# 'Ship a good game, learn from it, and build from there:' Lessons from going indie after a decade at id Software

DevFeed: ['Ship a good game, learn from it, and build from there:' Lessons from going indie after a decade at id Software](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/ship-a-good-game-learn-from-it-and-build-from-there-lessons-from-going-indie-after-a-decade-at-id-software-15094.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://www.gamedeveloper.com/production/-ship-a-good-game-learn-from-it-and-build-from-there-lessons-from-going-indie-after-a-decade-at-id-software>)

Author: Chris Kerr

Published: 2026-09-10T18:56:42Z

Content type: news

Language: en

Sources: [gamedeveloper](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/gamedeveloper.md>)

Topics: [Game Development](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/game-development.md>), [Development](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/development.md>), [cloud-infrastructure](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/cloud-infrastructure.md>)

Tags: [business](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/business.md>), [careers](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/careers.md>), [company](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/company.md>), [development](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/development.md>), [doom](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/doom.md>), [game-development](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/game-development.md>), [games](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/games.md>), [industry](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/industry.md>), [marketing](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/marketing.md>), [money](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/money.md>), [production](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/production.md>), [publisher](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/publisher.md>), [team](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/team.md>)

## AI overview

Game Developer interviews Tony Garza and Richard O'Neal about leaving id Software, founding the indie studio Turnkey Games, and developing the horror adventure Apart. They describe bootstrapping the company, growing the team gradually, controlling overhead, and directing spending toward development and essential business costs.

## Source excerpt

We sit down with Doom Eternal art director Tony Garza and fellow id alum Richard O'Neal to hear about their journey into the world of indie development through Turnkey Games.