Algonquin College computer engineering student launches indie game on Steam

Conrad Joshi, an 18-year-old Algonquin College student studying computer engineering, has created and released his own indie video game on Steam.

Balancing studies and solo development, he built Wraith, a rogue-like first-person shooter under his self-made studio, ConnorADever, and documented the process on YouTube.

While most students are juggling homework and exams, Joshi has been tackling academics on top of pursuing his passion for game development.

Steam, developed by Valve, is an online distribution platform offering various services related to video games, with over 132 million monthly active users. It’s a great stepping stone for aspiring developers like Joshi, who released his game on Steam on April 4.

The initial excitement of starting a project often drives developers, but maintaining motivation becomes challenging once that spark fades.

“The hardest parts are once you have a new idea, it’s easy to have the motivation to work on it,” said Joshi. “But after that, after you’ve created a base and have a proof of concept, then it’s about finishing it to make a product people can play. That part’s the hardest.

“You start to get in your own head, is this a good idea? You become more realistic about what you can and can’t do,” said Joshi. “It turns into tedious work.”

Balancing school with a personal passion project can be demanding, but for Joshi, managing both has come naturally.

“Algonquin College has been easy, considering I’ve worked with computers a lot,” said Joshi, explaining his strategy for balancing school work with his game development. “It was just finishing the assignment in the two hours after they gave it to me, and the rest of the time is free to work on the game, so it hasn’t been too hard.”

According to Howard Rosenblum, the program coordinator for computer engineering, independent learning is important for a student’s self-growth.

“I encourage students to work on side projects to improve their technical and time management skills,” said Rosenblum. “It is also a low-risk introduction to entrepreneurship.”

That balance between both responsibilities has given him time to develop his game and refine it through ongoing feedback, including from peers.

“I’m very impressed. He was always passionate about game development,” said Tyrell Jennings, a computer science student at Algonquin College who playtested the game. “Doing school and making the game at the same time is definitely very difficult and impressive.”

Conrad offered advice for Algonquin College students who also want to make a video game.

“Honestly, just start. You’re never going to feel completely ready or like you know everything,” said Joshi.

“Even after releasing my first game, if I made it again, I’d have to relearn a lot. The whole time you’re learning. Just download something you can make a game with, and start looking up how to use it on YouTube. Just start!”