Why I'm Just Starting Over in Game Dev at 55

At the start of this year (2025), I received an email that completely reignited my love for game development.

Hello Mark!

This might seem odd coming from a total stranger, but I wanted to thank you for a very specific game you made that helped shape my childhood: Fish Food Frenzy.

I remember playing it almost every week on my mother’s iPod, and my school friends loved it just as much as I did.

Fast forward a couple of decades, and I’m now pursuing a bachelor’s in Computer Science, but I still think about that game.

I guess all I wanted to say is thank you for making such an awesome game and for the fun times I had staying up past my bedtime playing it. (lmao)

Also, I noticed you’re rebuilding and reimagining some of your games again! I’m super stoked!

All the best and many thanks!
J (real name redacted for privacy)

I must have read that email a dozen times. Someone actually remembered my little iOS game from way back in the 2010s. But more than just remembering, it mattered.

And then, two months later, another email, from another person in the EU showed up. This time it was about Cowabunga!

The timing couldn’t have been better. I was lost, wondering what to do next. I had a list of ideas and sketches, reimagining some of my old iOS games, but no real direction.

These emails meant everything at a time when I needed it. I printed it them out and pinned it to my wall. I read it every day.

Here’s the truth: at 55, trying to land a traditional dev job feels like shouting into the void. So it’s time to double down on what I’m actually good at.

The messed up thing is, I “retired” from game dev in September 2023. Burn out and depression were the main reason. But things change. I got on prescribed meds, kids graduated from college, and I’m now in a better mental state of mind.

Making games isn’t just what I do, it’s who I am. I think I have finally come to accept that. It’s one of the few things that truly scratches that constant creative itch I’ve got.

I’m going back to where I was happiest, making games for iOS, macOS, and Apple TV. That’s where I had my best runs. I might throw in some Phaser games here and there too.

I’m officially old enough that my own work is considered retro now. Weird.

I’m going to document this whole messy process right here. It starts with this post.

J’s email reminded me why I fell in love with making games in the first place. Not for the money or recognition, but for that moment when someone plays something you created and it sparks joy. Maybe even changes their path in life.

I’m nervous and scared. The landscape is completely different now and I’m basically just starting over.

I also haven’t felt this excited in years. Time to build something again.

Let’s have some fun and see what happens next!