Starting game development can feel overwhelming, especially if you have no experience. I’m writing this because the hardest part of becoming a game developer is often just getting started. I’ve been there, and I know how confusing it can be. So, I want to share my story and some tips to help you begin your journey into game development.
My Journey into Game Development
I started making games simply because I wanted to. I’ve always loved video games and wanted to recreate the feelings I had playing old Flash games that don’t exist anymore. Right now, I’m working on a game called Feed the Beaver. It’s inspired by an old Roblox game (left without updates for years) and Hollow Knight, one of my all-time favorite games.
When I started, I had no real experience, just a little bit of basic C++. I tried out a few game engines, like Unreal Engine 5 (UE5) and Godot, and eventually found what worked best for me.
Choosing a Game Engine
There’s a lot of debate about which engine to use, but here’s my advice:
- If you’re working solo, Unity or Godot are great choices. They’re both free and very beginner-friendly.
- Unreal Engine 5 is fantastic but better suited for bigger teams or projects.
- Other engines like RPG Maker or GameMaker are also good, but they come with a cost.
I settled on Godot because:
- It’s free with no fees or royalties.
- It’s open-source.
- It has an amazing community.
Godot lets you code in C# or GDscript. If you’re new to programming, I recommend starting with GDscript. This free course will teach you the basics:
Learn GDscript by GDQuest
For more Godot resources, check out GDQuest’s website. Their free and paid courses taught me most of the basics.
Learning to Make Games
Once you’ve picked your engine, the next step is to start making games. Here’s my tip:
- Follow a YouTube tutorial to make a simple game.
- Pause the video whenever you learn something new and try creating something of your own with that knowledge.
- Recreate the tutorial’s project a few times without the video.
This approach will help you understand and memorize the basics. One of the best tutorials I’ve found is by A Dev Named Josh.
For more in-depth mechanics, check out GodotNeers.
Learning Game Design
Knowing how to code isn’t enough—you also need to learn game design.
I recommend watching GDC talks: GDC on YouTube.
These are like TED Talks for game developers, and they’re full of useful advice.
Another great channel is Game Maker’s Toolkit, which offers fantastic lessons on game design.
Marketing Your Game
When you’re ready to market your game, learning from experts is key.
For games on Steam, I highly recommend watching Chris Zukowski. This video is a great start: Watch Chris Zukowski.
Game Art
If you’re making your own art, try to stand out with a unique style.
I chose not to use pixel art because most indie games already rely on it. Instead, I’m going with hand-drawn 2D art.
If you wanna go 2D and wanna follow my approach by using hand-drawn art, I suggest using Krita. It’s free, open source, and amazing. Also, check out Nonsensical 2D for amazing lessons on hand drawn game art and level design on youtube.
If you go with pixel art, I recommend Aseprite. It’s not free, but it has a lot of nice features that are very helpful for pixel art, pixel animations, and tilesets.
General Tips
- Use forums and Reddit to ask for help. If you’re using Godot, the Godot Forums are a fantastic resource.
- Don’t forget about ChatGPT! It’s not perfect, but it can help you learn functions and mechanics you’ve never heard of.
Start Small
Your first game will probably fail, and that’s okay. Failure is part of learning. To avoid getting overwhelmed:
- Start small and recreate simple games with your own twist.
- Avoid complex genres like RPGs, multiplayer, or cross-platform games.
- Focus on learning the basics, like settings, saving, and resolution adjustments.
Need Help?
If you have any questions, feel free to join my Discord server! I’m always online and happy to help when I can.
Good luck, and remember—every great game starts with a single step!
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