Incredible Indies: Bradley Erkkila on why indies should “keep things as simple as possible”

The games industry has many big-name studios with eager eyes on them, all waiting to see what their next big hit could be. But giant studios aren’t necessarily the home to what could be your next favourite game.

There are thousands of independent game studios and solo developers, all hard at work crafting new game experiences with often unique ways of looking at games. In this series we aim to highlight those very games and the developers behind them. 

In this interview we catch up with Bradley Erkkila, an independent developer with multiple titles across his portfolio of games, from Rowdy Wrestling to Golf Zero and It’s Still a Space Thing.

We discuss tips for those making games independently, what some of the highlights are of doing so and some of its challenges in today’s market.

PocketGamer.biz: First, can you tell us a little about yourself? Have you always had an interest in video games?

Bradley Erkkila: Before I got into game design, I worked in the media industry as a designer for 15 years. I always enjoyed games of all shapes and sizes, especially on a visual level, as that was my background.

I remember when I was quite young, I designed levels with pencil and paper for the old TurboGrafx-16 ‘Keith Courage’. That’s going way back!

What made you decide to start designing your own games?

It was nearing the end of 2013, and I decided to learn how to make a mobile game on a whim, sort of like a New Year’s resolution. I thought it would be cool to involve my son in something just for fun. 

At the time, the mobile side seemed like the most viable path to shipping something. I did some research and stumbled upon the powerful yet beginner-friendly Stencyl engine, and I started developing Owen’s Odyssey.

I then began socialising with a small group of like-minded folks, and we’ve been helping each other ever since.

Do you usually work alone on a game, or have you worked with some of these people? And what is the development process like?

When I’m working on my own, I tend to come up with the art direction first. I just find it the most fun. I’ll obviously tweak as I go based on where the game is going technically and mechanically, but having a somewhat defined visual style pretty early in development is something I prefer over working with placeholder art. I’m just a visual person.

On the other hand, I’ve collaborated with Colin Lane a lot over the years. He’ll usually come up with some kind of demo using placeholder art, as he works in the opposite way.

The benefit of that is there are set sizes for sprites that I can then work from. I’ve had a lot of freedom to pretty much do whatever I like on those projects, but it helps that we’re almost always on the same page in terms of visual direction.

In both cases, I or we just follow the game’s lead. Sometimes, things change as development progresses, usually for the better.

Is there any advice you would offer to other independent developers working solo or in small teams?

I think everyone says this, but keep things as simple as possible. Don’t over-scope. Finish stuff. Most of the developers I know will finish a minimum viable product relatively quickly and tweak it after release.

If you’re working in a team, be useful and be nice. You’ll have more fun. It doesn’t need to be more complicated than that.

You have quite the portfolio of games from Rowdy Wrestling to It’s Still A Space Thing. How do you usually decide what’s next? What has your creative process been like over the years?

I’ve always had a sketchbook handy, where I doodle characters and even handwrite notes on mechanics. Plenty of projects have stopped and started or been abandoned over the years.

Projects have always been a slave to that flow state. Can I do a lot of work quickly and relatively pain free? That’s usually a sign that I should explore the concept further.

What about the challenges of being independent? What was the most challenging thing, and on the other side, what are some of the positives?

Being indie now is extremely challenging on any platform. So much so that I’ve had to return to my old career in media. So, being a developer is now a side gig again. I was a full-time indie from 2017 to 2023, and those were some of the most fulfilling years of my professional life. But bills are bills.

The benefit of developing games on the side is that without the financial pressure, I can really make whatever I want again. I found in my final year as an indie that I was trying to force success. To mixed, unfulfilling results. 

Do you have any insight you would share with those who are maybe just getting in indie game development, particularly for mobile? Is there anything you wish you had known earlier?

When I started, mobile was a very different market. A solo developer or small team with an Apple feature could easily fund the next project. The App Store simply isn’t what it once was for discovery.

It’s just harder and harder for the small indie to make it on mobile. But Fellow Stencyl-head and dev friend Adam Corey released ‘Level Devil’ this year and proved that with the right idea and timing, great success can still happen for the little guy.

Is there something you have achieved as an indie dev that you are most proud of?

The ‘Golf Zero’ trip Colin and I went on in 2017 with the Apple Indie spotlight was what started my whole full-time indie career. I’ll never forget it.

Having that game and Castle Pals released on consoles was a trip, as well. In general, it was amazing to create games from my house for six years.

Currently, you are maintaining your portfolio of games, but do you think you will return to developing more in the future?

For sure, it’s just finding the time. But like I mentioned, it’ll be much more fun without that financial pressure. Stay tuned.