Brian James Murphy didn’t exactly plan to become a solo developer. He more or less fell into it face-first when he lost his job during the great industry layoff wave of 2024. He had been tinkering with something on the side for years, fuelled by his love for rats. Yes, the rodents. “I’ve been drawing rats for as long as I can remember,” he says. “And I was even nicknamed Rat King in high school!” So when he finally had the time, this was his moment. “I dived right in as a half-desperation half-passion project.” One and a half years later, his debut game Rat Wars: The Rat ’Em Up is ready.
Operating under the name Wootusart Industries, Murphy is working mostly alone these days. And it suits him just fine. “It’s solo all the way,” he says. It’s not that he doesn’t like company, but he can’t expect others to match his relentless work ethic. “I can be a jerk to myself, but not to others!” And while he loves the creative freedom, he admits the flip side is real: “You have to do game design, testing, marketing, customer service… it’s a lot of hats to wear.” Still, looking back at the experience of a first-time solo developer he’s convinced he found his calling. “I absolutely love it and know in my heart of hearts this is what I want to do with my life from now on.”
Why did you become a solo developer?
“Well mainly because I lost my job! I was working as a full-time studio artist and was let go in early 2024. And I couldn’t get another job. If you recall that time was crazy for layoffs in the industry. So I thought I might as well make my own game now, I’ve got nothing to lose! I had been sort of working on War Rats in my own time for a few years before that anyway. And so dived right in as a half-desperation half-passion project. But now that I’ve been doing it for a while, and gotten over a lot of initial hurdles, I absolutely love it and know in my heart of hearts this is what I want to do with my life from now on.”
What are the biggest advantages of working solo?
“That I get to do everything myself. I am definitely a control freak when it comes to my work. I have a vision of how I want it to play/look/feel and that’s how it’s gotta be. And it’s the same with my art really. Which is something I have to deal with all the time as a professional artist. I am constantly being told what to do and how something should look. A lot of times those people don’t actually know what they’re talking about. And so it’s really a relief to not have to answer to anyone. If I think something looks cool, or have a gameplay idea I like, then I just add it in. I don’t need to ask for permission from anyone.”
And the biggest pitfalls?
“That I have to do everything myself! Haha. Well I mean yeah, it’s great to be my own boss, but also it means I have to think of everything myself. And I mean everything. Things most people wouldn’t even think of. Before I started this I would see someone make a game by themselves and think “Oh they made their own game” and imagine it’s just about coding and art and sound and that’s it. But it turns out that it’s so, sooo much more than that. You have to do game design, testing, marketing, customer service and learn all the technicalities of your platform of choice as well. It’s a lot of hats to wear. And if I don’t think of something, there’s no one reminding me.”
What’s your creative process?
“I guess I just think of things and then get to work. That’s it really. I don’t really know to be honest! Sorry if that’s a bad answer. I do keep a little file on my phone that has a bunch of notes in it. So if I get any ideas I quickly write them in there so I don’t forget. But otherwise it’s mostly just in my head.”
How do you stay motivated through (years of) development?
“From the pressure of not having enough money to pay the mortgage and buy food and heat the house! I wish that was a joke but it’s not. That is probably the biggest motivator for me really. I have a family I have to take care of and this is the only way I know how. And it’s the only thing I think I’ve ever just been good at. And that I love. I really do love it. And I think that helps a lot. I don’t think it’s something you can fake. So it’s a mix of desperation and love really. And I can’t deny there’s also just something inside me that is beyond my control that just is making me keep going. It’s like a little fire that’s burning and I can’t put it out you know? It’s just something I have to do.”
Will you ever work in a team or is it only solo for you?
“Solo all the way. Mostly it’s just I can’t trust that anyone else is gonna be that invested in my vision as me. I mean, is someone else gonna give up their Sunday evening to push a last minute update if I tell them to? I know I will, but can I trust that someone else will? I don’t want to have to rely on anyone else that way. And I wouldn’t think it’d be fair on them to expect that anyway. Nah, I can be a jerk to myself, but not to others!”
How did you get the idea for War Rats?
“Well, I’ve been drawing rats for as long as I can remember. I’ve had pet rats in the past. And I was even nicknamed Rat King in high school! I really don’t know where my love of rats came from. But yeah just over the years of drawing rats and building up my artist presence online with rats and just letting my imagination run wild. The original idea for War Rats was that I did a series of animated battle scenes that was a spoof of Advance Wars but with crazy rat characters and ultra violent attacks and gruesome over the top deaths. It was just so much fun.”
“So, then I started toying with the idea of making an actual game. I dabbled in a bit of coding. Trying Unity and Game Maker Studio. But I could just not get the hang of it. So I shelved the idea until I lost my job and was like I now have the time to try this again. And at the time Godot was really blowing up. So I gave that a try and was instantly hooked. I followed Brackey’s “How to make a Video Game – Godot Beginner Tutorial” and was like yeah, I can do this!”
This is the first game you make by yourself, what’s the biggest lesson learned from this project?
“Yep this is my first fully solo game. Well, minus the music, which is being done by Jamie Keen, Bod and Anton Kiptily and a tiny bit by me. Mostly by Jamie though. Shout out to him! So like I said before, I had been making the art for the game for years. From late 2020/early 2021 actually. If you go on my Instagram and scroll all the way down, you’ll see the very birth of WAR RATS right there. Anyway, when I started coding it I already had a bunch of art assets ready to go. Not everything. Not by a long shot, but it still saved me loads of time and helped me to see my progress better in the early days. Since I’m definitely a visual learner.”
“So, if you don’t count the pre-learning-to-code art creation time, I started properly making the game in late April 2024 and released the Early Access version almost exactly one year later. And now I’m releasing the full version 6 months after that. So 18 months I’d say. Although that time hasn’t been 100% on the game. I’ve also been doing commissioned work and other personal work in that time as well.”
“The biggest lesson learned is probably: don’t make a 2D sidescroller! Haha! People will take one look at a screenshot and write your game off instantly. And some people have actually been weirdly aggressive about how much they hate sidescrollers. Very very strange. I mean, it’s a classic genre! But yeah, my game is so much more than just a 2D sidescroller, but first impressions are so important. And once certain people see that image, they won’t give your game a chance no matter how many words or videos you use to show them otherwise. Wow, this answer was long. Sorry if I’m rambling!”
The toll on your mental health can be quite high for solo devs. How do you deal with that?
“Well, I try to eat healthy, I do exercise at least 5 times a week and I stay away from partying. When I’m not working I spend time with my family and have the occasional gathering of close friends with a few drinks and things. It’s really the most cliched stuff that people say to do but I honestly can say it works. At least for me. I wouldn’t have made it this far if I didn’t keep to my routine. That’s a 100% certainty.”
“And yeah a lot of times I don’t feel like getting up early and working out at 6am before anyone else in the house is awake. Or yeah sometimes I feel like going out and just getting wasted or lounging around late into the night watching tv eating snacks. But I force myself because I know where the road the alternative leads to. I’ve been down that road. And I don’t wanna go there again. Did that get too dark and preachy? I’m just saying what works for me is all.”
Get Rat Wars: The Rat em Up on Steam now.