From Biotech to Big Ideas

Before she was making magic in games, Renee was an industrial design engineer in biotech. She spent her time developing "Fitbits for cyclists" before the Fitbit was a household name and working on concussion detection sensors. It was actually her work on cognitive health tests that led to her first mini-games, designed to make standardization tests easier for kids to complete.

Renee admits she didn't realize game development was a viable career until her senior year of college. After a studio tour at Riot Games, she realized she had found "her people" and spent the next 15 years turning that passion into a career that spans engineering, production, marketing, and leadership.

Shipping Potions: A Curious Tale

We dove deep into the making of her indie hit, Potions: A Curious Tale. Renee shared how she treated the project as "College 2.0," prioritizing learning and the craft over immediate profit. The game, which features 60 levels and 11+ hours of gameplay, was inspired by everything from Zelda to World of Warcraft raid mechanics.

Renee didn't just dive in blindly; she spent nearly a year researching Kickstarter before launching, interviewing both successful and unsuccessful developers to avoid common pitfalls like the "nightmare" of physical reward fulfillment. This meticulous prep allowed her to validate the game's commercial viability before going all-in.

Marketing and the "RNG" of Social Media

Renee dropped some serious truth bombs on what it takes to get noticed. While she finds marketing "draining," her results speak for themselves. She managed to rack up 15 million views on TikTok, which drove more wishlists than any other platform. Her secret?

1. Engage on their turf: Don't try to drag people out of Reddit or TikTok to your Discord; engage with them where they already are.

2. Simplify your CTA: Every extra step kills conversion. Direct links to Steam wishlists beat email sign-ups every time.

3. Be a human, not a brand: Renee’s 15-year-old Reddit account and knowledge of memes earned her community trust that a corporate account simply can’t buy.

The Reality of the "Slog"

One of the most surprising parts of the conversation was the reality of console porting. While tools like Unity make the technical side manageable, Renee estimated that the publishing side—the paperwork, certifications, and system requirements—took 10 to 20 times longer than the actual coding.

The Path Forward

Renee is currently taking a "tech debt dump" from her brain to write a book, applying the same "playtesting" logic to her writing by utilizing beta readers. Her parting advice for anyone in the trenches? "Keep your chin up and keep moving forward. Half of game dev is RNG, so just keep rolling the dice".

Check out the full episode to hear more about Renee’s "smile and wave" networking trick for introverts and her top resources for running a studio.

Would you like me to draft a few "Pro-Tip" social media posts based on Renee's advice to help share this blog on LinkedIn or X?