From Dream to Dev: My Journey with Astral Forge

Hi there! I’m Abbygale Dunn, founder and director of the indie games studio Astral Forge. I want to share the story of how I started my company, with the aim of sharing some advice and hopefully inspiring some people along the way.

A Lifelong Love for Games

h2For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to make video games. I grew up playing massive open-world fantasy RPGs, such as Skyrim and The Witcher, and I fell in love with the sense of belonging in their immersive, story-driven worlds. At some point, I decided that I wanted to give this feeling to other people with my work.

To give myself the best chance of success, I worked hard to get into the University of Staffordshire’s Game Design and Programming course, which I have since graduated from. The course was beyond amazing, and I will never stop recommending it to anyone getting into the games industry. It taught me all about the design and development processes, how to make a game in a team across multiple disciplines, and so much more. The university has been so supportive of my company, and they are still assisting me long after graduation.

Starting Astral Forge

When it came time to launch Astral Forge, I felt a mix of excitement and fear, emotions I still experience today. I knew how to make a game but doing it solo would take years. Luckily, I had a group of friends who believed in the vision and were willing to take the leap with me. Fundamentally, in an indie studio, success or failure is based on the team so by having a well-rounded, hard-working team gives you the best chance and Astral Forge is lucky to have found that so early.

Still, forming the actual company was my responsibility. I leaned heavily on advice from family, friends, and my university, soaking up every bit of guidance I could. Our team worked tirelessly and eventually earned a spot on the Tranzfuser programme, which has been a game-changer. It’s helped us find our footing in the industry, provided access to top-tier software, and opened doors to events that have given Astral Forge a strong start.

One of the most surprising parts of this journey? How generous and supportive people have been, even those who had no idea who I was.

What I Wish I’d Known

Now, let’s talk about what I wasn’t taught. My university course was focused on game development, not business. That meant I had no formal training in setting up a company or navigating the legal and financial landscape that comes with it.

Thankfully, University of Staffordshire has an incredible business team that have helped and continue to help me with almost anything that I need, but they don’t work in the games industry. As a developer, there are things you don’t even consider like protecting company IP.

There is so much vulnerability in the games industry when it comes to things like cyber breaches, IP theft, and public liability and they should really be mentioned more. I believe that even if you are studying development-centric courses, you should take the opportunity to learn about IP and how to protect it, and yourself. Insurance, liability, and consumer law are also areas that most “programmers” won’t work with directly but are incredibly important for someone looking to start up their own company.

Getting the right insurance early on not only protects you, but it also makes you more credible to investors, publishers, and collaborators. If I could go back, I’d tackle these issues sooner. I was lucky they didn’t cause problems, but not everyone will be.

A good rule of thumb: if something could go wrong, even if the odds are low, protect yourself.

Final Thoughts & Advice

Whether you’re launching a company or pursuing any big goal, my best advice is this: Hope for the best but prepare for the worst. Be excited about the opportunities that come your way, but don’t rely on them. Always have a backup plan. And remember, you’re never alone. People are more willing to help than you might think. Ask questions, seek advice, and stay open to learning.

Trust me when I say that you will still have you fair share of challenges whether you were warned about them or not, but reach out to others, keep trying, and things will work out.

What’s Next for Astral Forge?

The team at Astral Forge are working on our first project Fate’s Loop which is a time-loop RPG set in a medieval fantasy world. You can find more about it on our social media pages.

As a small team of 6, we are still just beginning and have already found so much success and support, and I am so excited to continue the journey and see how far we will go.

Thank you for reading, and if you ever need advice or just want to connect, don’t hesitate to reach out. Wishing you all the best on your own path!

If you have any questions that you’d like to ask Abbygale, feel free to drop us an email and we can introduce you.