21–30 of 258 posts
I've re-written the game several times over the years - always a pleasure.
Current iteration: https://github.com/whyboris/Gravity-Wars
I'm going through a similar phase myself spurred on by the pandemic (games are, after all, why I started programming in the first place).
I'm continuously amazed by how complex even simple games can be, especially if you're not using one of the big game engines. It's incredibly easy to get sidetracked or over-engineer a certain aspect. It's made me realize just how tough shipping a game - so congratulations on that. It's a huge feat.
My son wants to learn how to make games but I have no game development experience. What path did you take to start learning game development?
- Try a bunch of free engines and platforms. Depending on your son's age, this might mean starting with something like Scratch. I've played around with it myself and it's fun. It at least gives you a feel for game logic and how a game loop should feel.
- GDevelop has come a long way. My son prefers it when he's just doodling around.
- My husband prefers GameMaker Studio 2. But it's a paid program and the export modules (mobile, console, html5) are extra expenses that can add up. Also, GML is a nightmare (just my opinion).
- I use Godot Engine. It's free, lightweight, GDScript is Python-like so pretty easy to get a handle on. It's perfect for 2D development. And the teaching community is very rich.
- There's really no "x is better than y" as far as game engines, IMO...all depends on what you're trying to do and how far you are in expertise/experience. And it also comes down to what engine feels right to you.
- Start with 2D, cannot stress this enough. Make as simple a game as possible when you're starting. This also means staying away from Unity and Unreal because both are simply too much engine for a beginner.
- At some point, you're gonna have to learn how to code for real. Don't have to be a wiz...just enough to be competent.
- Be a generalist, if possible. Depending on what you want to do and/or whether you have collaborators or not...you might also need to have basic art skills. I'm a graphic designer by trade so this wasn't an issue. But I had to learn Blender because I wanted to incorporate 3D art in my games. My husband learned how to make music. I also learned video editing so I could make good trailers. Etc, etc.
- Love games. All kinds of games. I think this should've been first.
- I hope that helps.
My son wants to learn how to make games but I have no game development experience. What path did you take to start learning game development?
Great work! Reminds me of Gravity Wars - the game that got me into some "hardcore" coding with Visual C++ (using a book from the library). I've re-written the game several times over the years - always a pleasure. Current iteration: https://github.com/whyboris/Gravity-Wars
Earlier quoted context omitted.
You know, we've considered it and we've been approached by a couple of publishers in the "hyper casual" space to go the route of free-but-with-IAPs. First the terms of industry-standard contracts are onerous. And second...well, I personally love casual games. And I never minded paying a reasonable amount for games I play. And then there are games like Two Dots that I really, really liked but the endless monetization…
Congrats on the release! I can only say anecdotally from my own experience, but the games we had listed for a price got 1% or less of the downloads of the same game after we made it free. People complain about free with IAP, but the $ shows otherwise.
Here, take my Google Survey money. Best of luck!
Thank you for both the inspiration and distraction! As a fellow-traveler (similar age, similar situation), I completely empathize with the struggle needed to accomplish something like this. Bought! Also: great set of credits including the tutorials and such, and waves to fellow Canadians