// Welcome aspiring game devs!

Turn your free time into finished games

Dev Pods is a membership-based production club. We provide the structured teams, vetted partners, and managed projects you need to build your portfolio. Pick a game, claim a task that fits your schedule, and ship real games, faster.

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Join today, contribute tonight 30-day money-back guarantee 230+ games shipped
EA
Extra Credits
GDC
GameDev.tv
IGDA
IndieCade

Dev Pods founders have worked directly with these brands

// Welcome to Dev Pods

For the busy parents,
burnt-out professionals,
and lonely solo-devs.

Tired of going it alone. The abandoned project folders. The burnout nobody notices. The restarts that never turn into releases. Sound familiar? Good. You're in the right place.

  • You've got 6 half-built projects and haven't shipped one
  • You burn out alone — no one notices or cares if you stop
  • You're stuck in tutorial hell, watching instead of building
  • Life gets busy and your project stalls for weeks at a time
  • You hit a technical wall and have nobody to get unstuck with
  • You keep restarting instead of releasing
Start Shipping Games

No long-term commitment. Cancel any time.

// The Pod Process

Where solo devs team up,
the burnt-out find fun,
and the busy ship games.

This is the process behind every game we've ever shipped. Simple, flexible, and designed around real life — it's nothing like those 80+ hour crunch weeks. Here's what that looks like for a new member.

// Step 01

Join a Pod

You don't show up to an empty room. Within an hour, you're dropped into a real team with active projects already in motion. Our onboarding shows you how to get oriented, and you can jump in whenever you're ready.

// Step 02

Pick a Small Task

Pick a game you like, and browse the bite-sized tasks — code, art, audio, design. Pick only what interests you. Small tasks (10–60 min) or bigger features — you choose what fits your time and energy.

// Step 03

Do It Your Way

Build it your way, test it, make it feel right. When you're happy with it, push it to the team. New to GitHub? We'll show you the process. Stuck on something? Just ask your Pod for help.

// Step 04

The Game Ships

The game ships. And right on schedule like they always do. Your contributions are credited specifically, not just your name in a list. And then you can join the next one! Or even lead one yourself when you're ready.

Our Tech Stack Unity Godot Unreal Engine GitHub Discord Trello

// The proof is playable

Beginners like you - built & led
230+ games & counting.

Every one of these games were made from scratch (with love!) in 2-5 months, by busy beginners practicing their favorite skills.

Legend of Shadowtail
Feb 2026 · Team of 16
Everchange
Feb 2026 · Team of 16
King Arthur: Tales of the Sword
Oct 2025 · Team of 16
Nethercard Kingdom
Apr 2025 · Team of 13
Artillery Rampage
Jul 2025 · Team of 11
Orbs and Dash
Dec 2025 · Team of 14
Naous
Jan 2026 · Team of 10
Project Planets
May 2025 · Team of 10
No Quarter
Sep 2024 · Team of 11
Whiskers Wonderland
Jun 2024 · Team of 9
Gatekeeper
Jul 2024 · Team of 9
Paper Golf
Nov 2024 · Team of 12
Captain Stardust
Jul 2024 · Team of 9
Cleansing Roots
Nov 2023 · Team of 10
Critical Alpha Afterburner
Aug 2024 · Team of 12
Alpine Asphalt
Dec 2023 · Team of 11
Tank Rampage
May 2024 · Team of 12
Ascend
Mar 2024 · Team of 8

// This one's worth a watch.

The Legend of Shadowtail

This is what a day in a Pod actually looks like. Six members from The Legend of Shadowtail team sat down and told their story. Everything from joining the Pod to the day it shipped. ~30 minutes. Worth every second.

Play All 230+ Games on Itch.io

// Community Member Love

The game dev club you
wish you'd found sooner.

Feeling a little isolated? Wondering if you'll ever actually ship something? Here's what happened when they joined the club.

★★★★★
"Joining Dev Pods was a game changer. It gave me the chance to lead, collaborate, and build projects I'm genuinely proud of. Those experiences shaped not just my portfolio, but my confidence as a developer.

Dev Pods helped me level up and ultimately land my dream job as a gameplay engineer at Blizzard Entertainment."
Patrick Moffett
Patrick Moffett
Project Lead — Cleansing Roots · Now at Blizzard Entertainment
230+
Games
Shipped
Patrick Moffett in Dev Pods
★★★★★
"I was stuck in tutorial hell for 5 years. Dev Pods helped me develop the skills to tackle any project I want. I shipped 2 games and discovered modeling as a new passion."
Alex Joiner
Alex Joiner
Project Lead — Lunar Breaker & Gatekeeper
Games shipped by Justin Montgomery
★★★★★
"I was proud of finally putting my Unreal multiplayer course knowledge into practice."
Justin Montgomery
Project Lead — Paper Golf
★★★★★
"In less than a year I participated in 10 games. One is my own design and it's released. I'm not sure I would ever have made it without Dev Pods."
Klaim (A. Joel Lamotte)
Klaim (A. Joel Lamotte)
Project Lead — The House & Hard Glitch
★★★★★
"I love how a project has momentum. If you're busy, the team keeps making the game better. You get this amazing jolt of motivation seeing all the improvements when you come back."
MrPhil (Philip Ludington)
MrPhil (Philip Ludington)
Dev Pods Member
★★★★★
"I really loved the contributions from the community...things I never would have done on my own, but so perfectly fit what I wanted Branch Out to be that I can't imagine the game without them."
Kelly Mark
Kelly Mark
Project Lead — Branch Out VR
★★★★★
"I'd been looking to find a way to do music for games, it's something I've dreamed about since I was a kid.

