Former India Resident Reaches Financial Success as Germany-Based Games Developer

Indian Game Developer Rebuilds Career After Germany Layoff, Earns Rs 9.5 Lakh a Month

Mumbai-based indie game developer Anul Agarwal has spoken out about his experience of being laid off in Germany 3.5 years ago and rebuilding his career from scratch. Agarwal now earns a substantial income of approximately Rs 9.5 lakh a month through his games, apps, and content created remotely from India.

Agarwal's stint in Germany as a Game Producer ended abruptly 3.5 years ago, which he attributed to "racism + internal mismanagement". Despite the initial excitement of working for a significant opportunity and gaining a valuable learning experience, his experience in Germany ultimately turned sour.

After returning to India, Agarwal decided to focus on building his own products rather than seeking another job overseas. He chose to take a path less traveled and started developing his own games. Since then, he has successfully scaled his independent work into a steady income stream.

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Agarwal credited his growth partly to sharing his work openly online, a strategy often referred to as "building in public". This approach earned him good collaborations and freelance work via LinkedIn. He also attributed his recent efforts on X (formerly Twitter) to his monetization, stating that he started posting actively around six months ago and quickly got monetized, making almost Rs 5 lakh.

Agarwal's games have reportedly reached a scale of over 70 million players globally across his projects. His experiences and success story have drawn largely supportive reactions from users, with many describing his journey as encouraging for independent builders.

Agarwal's comments on work culture abroad were stark, calling Germany "one of the most racist countries" he had encountered. However, these remarks reflect personal experience and could not be independently verified.

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Agarwal's post has sparked a range of reactions, from supportive comments to those framing the layoff as a turning point. Some users highlighted the appeal of independent work, stating that when one is free, they can build whatever they want.