Ready Player React: How to Build a Video Game With JavaScript — Part 1
This four-part series is your step-by-step guide for developing a video game using the JavaScript React library. We’ll cover the entire process of creating a game, including project planning, wireframing and design, coding, testing, and deployment.
This project is designed for both brand-new and experienced devs, covering every aspect of game development from the initial idea to the final launch. Our goal is to showcase how React’s features can be effectively applied to build dynamic and engaging gaming experiences. As we progress, we’ll face many of the challenges encountered in game development and learn how to use our skills to overcome them.
If you’re ready to jump in, hit that “Start” button, and let’s go!
Getting Started
Until recently, I hadn’t thought about React as a platform for creating games. It’s widely known for building interactive websites and apps — some of which may include simple games or game-like experiences but JavaScript is certainly not the first language people reach for in the gaming community.
Traditional game development has leaned towards engines like Unity or C++ known for their ability to handle complex graphics and interactivity. However, I recently stumbled across a hackathon called “React Jam” that encourages developers to use React as a game development solution instead. They highlight React’s component-based architecture which offers unique advantages, like state management, and a closed feedback loop for testing as a viable approach for building games. Having React at the helm opens up a whole new world of possibilities for creating lighter, easy-to-use, and most of all FUN to program video games!
Phase 1: Planning
The process of creating a video game entirely from scratch can feel overwhelming. (Especially if you choose to do it all in less than two weeks!) There are lots of moving parts to consider like art style, gaming mechanics, asset management, storage constraints, device compatibility and so much more! That’s why it’s important to start with a detailed plan.
To overcome this hurdle, I created a ‘React Game Guide GPT’ trained on the latest React docs and game development best practices. You can try it here (requires ChatGPT Plus): React Game Guide
You can also reference the docs directly if you prefer. Regardless of your approach, the goal is to create a structured and detailed plan for each step in your development process. “Thinking in React” is a great refresher!
Next, it’s time to choose a project management system. I decided to use a Trello board. This system provides a visual overview that organizes complex tasks into actionable items and tracks progress along the way. Here’s the finished board for my game: Vibe Check — Trello
Game Concept
The next step in this phase is arguably the most important — deciding on a game concept and hook. Ask yourself these questions:
- Who is your target audience?
- What makes your game unique?
- How does your game keep the player engaged?
The hook of your game is what grabs the player’s attention right from the start. It could be a compelling story, an interesting gameplay mechanic, or a distinctive art style. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s something that players will want to revisit over and over again.
It’s important to spend a large percentage of your project time focused on this step. There’s no point in moving forward with the rest of the phases if you don’t have a solid plan for exactly how your game will look and feel. Once you’ve brainstormed ideas for a game concept, it’s time to start thinking about the game loop.
Game Loop
Mapping out the game loop is crucial to understanding the flow and player interactions of your game. At its core, a game loop is the continuous cycle of events that keeps the game running. This loop typically starts when the game is launched and repeats until the game is closed. It consists of three primary stages: processing user input, updating the game state, and rendering the game visuals on the screen.
Tech Stack
Choosing the right tech stack is a crucial decision that will impact both the development process and the final quality of your game. It’s important to select a stack that’s not only within your area of expertise but also powerful enough to meet the demands of your game. Sticking with technologies you’re already familiar with allows for a smoother development process, and reduces the potential for unforeseen “gotchas!” I decided to use Figma and Tailwind to fast-track the design portion while introducing test-driven development (TDD) using Jest and a Storybook UI component library to my workflow.
Pro Tip: I made a huge mistake here and decided to try too many new things at once which slowed me down a lot! Don’t make the same mistake.
Version Control
Initializing your project repository and implementing version control are the next steps to take. This is the perfect time to establish a “Git flow” routine if you don’t already have one. Using a structured naming convention for code comments and commit messages is necessary to build consistency and readability. Trust me when I say you’ll thank yourself later when you revisit this project and actually know what those variable names mean! I’ve started using the Angular team’s system after learning about this resource: Conventional Commits
Project Layout & Structure
Next up is planning the layout and file folder system for the project. This is when you plan out how different components of the game will interact and work together.
A Game Design Document (GDD) can be created to outline the game’s design, scoring system, and mechanics allowing for a single point of truth for any game rules or physics. You should also create a storyboard to serve as a visual representation for each game screen along with keeping a consistent style and aesthetic.
This step also includes wireframing and blueprinting the game’s interface and project folders. Mark up these documents to outline and organize what each screen of the game will look like and contain.
I’m sure you’re itching to start coding already — I was too, but I can’t stress enough how much this planning helped me to stay focused when I felt lost, or unsure of what to do next.
With a solid foundation in place, we’re ready to move on to the next phase of this project “Building”. Make sure you’re fully committed to a game concept and loop with the appropriate tech stack and project structure in place before moving on to the next steps.
Don’t miss out on the next chapter of “Ready Player React: How to Build a Video Game with JavaScript” by subscribing to this blog and following me on social media. Next up, we’ll start bringing our video game to life by setting up the development environment, laying out the structure of components, and introducing the game logic — as we continue on this journey to level up your game development skills!
