Devlog 00 — Building an Idle Clicker to Pay the Bills

TLDR: I stepped away from a stable freelance design career to become a developer. A year later, my savings are depleted, and my father’s recent surgery created an urgent need for income. I have four months to make my new career pay the bills.

The Situation

About a year ago, I made a calculated decision: I quit my successful freelance design career to dedicate myself to becoming a software and game developer. I wasn’t starting from zero; I consciously scaled back my client work to a single project a month—just enough to cover basic expenses while I focused on learning.

The plan was working, but my financial runway was finite. About two months ago, my savings ran out.

Then, last month, my father had open-heart surgery. The unexpected medical costs instantly shifted my situation from a tight budget to a hard deadline. I need to generate real income, and I have about four months to do it.

Options Considered

1. Freelance-Only Path:

The safest bet. I could double down on my design work and have cash coming in quickly. However, it means putting the developer dream on hold and abandoning the progress I’ve made over the last year. It’s a step backward, and the income stops the moment I stop working.

2. Traditional Job Hunt:

Salaries in Bangladesh are generally insufficient. Even when the pay is decent, the workload often outweighs the financial reward. Pursuing a traditional job may interrupt my personal projects, and the process of finding a job can take months, which is time I don’t have.

3. Make a Small Mobile Game (Idle/Clicker) ← Chosen:

This is the high-risk, high-reward option. It directly leverages the skills I’ve been building for the past year and gives me a shot at creating a long-term, scalable asset. It’s the only path that solves the immediate problem while also advancing my career goal. The challenge is that to keep the lights on during these four months, I’ll still need to take on a couple of design projects each month, making this deadline even tighter.

What “Success” Looks Like in 4 Months

  • A stable beta version of the game available on Android.
  • A “Coming Soon” page live on Steam, ready to start gathering wishlists.
  • A professional store page with honest screenshots and clear communication.
  • The beginnings of a player community providing feedback.
  • My first dollars earned from my own game

A Personal Promise

This is no longer just a career change project; it’s the most direct path I have to supporting my family while building something for the future. I’m sharing this journey to hold myself accountable and to document the process, warts and all. The clock is ticking.

Thanks for reading.