The Legend of Shadowtail was the first time I did music for a game! I'm having a lot of fun."
Aaron Sherman
Aaron Sherman
Contributor — The Legend of Shadowtail
Games shipped by Nicole-Brandon Paul
★★★★★
"Because of the additional experience I gained working on games and leading a project, my five-year career plan was accomplished in less than a year."
Nicole-Brandon Paul
Project Lead — Grim Enigma · Contributor on 6 released games
★★★★★
"You can contribute whatever you can, whenever you can. I like that because I have 2 kids. The game still ships."
Lou Herard
Lou Herard
Dev Pods Member
Games shipped by Ian Cherabier
★★★★★
"Leading a game in Dev Pods feels like taking a fast lane on your learning journey!"
Ian Cherabier
UI Programmer — Lunar Breaker · 3x Project Lead
★★★★★
I came from a background of developing solo projects. I no longer have to do everything alone. After being in the group for over a year and a half, I have been involved with 11 projects doing a variety of skills (some of which I am terrible at, but I wanted to practice).
Dani (Cassidy) Noble
Dani (Cassidy) Noble
Project Lead for Dragon's Tavern and 11+ others
★★★★★
"Dev Pods has been an amazing opportunity to start projects, and find teams that actually finish projects."
Chris "BOLT" Bolte
Chris "BOLT" Bolte
Sound + Music — Tank Rampage & Branch Out · Sucker Punch Productions
★★★★★
"I accomplished more in four months here than in four years at my college game dev club."
Dan Dela Rosa
Dan Dela Rosa
Dev Pods Member · Multiple Games Shipped

// Here's what's inside

Everything you get
when you join today.

If you’ve wanted to make games, but haven't had the time, or you're too busy to start a big project, this is for you!

A tight-knit Pod in Discord where small teams stay focused and helpful. Not a crowded megaserver where you get lost in the noise.

  • Curated channels per Pod and project. Less noise, more shipping.
  • Weekly hangouts and events with real teammates
  • Hobbyists and industry vets side by side. No trolls or bad vibes.

No cohorts. No launch windows. Jump into an active game today and contribute where it actually matters.

  • Multiple games open to new contributors right now
  • All disciplines welcome: code, art, audio, design, writing. Everything.
  • Every game ships to itch.io, instantly linkable for your portfolio.

Short Sunday recaps for every active game. See what shipped, what changed, and what's needed next. No digging through Discord or Git.

  • 5-15 minute update from every game lead, every Sunday
  • Just watch, pick a task, and go. No reading required.
  • Start every week with a clear picture, not catch-up anxiety

Every line of code, every asset, every sound you make stays yours. Use it in your portfolio, sell it later, or take it to your next project. No IP transfer, no catches.

  • Full copyright on everything you author. No transfer required.
  • Your name and credits appear in-game and on itch.io
  • Reuse your work in portfolios, job apps, or future commercial projects

The exact process we use to scope, plan, and ship every game. Run it inside the club or take it solo. It works anywhere.

  • ~2 hours of focused video lessons
  • Scope a game that actually ships (no more solo slog)
  • A zero-crunch rhythm you can use on any project

Stop starting from scratch. A searchable library built from a decade of shipped games: tutorials, templates, talks, and member-made guides.

  • Engine deep-dives for Unity, Unreal, and Godot
  • GDD templates and design frameworks you can actually use
  • Build & release helpers: itch.io publishing, asset pipelines
Start Shipping Games
30-day money-back guarantee · Cancel anytime

// Bonus! Get it while you can

The Video Vault
10+ years worth of
"I wish I knew that."

The stuff you wish you'd had when you started. Talks from people who shipped games you've actually played.

