Ask HN: 9-yo son wants to build a game, I'm lost. What can I do? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: 9-yo son wants to build a game, I'm lost. What can I do?

#291

Post by swozey » Thu, Jan 18, 2024, 2:56 PM UTC

Can't contribute much I only write text games (mud engines) but my parents were super uninterested in my interest in computers as a kid in the 90s so it's great you're helping.

I didn't think too much of it back then as a kid but considering I was 8-9 and unknowingly learning how to break into a high paying engineering field and I had to beg them to buy my HTML and Dreamweaver books from B&K just blows my mind. One of those things where you get older and you're kinda like, wtf mom, you wouldn't buy me a $19.99 engineering book? What was I supposed to do, wait another 8 years until I had a job and could buy it myself? Do I need to go mow lawns for a month? Ridiculous. I had to pirate/warez all my software from super sketch russian sites because there was no way they'd buy me Dreamweaver/Netobjects.

Sounded like a lot of money as a kid and they were by no means low income so its just a huge wtf as an adult who knows what $20-30 costs compared to the benefit even with inflation.

I was always just "Playing on the computer."

I didn't know what the actual languages (java etc) meant back then and the internet was awful for learning. I only knew irc, not bbs, and was just making websites etc not knowing how to go further, nobody I knew outside of irc was into computers.

Re: Ask HN: 9-yo son wants to build a game, I'm lost. What can I do?

#292

Post by przemub » Thu, Jan 18, 2024, 2:56 PM UTC

pharmakom wrote: post #136

Wow, you could be describing me at 9. I even did the pages of design drawings all over the place! what worked for me is to start with Game Maker from YoYo Games. You can get started with drag- and-drop GUI blocks, but eventually move to a Basic-like scripting language. You can only make simple games but it is powerful enough for commercial 2D projects. Hotline Miami was made in Game Maker, for example. Do not embark…

Same! I think you could even download a version from around 2010, there still should be tutorials available which I was able to follow at their age.

Re: Ask HN: 9-yo son wants to build a game, I'm lost. What can I do?

#293

Post by mattl » Thu, Jan 18, 2024, 2:57 PM UTC

GolDDranks wrote: post #248

Use Multimedia Fusion or Construct. The former is what I started with, and the latter is a modern iteration of that. Alternatively, Game Maker. If he hasn't been interested in computers before now, don't ruin the momentum, start from quick and easy, then introduce Lua scripting and if he's still interested, consider Unity or Unreal.

Multimedia Fusion is now Clickteam Fusion. They have a free version you can try. I will say though, if you're not running Windows you're going to have a bad time with it. Their "Mac" version is a 32-bit Wine set up running the Windows version and doesn't work at all on anything modern.

Re: Ask HN: 9-yo son wants to build a game, I'm lost. What can I do?

#294

Post by aantix » Thu, Jan 18, 2024, 2:59 PM UTC

GPT with a really high level framework is your friend.

My really young kids and I were about to put out a Roblox “obby” in about four hours asking GPT when we got stuck. Their 3D environment helps as well.

Re: Ask HN: 9-yo son wants to build a game, I'm lost. What can I do?

#295

Post by cptaj » Thu, Jan 18, 2024, 3:03 PM UTC

fn-mote wrote: post #42

Understand that you're not going to finish what you start. Do things that are fun. Keep a notebook of ideas. Talk about plans and what you want do. Spend time with him. Even if almost none if it ever makes it into code, the imagination part will be going wild. Look at what he's really doing. He doesn't want to CODE. He wants to make a game. Like every kid. Emphasize the creative part just like he wants. Do things on…

This is some mountain kung fu master level of advice. Good job, sir

Re: Ask HN: 9-yo son wants to build a game, I'm lost. What can I do?

#296

Post by sebzim4500 » Thu, Jan 18, 2024, 3:03 PM UTC

fn-mote wrote: post #42

Understand that you're not going to finish what you start. Do things that are fun. Keep a notebook of ideas. Talk about plans and what you want do. Spend time with him. Even if almost none if it ever makes it into code, the imagination part will be going wild. Look at what he's really doing. He doesn't want to CODE. He wants to make a game. Like every kid. Emphasize the creative part just like he wants. Do things on…

>YOUR SON DOES NOT WANT TO LEARN TO CODE

You are probably right, but when I was 9 I definitely wanted to learn to code.

Re: Ask HN: 9-yo son wants to build a game, I'm lost. What can I do?

#297

Post by naasking » Thu, Jan 18, 2024, 3:03 PM UTC

You can start with simple physics simulations. Ten Minute Physics channel has some great basic intros:

https://youtu.be/oPuSvdBGrpE?si=3HNjgo-_lruGgAaq

They have tutorials on rigid body physics, fluid sims, etc. so those can all be fun projects to explore the basics with your kid.

Or you can start with a library that provides these and focus on making it interactive or game-like:

https://brm.io/matter-js/

JavaScript in the browser is an easy environment to setup and play with for this kind of thing.

Re: Ask HN: 9-yo son wants to build a game, I'm lost. What can I do?

#298

Post by mtillman » Thu, Jan 18, 2024, 3:06 PM UTC

sebzim4500 wrote: post #296

fn-mote wrote: post #42

Understand that you're not going to finish what you start. Do things that are fun. Keep a notebook of ideas. Talk about plans and what you want do. Spend time with him. Even if almost none if it ever makes it into code, the imagination part will be going wild. Look at what he's really doing. He doesn't want to CODE. He wants to make a game. Like every kid. Emphasize the creative part just like he wants. Do things on…

>YOUR SON DOES NOT WANT TO LEARN TO CODE You are probably right, but when I was 9 I definitely wanted to learn to code.

Kids can build games pretty easily now with Scratch. I’ve several friends whose kids are doing this at that age and a couple are writing scratch in school. It’s pretty easy these days.

Re: Ask HN: 9-yo son wants to build a game, I'm lost. What can I do?

#299

Post by triptych » Thu, Jan 18, 2024, 3:09 PM UTC

I found a site that seems like it would be fun to try to build games in ( outside of Roblox or Minecraft) called Dot Big Bang https://dotbigbang.com/social they have a GUI builder but also coding and it's 3D out of the box.

Re: Ask HN: 9-yo son wants to build a game, I'm lost. What can I do?

#300

Post by startupsfail » Thu, Jan 18, 2024, 3:11 PM UTC

walledstance wrote: post #222

fn-mote wrote: post #42

Understand that you're not going to finish what you start. Do things that are fun. Keep a notebook of ideas. Talk about plans and what you want do. Spend time with him. Even if almost none if it ever makes it into code, the imagination part will be going wild. Look at what he's really doing. He doesn't want to CODE. He wants to make a game. Like every kid. Emphasize the creative part just like he wants. Do things on…

Absolutely this. As a middle school teacher of many years I feel like I have some knowledge on this subject. Almost all children want to spend time with an adult. In my classroom the activity we do together doesn’t matter to my students, besides the attention I give them during the activity. For kids, adults are treasure troves of attention, and they want that attention. Give it to them in positive ways and you will…

Just checking, you also do pay attention to what kids are actually learning and if their skills are improving? Some of the kids want to learn, not just engage in an attention seeking game, feeling important and healthy relationships with adults.