Not quite - that sounds like something we don't like either. Instead, we actually help members make each other's games.

All of our games are member-led, which means anyone can lead a project. Every game we make is freeware, so there's no commercial rights to anything (plus you retain 100% ownership of everything you create!). And there's zero "work" meetings, "work" hours, or anything resembling work, because it's not a job. It's a community that makes games together.

We do this with a proven group process (230+ released games), which members learn through self-paced training videos. That means games get released even if everyone has total agency to do what they want, how they want, on whichever teams they want. This is why we've had many members stick with our community for years, exploring their interests, and making games in a sustainable way.

So in Dev Pods, you're paying to be part of an established community of experienced developers, you're gaining access to teammates who want to build games with you, and you're getting trained in our Pod Process which makes sure every game releases on time.

If you're in a situation where learning and creating purely on your own is still working well for you, or if you only want to make commercial projects, Dev Pods is not be a good fit, but we still wish you the best! If, instead, you want to be part of flexible teams to make bigger games that always release on time, we invite you to try Dev Pods as the next step of your game dev journey.

Our community is welcoming to all experience levels! Most of our members have tried some online courses, maybe a game jam, and practiced at least one skill area on their own. For many members, Dev Pods is their first experience collaborating with remote teammates on games that finish, so our approach is set up to make that simple.

Our community consists of lots of different skill levels. Some started game dev last month, some have led multiple games, and others have related day jobs in the game industry - and they just enjoy the low pressure and creative freedom of freeware collabs.

In many cases, a member is experienced at some skills, but trying out something they're new to. In Dev Pods it's safe to do that since it's all freeware. Members are not limited to doing what they're good at, and they're free to get involved in any way that sounds fun to them.

Our community is friendly and encourages to members to chip in on their first Blender model, their first pixel art, first song, first code, first level design, etc. Everyone understands teammates are learning new things, and that we're all here support each other.

We only make freeware games in Dev Pods, and everyone retains 100% ownership of their specific contributions, code, and assets.

Dev Pods does not take any ownership in the games, the work, or the creative contributions made by members.

You CAN sell your own work outside of Dev Pods, because you own it! If for example, you wrote a song for a game, you could sell it on iTunes (but nobody else could). If you made a 3D model for a game, you could sell it on the asset store (but no one else could).

Because everyone owns their own work, no one can sell the entire game. This protects your labor from being exploited, and allows you to practice your skills without giving up ownership.

When the game is finished, it's uploaded to itch.io. And all of the contributors are credited for their specific contributions. The contributors can then link to the game, or add it to their portfolio.

Because the games and teams are decentralized, you can devote as much or as little time as you want. We'd recommend a few hours a month at least to get the most out of it. But beyond that, how much time you spend is up to you.

There is no set schedule, you pick the tasks you want to work on, and you pick when you want to work on them. You get to contribute to game teams on your own schedule!

Yes! The only requirement is that you first become familiar with our pitching and lead framework. Usually, the best way to do this is to contribute to a game under a different project lead, but it's not required.

Our Quickstart Video Course covers everything you'll need to lead a team developing your original game!

Yes! We need all sorts of skills to make games. 2D & 3D artists, sound designers, musicians, writers - everybody! If you're not a programmer, don't sweat - there's still a spot for you.

The best part is, you don't even have to do what you're good at! You can try new things whenever you want.

Because game teams are not a fixed size, members leading each game adjust plans to make room for who wants to get involved. So the best way to get the most out of Dev Pods is to try a variety of things. For example, even though you haven't done it before, maybe try making some UI icons, sound effects, or an additional puzzle design?

Each week, every game has tasks pop up that could really help them move forward. And even if it's not a skill area you're experienced in or trying to become great at, your teammates will still be appreciative that you tackled it.

You sign in, go to your account settings, and then click to cancel. It's that easy, and the rest is automatic.

We don't believe in dark patterns, you don't have to talk to a person, and you don't have to provide a reason.

We get it - Dev Pods probably isn't like anything you've seen before. So here's a full scale, 1-hour long walk through of how Dev Pods works by co-founder Chris DeLeon. It also has chapters, so you can skip to the part you're interested in. Enjoy!

Click here to view the tour video.