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/josh-wardle
Derek Yu vs Josh Wardle
Products, revenue & stack compared side by side.
Indie game designer behind Spelunky, Spelunky 2 and UFO 50, founder of Mossmouth
@mossmouth United States
Welsh software engineer who made Wordle and sold it to The New York Times
@powerlanguish United States
Derek Yu vs Josh Wardle at a glance
Both Derek Yu and Josh Wardle are bootstrapped. They overlap in Indie Game Makers. Derek is based in Los Angeles, United States, Josh in New York, United States. Derek started in 2002 and Josh in 2021. Derek Yu has 6 products listed on IndieMakerList vs Josh Wardle's 2. Josh has sold 1 product. On X, Derek has about 59K followers and Josh about 51K.
Side-by-side comparison
- Based in
- Derek Yu: Los Angeles, United States
- Josh Wardle: New York, United States
- Started
- Derek Yu: 2002 (24 yrs indie)
- Josh Wardle: 2021 (5 yrs indie)
- Revenue (self-reported)
- Derek Yu: Not public
- Josh Wardle: Not public
- Products listed
- Derek Yu: 6
- Josh Wardle: 2
- Product status
- Derek Yu: 6 active
- Josh Wardle: 1 active · 1 acquired
- X followers
- Derek Yu: 59K
- Josh Wardle: 51K
- Style
- Derek Yu: bootstrapped
- Josh Wardle: solobootstrappedexited
- Courses & resources
- Derek Yu: 3
- Josh Wardle: —
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 retro-style games presented as the library of a fictional 1980s console maker; PC 2024, Switch 2025.
Aquaria
bit-blot.com
Underwater exploration action-adventure co-created with Alec Holowka as Bit Blot.
Tech stack
No tools in common in their publicly listed stacks. See the indie maker tech stack.
GameMaker
No stack shared publicly.
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.
- One puzzle a day keeps a game a pleasant habit rather than a time sink.
- No ads, no dark patterns, no data harvesting.
- Make something for the people you love first.
Learn from Derek and Josh
- [book] Spelunky (Boss Fight Books)
- [template] Make Games essays
- [community] TIGSource forums
No courses, books or communities listed.
Derek Yu vs Josh Wardle FAQ
Who makes more money, Derek Yu or Josh Wardle?
Neither Derek Yu nor Josh Wardle has publicly reported a revenue figure that IndieMakerList tracks, so it's not public.
Who has built more products, Derek Yu or Josh Wardle?
Derek Yu has 6 products listed (including Spelunky, Spelunky 2 and UFO 50); Josh Wardle has 2 products listed (Wordle and Parseword).
What tech stack do Derek Yu and Josh Wardle use?
Derek Yu uses GameMaker. Josh Wardle hasn't shared a stack. They don't list any tools in common.
Where are Derek Yu and Josh Wardle based?
Derek Yu: Los Angeles, United States. Josh Wardle: New York, United States.
Who has been an indie maker longer, Derek Yu or Josh Wardle?
Derek Yu started in 2002 (24 years indie); Josh Wardle started in 2021 (5 years indie).
Are Derek Yu and Josh Wardle 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 Josh Wardle's profile.
Derek Yu vs Jonathan Blow
Derek Yu vs Justin Stander
Derek Yu vs Tyler Glaiel
Derek Yu vs Brendon Chung
Derek Yu vs Micah McGonigal (mystman12)
Derek Yu vs Riley Testut
Derek Yu vs Adam Lyttle