Everyone loved playing games when they were a child, and some of you became interested in how the games were made. If that’s your case, this is the perfect guide for you.
Making games isn’t easy. There are a lot of aspects of game development that you’ll need to learn to make great games, especially if you’re going solo. You will need to learn how to code, use game engines and how to make your art and music.
How to make games
For beginners, it is best to use a game engine. There are a lot of them to choose from. Some of the best are:
- Godot
- Unity
- Unreal Engine
- GDevelop
- Game Maker
I would recommend using Godot, especially if you are starting. It uses a language specialised for making games. It is called GDScript, and it is similar to Python. Another plus is that it is free and open-source. You can use other engines too, but you will need to learn some programming languages.
If you have some experience in coding and don’t want to use a game engine, that’s okay because you can make a game from scratch. For example, if you know Python, you can make a game using its Pygame library. It is a lot harder this way, but I would advise every game developer to try it, as it can help with your coding.
Making a game
Everyone has their dream game idea that they think will be easy to make. But in reality, it won’t. You’re supposed to make bad games at the start. It is best to start small. If you don’t know which genre to pick, then it’s best to try and recreate a classic game by yourself, like pong, flappy bird, etc. Whatever you make, even if you don’t finish, it’s still a learning experience.
Making art
If you want your game to stand out, you will need good artwork. Your art won’t be that good at the start, but we all start somewhere. It is essential you stay consistent so that you become good at it. There are a lot of courses teaching pixel art or 3D art that can help you.
You don’t necessarily need to spend money on art software. There are lots of free ones as well. For example:
- 2D — LibreSprite, Piskel, GIMP
- 3D — Blender
When making games, it is better to make a prototype first and then the art. That is because you can test your game and see if it is fun before spending a lot of time making art.
Making music
Your game will also need some music and sound effects. Making audio might be the hardest thing for some of you. So here is the best free software to help you with that:
- Music — LMMS, Bosca Ceoil
- Sound effects — Audacity, Bfxr, LabChirp
Now that you’re all set, you can start developing games. Make as many projects as possible. They will help you learn. You can also make your portfolio with them, which will help you in your future as a game developer.
With hard work and dedication, anything is possible. Good luck!
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Thank you so much for reading! If you liked the article, leave a comment and follow me on twitter. I will be publishing more articles about game development. Until then check my games out on Itch.
