More resources and tools than ever are available to independent game developers. This makes it feasible for independent game creators to design games that weren’t even thought of a decade ago, but it may also make it incredibly difficult to get started.
We’ll explain the procedure that has worked for indie developers and that can get you started in the correct direction. Additionally, we’ll discuss how to select the appropriate library or framework and what factors are most important for a novice game developer.
Start with a relatively small idea
The games they enjoy playing serve as inspiration for new game developers frequently. And if you enjoy games like GTA5 or Assassin’s Creed ,you might want to start working on a project like that right away.
Unfortunately, you’re not ready for something that substantial. A challenging skill that improves with practice is game development. It’s similar to learning the piano in that you have to start with simple, easy songs before moving on to harder compositions.
The simplest method to get started studying game development is to choose a straightforward concept or genre and distill it down to the essential elements that make a game playable. Would you consider creating a platformer? Without adversaries, complicated physics, or shifting platforms, you can definitely manage. At the heart, all you need is simple player movement, the ability to jump, and a win condition.
The best way to get started is to create easy games like this one. Additionally, finishing a game, no matter how simple, will keep you inspired to keep studying.
Always use an Engine or a Framework
Choosing the engine, framework, or library you want to utilize is the next step.
- The majority of the built-in functionality and graphical user interfaces are often found in game engines (such as Unity or Unreal).
- Frameworks and libraries are typically made up entirely of code written in already popular computer languages (Like PyGame for Python game dev). They offer every feature you require to build your game and produce content that appears on the screen, but they demand a lot more setup. Additionally, they frequently lack some of the sophisticated elements necessary for more mature games as your game develops (which game engines provide). Anyway, because they are lighter, they frequently provide you greater freedom to organize your game’s code however you like.
Create a Prototype
It’s time to start genuinely developing now. Your objective is to develop a minimally viable product (MVP). Remove all the components that aren’t essential to your primary mechanic or concept. Use a plain square sprite for everything for now and don’t even care about art or music or something equally basic.
This not only assists in limiting the scope of your game but also offers invaluable practice in understanding how to make games enjoyable. The pleasure of your platformer depends on how well your movement and jumping mechanics seem if all you can do in it is move about and jump. Changing a jump’s height or a character’s speed can drastically alter how the game feels.
Your game’s basic mechanics will always have the greatest impact on how enjoyable it is. Bad fundamental mechanics cannot be overcome by a huge game with extremely cool features. You may quickly experiment with your mechanics and learn how to tweak them to have the best feel possible by starting small with a straightforward prototype.
Use & Reuse Assets
The next stage is to incorporate sound and art into your game. If you’re interested in making your own, you can surely try it. However, it works best for most people to locate free resources online. The materials available on websites like itch.io and OpenGameArt are plentiful. It’s a good idea to understand how to find placeholder graphics and sounds online because the majority of the games you create will contain prototype or temporary assets in their early editions.
Play around with various audio and visual effects. You’ll observe that including real assets—particularly sounds—can significantly alter how your game feels.
Finish/Polish the First Version before Re-iterating
You have a tiny game with sound, pleasing graphics, and solid, straightforward mechanics. Now, it genuinely begins to resemble a game! The final stage in creating your first finished game and the most crucial step at this point is to implement a complete game loop that includes winning, losing, restarting and a complete menu.
Finishing your game is the most beneficial thing you can do to improve as a game developer. Finishing a game implies that the entire game, no matter how minor, is there. You can play it again if you change your mind after winning or losing.
Only after this, you can start re-iterating and implementing newer more complex versions.