you will need to help with the
development of your latest project.
These are the channels we at Ask Gamedev love to watch and take inspiration from.
We are Ask GameDev AKA: Like & Subscribe, AKA: Saved by the Notification Bell, AKA:
The Never Trending Story, and these are seven OTHER YouTube channels that we recommend all
indie game developers devote some of their time too.
Before we get started, please note that all channel subscriber and view counts listed
in this video are as of late 2018 - and these channels may have grown significantly by the
time you see this.
#1 on our list is Gamemakers Toolkit.
This YouTube channel was established roughly 4 years ago by a former games journalist Mark
Brown.
Mark has worked with the likes of Eurogamer, and Wired - so this is someone who knows game
development and how to create great content.
Game Maker's Toolkit explores & deconstructs successful games to help you understand why
they work so well.
Mark explores the work of a lot of different studios, with a specific focus towards Nintendo
games.
These videos are less about the technical know-how of game creation, and more about
perfecting gameplay and delighting users.
For example, his 2017 video exploring the difference between recent 2D platformers Donkey
Kong Country Tropical Freeze and Super Mario Bros. U. is indicative of the type of content
you find on this channel.
Brown explores the gameplay of both with the finest of detail, helping subscribers see
why the former provides a much more immersive and fresh experience than the latter.
Such gameplay deconstructions dive deep into game mechanics, provide actual gameplay footage,
and the commentary is educated and insightful.
Mark's highest-viewed, and best rated, videos are on the topic of World Design - so if that's
something you're hoping to improve on, this is the definitely the channel for you.
With over 500,000 subscribers, Mark also holds very popular game jams for his community.
Check out his Youtube channel or his Discord server to learn more.
Over 90,000 people have subscribed to #2 on our list - SykooTV.
This channel hosts fantastic video tutorials about the technical side of development - with
a specific focus on developing with the Unity engine.
Started in 2014 by a developer named Sam, SykooTV explores everything from engine comparisons,
to technical tutorials, to asset reviews, and other challenges hat game developers might
face.
Some of these videos can be technical in nature and assume some previous knowledge of gamedev,
but the presentation style is always accessible and friendly.
Some Sykoo videos that have been received well are his releases showcasing the rendering
capabilities of both the Unity and Unreal engines.
He also has helpful videos on how to do speed design and creating quality game content in
short timeframes.
Sykoo also has a very successful sub-series called 'Asset Reviews.'
In these videos he reviews different asset packs available so that you can know the best
way to get great content for your development.
But best of all?
Sykoo updates his channel with new content frequently.
Often releasing once a week or more.
As a final tip - He also has a really vibrant community on Discord if you want to interact
with other fans of his work.
Next up is Blackthornprod.
This channel started in 2015 by a french artist and game developer named Noa, and hosts video
tutorials on game design - primarily focusing on development with Unity.
If you're interesting in Unity, Blackthornprod might be a good design complement for the
technical depth of SykooTV's videos.
The videos are made up of gameplay shots, screen captures, and animated scenes to tell
inspirational stories of how developers can optimize their development.
Videos topics include the design of game AI, art and animation creation, dungeon generations,
menu architecture, and controller mapping..
And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
If you develop in Unity, this channel covers virtually all elements of what that engine
can offer.
Blackthornprod focuses a little more on smaller-scale game development, perfect for newer teams
or anyone interested in building indie games.
One area where Blackthornprod really excels are instructional videos on how to create
and complete games quickly.
These are among the most viewed videos on his channel and are great educational tools
for anyone looking to take on a development goal that isn’t overwhelming.
We highly recommend you consider joining his 50,000+ subscribers and start reviewing the
great content that has been coming out multiple times a week.
We especially like the Blackthornprod art style - reminds us of Super Meat Boy or the
Binding of Isaac.
At almost 50'000 subscribers, Jeroen Bekker AKA Strafefox’s channel seems criminally
underrated - we think it is one of the absolute best channels on Youtube.
Each video here is a tight documentary exploring the making of an iconic retro gaming title.
The quality of the animation and video composition is top-notch - we at Ask Gamedev regularly
reference Strafefox as an inspiration for what we’ve tried to do with our channel.
