What's the cure for lack of experience? Practise.

This is why www.onegameamonth.com was invented. Remember the career levelup training concept when you wonder "what does #1GAM experience points even mean?!"

Be proud of even the smallest games, because each is one more workout that some other people didn't do.

Your mission, when you're doing #1GAM is to master gamedev by practising your craft. Grinding for career levelups. Putting in those fabled 10k hours to mastery. Pumping code iron to grow your gamedev muscles. Running a marathon once a month to build your code cardio.

Whether it's a game jam weekend or an hour here and there throughout the week, each game you make, however simple, is exercise completed. Strength gained. Skill points.

The boss battle of a major commercial success might still be a ways off, but any battlescarred adventurer knows you need to train up before you take it on. So remember that when you're doing One Game A Month: it doesn't have to be perfect; it's a way for you to practise.

Let's say you're running your own practice? Well I've got even better news for you, because this month's 100% optional theme word is DOCTOR.

Set your game in an emergency ward. Become a time lord. Splice DNA to earn your PhD. Follow an investigator around. Doctor some passports and help your spy friends. Shoot hoops with Doctor J, drink Dr. Pepper, and make a shipment for Dr. Feelgood. Help a mad scientist reanimate his brother. Make silly rhymes all the times.

This month, play on the word DOCTOR. Good luck!

- McFunkypants
- twitter.com/McFunkypants