Consulting for Indie & Emerging Game Developers

By Eric (Generaljist)

Hi — I’m Eric. Online, I go by Generaljist.

If you’re wondering what qualifies me to charge for consulting, I’ll keep it simple: Search Eric J. Chou on LinkedIn, or look up Honor Games, Charge!, or Vultures on Steam. My work is easy to find.

Rather than listing everything I can help with, here’s what I don’t do:

• Marketing

• Programming

• Art

• Audio

• Anything that isn’t systems‑driven

• Mental health support (I’m not a therapist)

If your challenge is outside those categories, I can probably help.

What I do help with

• Career direction and positioning

• Systems design and structural clarity

• Macro‑narrative and world coherence

• Leadership (not management — leadership)

• Production clarity and scope alignment

• Team alignment and communication architecture

• Founder‑level decision making

• High‑level problem diagnosis and triage … and anything else that requires deep systems thinking.

Let’s build something that actually works.

Session Structure

To respect everyone’s time, energy, and cognitive load:

• No session exceeds 2 hours.

• Free text‑based advice on Discord (up to 15 minutes).

• Any voice call is billable.

Pricing & Context

I’m based in the San Francisco Bay Area, where consultants at my level typically charge $175–$300/hr.

I’m offering significantly reduced rates for indie and emerging developers because I know the burnout, uncertainty, and emotional weight this industry puts on people.

If you’re not an indie dev, reach out anyway — we can figure out a structure that fits.

For established studios: Send a PDF outlining your pain points and we’ll discuss custom pricing.

Special Rates (June Only)

• Breaking into game dev with no experience? Resume review + PDF game concept pitch: $30

• Resume review only: $20

Payment: Zelle only. (PayPal charges business fees — not interested in that overhead.)

You only pay after the first session, and only if the initial 30‑minute discovery call is a good fit for both of us.

This is founder‑grade insight, available only for June. After June, my availability tightens and my rates increase.

What I Need From You

When you reach out, include:

• Resume / portfolio

• What you need help with

• How long you’ve been doing game dev

• Your time zone

• Relevant links (Steam, itch, website, etc.)

Research Notice

I’m a master’s student at Capitol Technology University, researching how and why game dev teams fail.

By contacting me and scheduling sessions, you consent to:

• AI‑assisted note‑taking (Google Gemini)

• Anonymized data being used for research analysis

  • No personally identifiable information will be stored or published.

If you do not consent to AI note‑taking, I can’t take you on as a client.

Portfolio

https://honorgames.co/

Final Note

At the end of our consulting relationship, I’ll provide a free summary report synthesizing:

• What we covered

• What we solved

• What you can carry forward

This report is also anonymized for research purposes.

If you have questions or concerns, reach out. I’m excited to work with you.

— Eric‍ ‍ericjchou@outlook.com