Kazakhstan's game designers on the development of the country's indie game industry

Amir Aitkulov, Game Designer at CorgiBites indie studio, @steppe.boy

Olzhas Amanzhol, Game/Level Designer at Borsyq Games, @balabrola

About the Company

Amir: We met Olzhas while both of us were taking the Pipeline 3.0 course under the Tech Orda program—a course organized by Omnium, a video game development company. We went through the entire development process, including 3D and 2D modeling, game design, and programming. Upon completing the course, we were required to submit a finished mobile game as our diploma project.

The CorgiBites team consists of 10 people, including experienced professionals. After completing all the courses, we joined forces as a single team and released our first mobile game, Project Red, which is available on the Play Market. Currently, we are not technically supporting it because we are transitioning to another project, for which we are collaborating with Take Top Entertainment, a company we have been working with for some time.

We consider our greatest achievement to be working on a new project alongside industry professionals.

Olzhas: Two weeks ago, we received a notification from Astana Hub and officially became residents, registering as an independent studio.

After completing the courses, we released our own project, Eden—a 3D platformer for mobile phones. Its demo version is available on the Play Market. We plan to further develop this project, but currently, we are focusing on the business side—creating interactive 3D websites for businesses using various game mechanics and features.

What is Indie Gaming

Amir: Indie stands for independent—meaning independent development. The main difference is that in indie development, there are no large game publishing companies. Our teams also do not yet have a publisher. The guys get together and start making games. It is difficult to clearly define the concept of "indie." Many small teams receive support from large companies, which helps their development. We also have an agreement with such a company that helps us with promotion.

Experience in Creating Your Own Game

Amir: Creating your own game is a fantastic, but at the same time, difficult experience. Development is not an easy task on its own. Even large companies face financial difficulties or challenges in creating something new. Recently, remakes and sequels to existing series are being released frequently.

In my opinion, this is a good experience in terms of developing teamwork skills, because game development is largely about teamwork. The market in Kazakhstan is not yet large—this is a difficulty. Some of the major players are from Russia. Companies in Kazakhstan with successful cases include Olzhass Games, which created the Car Parking game. In my opinion, our market is only just beginning to grow in terms of gaming.

Olzhas: I have always been interested in this field: I played games all my life, and I remember the pleasant aspects of game development. I had the opportunity to find a good team with whom I shared common interests and goals.

If you lack experience, it is not easy to work in this field when starting out. However, enthusiasm helps overcome the fear of doing something you do not know. The most difficult periods in the development process are crunches—moments when you need to finish the project by the deadline, staying up all night to get everything done.

Development of Indie Gaming in Kazakhstan

Amir: One of the difficulties is the lack of paid job positions. We have several large companies such as Playrix, G5, and Olzhass Games. In my opinion, developing skills through educational programs plays an important role. We have talented people among freelancers, but working in a team or within a company helps create more projects and unite talents.

The GameDev center at Astana Hub provides a platform for meetings, communication, and joint work. Building a strong community of game developers is the first step toward the development of the industry.

Olzhas: We need specialists specializing in creating 3D models, animation, game design, and programming. Currently, universities do not provide such education, but they are working in this direction. Raising the level of education in higher education institutions will prepare qualified specialists. Additionally, it is important to develop local studios and offer job opportunities to new specialists.

Currently, it is difficult to find job positions at game development companies. The community plays an important role in this regard. Many developers in Kazakhstan feel isolated, embarrassed to share their ideas, and prefer to work in secret. However, sharing experience and developing the community is important so that more people become interested in and aware of this field.

Advice for Those Intending to Start a Career in Game Development

Olzhas: Participate in various events, attend meetings, forums, and events related to game development and the IT industry. Develop hard and soft skills. Currently, the IT sector, including programming, is developing well. The most popular programming languages used in the game industry are C++ and C#. They are used in popular game engines such as Unreal Engine and Unity.

If you want to enter the game industry, it is important to stay informed about the latest news and opportunities. Consider receiving education at specialized schools like Tech Orda or Omnium, where you can not only gain knowledge but also join a community of like-minded people.

Amir: I am not a programmer by profession. My major is political science. However, I was interested in the game industry. I began looking for opportunities to enter the industry, reading various articles. During my internship at Astana Hub, I helped organize the Digital Bridge 2022 event. That is when I met Omnium, which offered educational services in the GameDev field.

Learn the main and popular things: Unity is used for mobile games, while Unreal Engine is used for PC projects. There are opportunities in Kazakhstan to improve your qualifications. And if you want to make games, you can enroll in computer science programs at universities.