Is versioning useful for small indie teams? (Yes! But why?)
When we think of version control, it’s easy to picture large teams of developers working on huge AAA game projects, managing complex codebases, and juggling countless assets. So, if you’re part of a small indie team - or even working solo - you might wonder: is versioning really necessary for me?
The short answer is: yes, absolutely! Even for smaller indie teams, version control can be a game-changer, and here’s why.
Having backups and tracking history, for your own peace of mind
One of the most basic yet powerful benefits of versioning is that it automatically keeps track of every change you make to your project. Whether you’re tweaking code, updating assets, or experimenting with new mechanics, version control systems let you save every iteration.
For small teams, this is especially useful because mistakes always happen… but you didn’t necessarily hire the workforce to deal with them properly ;)
Maybe you just implemented a new feature that unexpectedly breaks the game, or you’ve accidentally overwritten an important asset. With versioning in place, you can easily roll back to a previous state - no more hunting through random backups or scrambling to recover lost work. It’s your safety net, letting you experiment and iterate with confidence.
Plus, if you’re working solo, version control allows you to track your own progress, undo bad decisions nobody stopped you from taking, and stay more organized (even across different devices!).
Improving team collaboration, even in small teams
For indie devs, especially those working remotely or in different time zones, version control helps streamline collaboration. Without it, you’re likely dealing with email attachments, messy file-sharing solutions, or, worse, re-updating each other’s work. Not a good time.
With a version control system, however, everyone can work on the same project at the same time without stepping on each other’s toes. Branching, in particular, is a powerful feature here - it allows each team member to work on their own part of the project (be it a new feature, bug fix, or art asset) without disrupting the main codebase. When they’re done, they can merge their changes back into the main branch with minimal conflict.
Even if your team is small - say, just two or three people - versioning helps ensure that collaboration is smooth and that no one’s work gets lost or overwritten in the process. It’s a small investment of time upfront for a lot of long-term clarity and efficiency.
Organizing assets and managing changes
Games aren’t just code; they’re made up of tons of assets: sprites, textures, sounds, animations, and more. For a small indie team, managing all these files can quickly become overwhelming. Without a versioning system, you might end up with folders full of filenames like tree_final_v2_valid.png, and good luck remembering which one’s the real final version!
Version control, especially when tailored for game development like with Diversion, helps you manage your assets more effectively. By applying a consistent naming convention, and using a VCS to track updates, you’ll always know who updated what, when, and why. You can even revert to previous versions of assets if something goes wrong or if you decide the earlier iteration was better after all.
Simplifying testing and debugging
Indie dev teams often wear many hats—programmer, designer, artist, and QA tester all rolled into one. With so much going on, it can be tricky to keep track of when a particular bug or issue was introduced. That’s where version control comes in handy.
By having a complete history of your project, including detailed commit messages, you can pinpoint exactly when a bug was introduced and what changes caused it. Need to figure out why the game suddenly crashes after that last update? No problem. Simply check your commit history, identify the changes, and roll back or fix the problematic code. This can save you hours of troubleshooting.
For small teams that might not have the luxury of a dedicated QA department, versioning acts as an extra diagnostic tool, helping catch and isolate issues faster.
Handling releases and updates better
Whether you're working on early access updates, regular patches, or the final launch of your game, version control plays a huge role in managing your releases. A good VCS can help you maintain multiple versions of your game - say, a stable release version for players and an experimental branch where you test out new features.
This means you can keep your players happy with stable updates while continuing to work on new content behind the scenes. And when it’s time to push out an update, you can do so confidently, knowing you have a complete history of what changed and why. (Plus, again, if something goes wrong post-launch, versioning allows you to quickly identify the problem, fix it, and roll out a patch without needing to panic!)
Future-proofing your project
Game development can be a long and winding road, especially for indie devs with limited resources. It’s not uncommon for projects to be put on hold for a few months (or longer) due to funding issues, burnout, or just life getting in the way.
With version control, you can put your project down for a while and pick it up again later with ease. Everything is neatly documented - every change, every feature, and every bug fix - allowing you to resume development without having to guess where you left off. It’s also invaluable if you ever need to bring on new team members, as they can get up to speed quickly by reviewing the project’s history.
Conclusion
So, is versioning useful for small indie teams? Absolutely! While it may seem like an unnecessary layer of complexity at first, it quickly proves its worth by providing peace of mind, better collaboration, smoother asset management, and a reliable history of your project.
Besides, nowadays, solutions like Diversion make it pretty easy to get started, so you won’t lose days trying to figure out the inner workings of a hard-to-grasp command-line tool ;)
In the fast-moving world of indie game development, where every bit of time saved matters, version control is your ally. It’s one of those tools that might not seem critical in the beginning but becomes indispensable once you integrate it into your workflow. Whether you’re working solo or with a small team, having a version control system in place is a simple yet powerful way to stay organized, avoid headaches, and focus on what really matters - making a great game.
