GeneralJist said:

Most of us need money to survive, and where we used to have free time and disposable income to follow our dreams , It's increasingly difficult to hang on and do this kind of work, as the economy gets worse and worse.

On the plus side, if you lose your job due to the bad economy, you'll have extra time to work on games. :-)

Historically, games and other entertainment thrive during recessions. People have more time on their hands and are looking for distraction from difficulties. The best position is a fresh release at the start of the depression, second best is to release mid-slump.

Often studios pick up bigger contracts during recessions as people feel the pressure and want more than they otherwise would.

As for working, right now is still a great time to shop for new employment if you are not satisfied. Wages are still rising rapidly and stories abound of 30%, 50%, and even larger raises from past work, some with hiring bonuses too. There is little need to work on an unpaid volunteer project when employers are searching everywhere for additional workers.

i get disability from the military and my wife has a good job. That's how I afford to be an indie dev.

My first game earned minimum wage for the time spent on it. Presumably the next does better ?. I think if it was necessary for my games to sell in order to pay rent, I'd want to quit game dev real fast and get a real job.

People were closed to their homes for a year due to coof. I don't think they wish to sit in front of their computers that much in the next few years. Especially with the increasing energy prices - and possibly unstabilizing power lines in the winter (at least in the eu).