Little Devil, Big Lessons: Michael Armstrong-Ingram on Indie Development and Not Giving Up

A solo developer on setbacks, second chances, and building Little Devil beyond the game

Fix Stories is our developer-authored series where creators share the real stories behind their games: what worked, what went wrong, what they learned, and what kept them going.

In this entry, Michael “MI Pixel” Armstrong-Ingram, solo developer behind Defend from Candyland! and the upcoming Little Devil, shares how health setbacks, contract work, missed marketing lessons, and a love for 90s humour shaped his path back into game development.

We previously covered Little Devil as a hidden gem in the making, and this story gives a more personal look at the developer behind it.

Michael “MI Pixel” Armstrong-Ingram, solo developer behind Defend from Candyland! and Little Devil.

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Back to game development after a setback

Heya everyone, Michael Armstrong-Ingram here. I am the solo developer behind Defend from Candyland! and the upcoming Little Devil, among other games.

I have been a game developer for a few years now. I used to survive on software and games contracts under my two previous companies, Retz Gaming Days and Augmented Industrial Reality. Unfortunately, I had a setback a few years ago with my health and had to shut down both of those companies.

Then, back in 2021, I decided I wanted to try and get back into work, and I started making my first PC and Steam game, Defend from Candyland! It started off as a mobile game, as that is what I used to make, but it started getting too big. My wife suggested I change it and develop it for Steam instead, which was something I knew nothing about at the time.

So, I changed Defend from Candyland! into a Steam game, got it made, and released it without any marketing. That was my big mistake.

The marketing lesson I learned the hard way

I had the Steam store page live for only a couple of weeks before the game was released. Defend from Candyland! did get some great reviews, and some YouTubers, Twitch streamers, and other creators played it. But, to no one who knows anything about marketing’s surprise, it did not make much money or sell very well.

I used to make a living by doing games contracts through my company, MI Pixel, while trying to work on Defend from Candyland! and then Little Devil. I found that while I did well with contracts some months, other months were dry. It was stressful.

I ended up getting a full-time job working as a Peer Support Worker in the NHS. There is not much money in it, but it pays the bills, and I get to help people. The Echo News even did an article about me and my work in the NHS not that long ago.

For that job, I use my own mental health issues and past trauma to help other mental health patients get through their own issues and get better. I show them that it is possible to get better and enjoy life again.

Why Little Devil became more than one game

While I love helping people, I still have a love for games development, as well as everything nineties, and that is where Little Devil comes in.

I wanted to learn from my past mistakes with Defend from Candyland! and use the little time I had to make this game and make it right. I started designing Little Devil with the humour of Earthworm Jim and Animaniacs in mind. I went for a procedural generation roguelike because, to be honest, I had played a few I enjoyed and was interested in trying to make one myself.

There was still the issue of marketing it, though. How would I make this game interesting enough and get it in front of people?

A retro-style Little Devil game over screen, matching the game’s chaotic humour and old-school tone.

I decided to do something a little different. Instead of looking at Little Devil as just one game, I decided to look at it as a franchise and thought about what I could give people that they would enjoy.

Earthworm Jim had a brilliant cartoon series as well as many games. I could not quite make a cartoon of Little Devil, although I would love to in the future, but I could make a free webcomic. So that is what I have done.

Building the story through a free webcomic

There are currently over 100 pages of the Little Devil webcomic published on my own website, Webtoon, and Ko-fi. The webcomic has that old-style humour and tells the story of Little Devil before the game.

Reading the comic shows you exactly why Little Devil is fed up with the Sins and Lucifer. You can see why he thinks he is better than them, and why he believes he would do a better job at ruling Hell.

The comic is updated every Wednesday and Sunday. There is also an insider tier on Ko-fi for £4 a month that gives supporters two pages earlier than everyone else, as well as behind-the-scenes sketches and more. I am planning on adding more to that tier without increasing the price.

It has been great fun fleshing out this story in a webcomic, as well as developing the artwork and the game. I have thoroughly enjoyed working on Little Devil, and so far, the feedback has been great.

I still need to work on my marketing. I am unfortunately not the most active on social media, and I am not the best at marketing. Like with all other skills, though, I am working on it.

Do not forget marketing

To everyone else out there, I will say this: do not give up.

There are many times I thought about throwing in the towel in the past, but I refuse to do so. I will keep working on these games, and I will keep working on myself. If there is a skill that I do not have but need, I will learn it. If I really cannot learn it for whatever reason, I will save money from my day job or use Ko-fi donations to pay someone else to do the work that I cannot do myself.

I will also say this: do not forget marketing.

Too many times I have spoken to game developers who tell me that if the game is good, it will sell and there is no need to market it. To that I say, you can have the best game in the world, but if no one knows about it, how will they buy it?

A community beyond my own games

I am always happy to chat, so feel free to message me on Discord, email, or my other social media accounts.

On my Discord channel, I have a channel called Creative Works, which is a place to get feedback on your games, art, or anything else creative. At the same time, I have another one called Retro Corner, which is there to talk about awesome retro games, films, and more, like Mortal Kombat.

There is also a Support Corner. If you are not feeling good and need someone to talk to, that channel is there for you. Just because my Discord server is called MI Pixel does not mean it is only to talk about or find out about my games. The server is also for you.

Thank you, everyone, for having a read. I would love to hear from you all.

Have fun, all.

~ Michael “MI Pixel” Armstrong-Ingram

Michael Armstrong-Ingram and MI Pixel links

Related Reading

Little Devil Is Great Fun Already and Feels Like a Hidden Gem in the Making | GOTW #48

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