The videos on this channel are meticulously researched, include fantastic 2D and 3D art
assets, and have professional voice narration.
This type of content would definitely take a long time to create - and the Strafefox
audience is fanatical in their love for this channel.
Learning all about the 'behind-the-scenes' of iconic pieces of pop culture has always
captured people's imagination..
And Each video here picks a classic game or console and dives into the history of the
development and subsequent release.
Learning about how big studios made their games, AND the troubles they faced, can be
both inspiring and informative as your work on your own magnum opus.
The only downside with this channel is that you sometimes have to wait a while for new
videos.
But seeing how much effort and research goes into each and every second of Strafefox content,
it's clear why the turnaround takes time.
For now, you can comb through the archives that have over a hundred great retro gaming
documentaries to enjoy.
Next up is Snowmangaming - one of our favorite channels out there.
This channel has been around since 2013 and publishes a new video on game design a few
times a month.
These videos are fantastic video essays that typically deconstruct the gameplay of different
games, explaining how and why they (or why they don't) work.The channel has a particular
focus on Nintendo and indie titles, and there is a series of videos on Good Game Design,
where the creator analyzes the principles of what makes games great!
Sometimes you don't quite know why you think a game is awesome or terrible.
Sometimes you just have a gut reaction.
Snowmangaming does a fantastic job of getting specific about why mechanics work to helping
you understand why you had the gut reaction that you did.
Snoman Gaming has a bunch of great playlists - including offerings on Bad game design,
speedrunning, and his Free game series where he reviews free games that are worth checking
out.
At the time of this video snowman has just over 150,000 subscribers - which is a huge
audience for the gamedev niche.
You can also catch Snomangaming on Discord and Twitch for more great content and development
conversation.
ThinMatrix, created by a UK indie game developer named Karl, is significantly more personal
than the other channels on this list.
ThinMatrix's videos primarily focus on chronicling the development of Karl’s OWN indie game,
Equilinox.
In many ways this is less an educational series and more of a devlog or diary of ThinMatrix's
own journey into life as an indie game developer.
This is Relatable stuff!
As he continues on this journey, he teaches his subscribers about everything he is doing
along the way, so that they might follow his path.
Popular video topics on this channel include rendering topics such as OpenGL tutorials,
lighting strategies, and making textures and models look their best.
Whereas every other channel on this list works a bit like an anthology series, where you
find the episode that appeals to you and can watch it in isolation, ThinMatrix's channel
works fantastically as one big series.
Start with the first episode and work your way through, watching Equilinox grow from
a simple spark of an idea into an almost finished project.
Not only is every episode jam-packed with great tips but it's truly inspiring to see
a project slowly start to take shape.
It's a constant reminder that you can achieve this too if you persevere.
84,000 subscribers have been following this fascinating journey, and many more indie game
developers could benefit from joining them.
ThinMatrix started uploading content to Youtube in 2013 and there are now close to 300 videos
to enjoy.
You can also checkout Check out Karl’s game Equilinox on Steam - it has a very positive
review rating and looks great.
Before we unveil our next suggested gamedev channel - we wanted to address why we didn’t
list the hugely popular channel, Extra Credits, in this video.
Their gamedev content is great and we are big fans - but they have now branched into
history and mythology and we thought we would highlight some of the lesser-known channels
that are pure gamedev content only.
This next channel will need no introduction to many game development enthusiasts.
Asbjørn from the channel called Brackeys has been creating amazing videos on game development
for over five years.
Virtually every topic - and we mean EVERY topic - is covered in the close to 400 videos.
The quality of these videos are sky high and the advice comes from real expertise.
Its fairly safe to say that this channel has the broadest selection of gamedev how-to videos
on youtube.
So what kind of content can you expect?
How about tutorials on how to make different games by genre - including shooters, RPGSs,
tower defense games, quiz games, and more.
Additional how-tos cover menu toolsets, dialogue systems, procedurally generated content, analytics
and much much more.
The Brackeys community is huge - he has over 600,000 subscribers - and he regularly hosts
game jams and art contests with his fans.
New videos are available every Sunday, and Brackeys also has a vibrant Discord community
if you want to continue the conversation there.
Want more Ask Gamedev?
Check out this video if you want to see more on this topic..
Or this playlist for even more content.