What is a healthy pace to develop a game? A lot of that depends on the demands that your time currently has. The more free time that you have, obviously, the more time you can spend developing a game but that doesn’t mean that it is more time that you must spend developing a game. I think committing too much time on a daily basis can become more stressful than it is worth. Designing a game should mostly be fun. If it is becoming not-fun, then you may be committing too much time to it. Remember to keep your loved ones as a top priority as well, because if you are spending too much time away from them then they won’t feel as loved as they should.

What is an artificial deadline? An artificial deadline is a deadline that you set for yourself that motivates you to get things done but also doesn't really have a consequence if you don't meet that deadline. When I developed Queen Bee I wore many hats. I was the lead-designer, I was the promoter for it online and at conventions, I handled the finances, I coordinated the manufacturing… to name a few. I did hire out some of the work, including the artwork and the sculpting of the miniatures. When working with people who are doing contract work for you it is okay to have expectations for when something will get done but it is also important to be flexible in those dates. Good contract work takes a while to create. Don’t feel like you need to rush anything. The art doesn’t “have to be done” any time. This is a passion project for you. Be flexible in your deadlines.