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/micah-mcgonigal
Derek Yu vs Micah McGonigal (mystman12)
Products, revenue & stack compared side by side.
Indie game designer behind Spelunky, Spelunky 2 and UFO 50, founder of Mossmouth
@mossmouth United States
Derek Yu vs Micah McGonigal (mystman12) at a glance
Both Derek Yu and Micah McGonigal (mystman12) are bootstrapped. They overlap in Indie Game Makers. Derek is based in Los Angeles, United States, Micah in United States. Derek started in 2002 and Micah in 2018. Derek Yu has 6 products listed on IndieMakerList vs Micah McGonigal (mystman12)'s 3. On X, Derek has about 59K followers and Micah about 41K.
Side-by-side comparison
- Based in
- Derek Yu: Los Angeles, United States
- Micah McGonigal (mystman12): United States
- Started
- Derek Yu: 2002 (24 yrs indie)
- Micah McGonigal (mystman12): 2018 (8 yrs indie)
- Revenue (self-reported)
- Derek Yu: Not public
- Micah McGonigal (mystman12): Not public
- Products listed
- Derek Yu: 6
- Micah McGonigal (mystman12): 3
- Product status
- Derek Yu: 6 active
- Micah McGonigal (mystman12): 3 active
- X followers
- Derek Yu: 59K
- Micah McGonigal (mystman12): 41K
- Style
- Derek Yu: bootstrapped
- Micah McGonigal (mystman12): solobootstrapped
- Courses & resources
- Derek Yu: 3
- Micah McGonigal (mystman12): —
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.
Baldi's Basics in Education and Learning
basicallygames.com
Free horror parody of 90s educational games where a math teacher chases the player.
5M+ downloads
Baldi's Basics Plus
store.steampowered.com
Expanded, procedurally generated version of Baldi's Basics in Steam early access.
Baldi's Basics Classic Remastered
store.steampowered.com
Remastered compilation of the original Baldi's Basics games.
Tech stack
No tools in common in their publicly listed stacks. See the indie maker tech stack.
GameMaker
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.
- A game jam entry can become a career.
- Lean into a strong, weird aesthetic.
- Keep updating a game with community support.
Learn from Derek and Micah
- [book] Spelunky (Boss Fight Books)
- [template] Make Games essays
- [community] TIGSource forums
No courses, books or communities listed.
Derek Yu vs Micah McGonigal (mystman12) FAQ
Who makes more money, Derek Yu or Micah McGonigal (mystman12)?
Neither Derek Yu nor Micah McGonigal (mystman12) has publicly reported a revenue figure that IndieMakerList tracks, so it's not public.
Who has built more products, Derek Yu or Micah McGonigal (mystman12)?
Derek Yu has 6 products listed (including Spelunky, Spelunky 2 and UFO 50); Micah McGonigal (mystman12) has 3 products listed (Baldi's Basics in Education and Learning, Baldi's Basics Plus and Baldi's Basics Classic Remastered).
What tech stack do Derek Yu and Micah McGonigal (mystman12) use?
Derek Yu uses GameMaker. Micah McGonigal (mystman12) uses Unity. They don't list any tools in common.
Where are Derek Yu and Micah McGonigal (mystman12) based?
Derek Yu: Los Angeles, United States. Micah McGonigal (mystman12): United States.
Who has been an indie maker longer, Derek Yu or Micah McGonigal (mystman12)?
Derek Yu started in 2002 (24 years indie); Micah McGonigal (mystman12) started in 2018 (8 years indie).
Are Derek Yu and Micah McGonigal (mystman12) 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 Micah McGonigal (mystman12)'s profile.
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