S
Spelunky
spelunkyworld.com
Roguelike cave-exploring platformer with procedurally generated levels; free original in 2008, HD remake in 2012.
diff ~/p/derek-yu ~/p/jonathan-blow
Derek Yu vs Jonathan Blow
Products, revenue & stack compared side by side.
Indie game designer behind Spelunky, Spelunky 2 and UFO 50, founder of Mossmouth
@mossmouth United States
Designer of Braid and The Witness, creator of the Jai language, head of Thekla
@Jonathan_Blow United States
Derek Yu vs Jonathan Blow at a glance
Both Derek Yu and Jonathan Blow are bootstrapped. They overlap in Indie Game Makers. Derek is based in Los Angeles, United States, Jonathan in Boulder, United States. Derek started in 2002 and Jonathan in 2004. Derek Yu has 6 products listed on IndieMakerList vs Jonathan Blow's 5. On X, Derek has about 59K followers and Jonathan about 160K.
Side-by-side comparison
- Based in
- Derek Yu: Los Angeles, United States
- Jonathan Blow: Boulder, United States
- Started
- Derek Yu: 2002 (24 yrs indie)
- Jonathan Blow: 2004 (22 yrs indie)
- Revenue (self-reported)
- Derek Yu: Not public
- Jonathan Blow: Not public
- Products listed
- Derek Yu: 6
- Jonathan Blow: 5
- Product status
- Derek Yu: 6 active
- Jonathan Blow: 5 active
- X followers
- Derek Yu: 59K
- Jonathan Blow: 160K
- Style
- Derek Yu: bootstrapped
- Jonathan Blow: bootstrapped
- Courses & resources
- Derek Yu: 3
- Jonathan Blow: 2
Revenue figures are self-reported by each maker and not audited; dates and scope differ. Highlighted categories are shared by both.
Top products
Spelunky 2
mossmouth.com
Sequel to Spelunky set on the Moon, with deeper systems and online multiplayer.
UFO 50
50games.fun
Collection of 50 original single and multiplayer games styled as the library of a fictional 8-bit console maker.
Aquaria
bit-blot.com
Underwater exploration action-adventure co-created with Alec Holowka as Bit Blot.
B
Braid
braid-game.com
Time-manipulation puzzle platformer; an Anniversary Edition with commentary was released in 2024.
$4M+ lifetime by 2014
T
The Witness
the-witness.net
Open-world first-person puzzle game on an island of line-drawing panels.
$5M+ gross in first week
Order of the Sinking Star
orderofthesinkingstar.com
Narrative puzzle adventure with over 1,000 interconnected block-pushing puzzles, built in Jai by Thekla.
Jai
youtube.com
Systems programming language for game development, designed by Blow since 2014 and in closed beta.
Tech stack
No tools in common in their publicly listed stacks. See the indie maker tech stack.
GameMaker
JaiC++custom engine
How they build
- Finishing a game matters more than starting one; protect momentum and cut scope to ship.
- Procedural generation and tight rules can create endless emergent stories.
- Make small prototypes and freeware first, then polish the ideas that stick.
- Building community around indie games helps everyone in the scene.
- Games can explore deep ideas, and design should respect the player's intelligence.
- Self-fund your work so you keep full creative control.
- Software has become needlessly complex; programmers should understand and simplify their tools.
- Spend as long as it takes to make the game right rather than shipping something compromised.
Learn from Derek and Jonathan
- [book] Spelunky (Boss Fight Books)
- [template] Make Games essays
- [community] TIGSource forums
- [youtube] Jonathan Blow on YouTube
- [youtube] j_blow on Twitch
Derek Yu vs Jonathan Blow FAQ
Who makes more money, Derek Yu or Jonathan Blow?
Neither Derek Yu nor Jonathan Blow has publicly reported a revenue figure that IndieMakerList tracks, so it's not public.
Who has built more products, Derek Yu or Jonathan Blow?
Derek Yu has 6 products listed (including Spelunky, Spelunky 2 and UFO 50); Jonathan Blow has 5 products listed (including Braid, The Witness and Order of the Sinking Star).
What tech stack do Derek Yu and Jonathan Blow use?
Derek Yu uses GameMaker. Jonathan Blow uses Jai, C++ and custom engine. They don't list any tools in common.
Where are Derek Yu and Jonathan Blow based?
Derek Yu: Los Angeles, United States. Jonathan Blow: Boulder, United States.
Who has been an indie maker longer, Derek Yu or Jonathan Blow?
Derek Yu started in 2002 (24 years indie); Jonathan Blow started in 2004 (22 years indie).
Are Derek Yu and Jonathan Blow bootstrapped?
Yes, both are listed as bootstrapped founders on IndieMakerList.
Full profiles
Read the full story, timeline and links on Derek Yu's profile and Jonathan Blow's profile.
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