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I just recently saw stackoverflow had a game dev sister site so here I am, wondering if you experienced fellows know where one can search/look for game developers for an indie game startup? In other words:

I have a game idea which I've written down with as much detail as possible (so anyone else can understand how it works) and now I'm looking for a heavy php programmer with whom to pair up in order to go from idea to reality. I'm a front-end/interface designer and an intermediate programmer. I recognize my project requires heavy programming skills which I do not have as of today =)

So, what websites, communities or places do you recommend I go look into? Where do good programmers interested in indie games go look for projects if they don't have their own?

Thanks in advance G.Campos

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When you say "indie game startup" there is one key piece of info you need to specify: is this a paid position?

If so, Joel's "field guide to developers" and some other articles on finding great programmers in general are just as generally applicable to game programmers: http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/FieldGuidetoDevelopers.html

If not, then beware. Your question can basically be restated as: "Okay, so everyone has a Great Idea for a game, including any programmer I'd be working with. How do I convince a programmer to work on MY idea and not their own?" And the answer is, you probably can't, for the same reason that you would probably not abandon your idea just to be slave labor on someone else's project.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ I disagree entirely. Lots of people have ideas, very few actually go and execute them all the way through. I am openly looking for someone who could be interested in working with me - not for me -. That doesn't mean that because it's an unpaid job that I'm just expecting 'whoever' to come and act as a slave for me. You don't even know what is being offered. And the only reason I ask this question is because I have met good programmers looking for promising no-pay projects. Unfortunately they had already found good choices before I showed up ;) \$\endgroup\$
    – Capagris
    Feb 18, 2011 at 19:34
  • \$\begingroup\$ The whole shebang didn't fit above so I'll continue here. By working with me, I refer to doing the programming side of things while I handle design, advertising, management, etc. etc. In my game the design and the programming workload are pretty much 50-50. There's the game's 'external' promotional website, the game interface per se, the countless graphic elements that give colour and shape to the game and last but not least, the whole game idea itself, properly laid down, carefully planned and masterfully executed. Then there's advertising, management, etc. \$\endgroup\$
    – Capagris
    Feb 18, 2011 at 19:37
  • \$\begingroup\$ Oh, I forgot to specify: I'm speaking of a browser game here coded in PHP + MySQL + JQuery (on top of the HTML + CSS skeletons). It is only due to this whole combo of circumstances that I'm here. I wouldn't look for a programmer if I had a very heavy and intensive 3D game that would normally require an entire crew of programmers and not just one. I know very well that my idea can be taken care of by just one designer and one programmer \$\endgroup\$
    – Capagris
    Feb 18, 2011 at 19:39
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Anyplace where video gamers congregate in large enough number will have many people looking to connect, whether it be projects to help on, or helpers for projects:

Gamedev.net, which has both a forum with a 'Help Wanted' subforum, and a dedicated Classifieds section on the site.

tigsource.com has a similar help wanted forum, and a special section for Unpaid work.

Reddit's r/gamedev/classifieds: http://www.reddit.com/r/gamedevclassifieds

Probably many more, but these are a good start.

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