1. Why do you make games? - Lee
Day one of the 30 Day Game Dev series
Lee Sargent
4/17/20251 min read
Why do I make games
It’s probably a mid-life crisis.
(I’m joking… mostly.)
I spent 20 years deep in digital marketing and emerging social platforms—obsessed with why and how people interact online. Despite being undiagnosed neurodivergent (which made me a bit of a polarising personality), I was good at it.
Then my career took a turn.
A toxic workplace almost broke me. It didn’t kill me, but it came close. And then, somehow, I found my way into game development—and everything clicked.
Game dev saved me. Suddenly, the things I loved doing—the creative strategy, the problem solving, the building of little worlds—had a home. And better yet, I wasn’t alone. I found kindred spirits, and now I get to work with some of the best people I know.
No, I don’t think I’ll ever get rich doing this. But the other day, I watched a streamer play one of my games—exactly the way it was meant to be played—and I felt something I don’t think I’ve ever felt in any other job.
Joy. Connection. Pride.
That’s why I make games.
Because I love building worlds.
And doing the impossible.