Video Vault + Quickstart Video Course — included for all members
Included Free With Your Membership!
"After a year in Dev Pods I can take those skills back to personal projects. That game that took me years I could remake in a week." — Brian Nielsen · Dev Pods Member
Featured Vault Talks
Amir Rao
Amir Rao
Starting the Indie Studio Supergiant
Supergiant cofounder behind Hades, Bastion, Transistor, and Pyre.
Jake Birkett
Jake Birkett
Sustainable GameDev
Grey Alien Games founder behind Regency Solitaire on making polished indies since 2005.
Jarryd Huntley
Jarryd Huntley
Lessons from Indie Musicians
Musician, indie developer, instructor, and co-author of Game Programming for Artists.
Jennifer Hazel
Jennifer Hazel
Avoiding Burnout
Psychiatry doctor and CheckPoint founder on protecting your health for a long game career.
Tomo Moriwaki
Tomo Moriwaki
Sustained Adaptation
Designer across Spider-Man 2, Boom Blox, and Medal of Honor on growing through change.
Anthony Jones
Anthony Jones
Talent is Just Practice
Artist on Diablo III, God of War: Ascension, World of Warcraft, and StarCraft II.

// Busy beginner game devs welcome!

The practice community where busy beginners ship real games.

The easiest and fastest way to learn by building, level up your skills, and actually release games - in as little as a few hours a month.

Monthly Membership
$ 39 /month
Billed monthly · Cancel anytime
  • Start instantly, cancel anytime
  • 1–3 hrs/week suggested
  • Private community + resource vault
  • Own everything you create
  • Finish games and build a portfolio
  • 30 day money-back guarantee
Join Monthly
30-day money-back · Cancel anytime
  • Secure checkout
  • All major cards accepted
  • Cancel anytime

30-day money-back guarantee — not feeling it? Full refund, no questions.

// Got questions?

Everything to know
before you join.

Before you decide anything, here's everything you're probably wondering.

Busy beginner game devs! But also, hobbyist game developers who are tired of going it alone. Coders, artists, musicians, writers, designers — all of it. If you've got half-finished projects, a busy life, and a genuine love of making games, you're exactly who this is for.
$39/month. No tiers. No upgrades. No "unlock with premium." Everything on this page is included. Cancel anytime.
Nope. all Dev Pods games are released free (no monetization), and it's not a limitation, it's what makes the whole thing work.

When there's no revenue on the table, there's no arguing over who gets paid what, no one treating their task like a negotiation, and no one disappearing when the fun wears off. The goal is crystal clear: ship the game. That focus is rare, and it's exactly why we consistently finish.

There are real upsides for you too. Free games get more players, more downloads, and more honest feedback. And you also keep ownership of everything you personally build.
No. If you can open Unity, Godot, or Unreal and find your way around, you're ready. Never touched GitHub? We'll show you. Not a programmer at all? Pods need artists, musicians, writers, and designers just as much. The one thing we can't teach is showing up — but that one's on you.
Honestly? 1–3 hours is the sweet spot, but there's no minimum and no one's taking attendance. Teams work async, so if a week goes sideways, the game keeps moving without you. Jump back in when you're ready. We built this for people with real lives.
Fair question. You're not paying to do someone else's work, you're paying to finally have a team, a structure, and a reason to finish. The games ship as freeware because that's what makes the scope realistic and the finish line real. And you keep ownership of everything you build, so use it in other games or your portfolio. Plus, you can lead your own game when you're ready.
100% on-time ship rate across 230+ games and 10+ years. If you participate and your game still doesn't ship, you can request a full refund.
Never. Multiple games run simultaneously, and new tasks appear as projects progress. There's always something to pick up — no waiting for the next batch or season.
Cancel anytime, right from your dashboard. No questions asked. If it's not for you in your first 30 days? Full refund. We take on the risk so you don't have to.
You're in immediately. Our quick-start walkthrough takes you through Discord, GitHub, and how to pick your first game, step by step. Stuck on anything? You can book a 1-on-1 call with our team. Most members are in the Discord within an hour, and are contributing to an actual game within their first week.
All kinds! Arcade, action, platformers, puzzle, horror, farming sims. 2D and 3D. Every game is scoped to actually finish, led by a member who's committed to getting it over the line. You can jump into something already in progress, contribute wherever you fit, or pitch your own idea when you're ready to lead.
Yes, two places. Your name goes in-game when the project ships, and publicly on our itch.io collection. And we don't just list "programmer" next to your name. We credit the specific systems you built, the assets you made, and the roles you played. Real portfolio evidence, not a footnote.
No. Our club is about making things together with other people, so that's our focus. Some members use some AI tools independently to debug, fix, or rubber duck with, but no generated code, art, assets, or content is currently used in club games.
100%. The code you write, the art you make, the music you score, it's yours. No IP clauses, no strings attached. Your individual contributions belong to you and you can take them wherever you want. Nobody can use your work commercially outside the game without your say-so.
We make games in Godot, Unity, and Unreal! Teams stay organized with Trello, chat on Discord, and share files through GitHub - all free tools. Some members find our workflow so effective that they use it on their own projects outside the Pods too.

// Ready to stop doing this alone?

This is the part where you
stop building alone.

Join Dev Pods and finally break the cycle of half-finished projects, solo burnout, and tutorials that go nowhere. Build things you're proud of, and join teams with momentum, and finally ship games.

Start Shipping Games
Join today, contribute tonight Cancel anytime 30-day money-back guarantee