What Programming Language Should I Use for My Retro Game Idea?

Learning as you go is a smart move, but keep your expectations realistic. As you gain experience, you'll notice architectural flaws in your early designs and might find yourself restarting the project multiple times. Best case scenario? In a few years, you might complete a playable version of your idea. Stay persistent!

Consider using Godot, Unity, or Unreal Engine to kickstart your project. Each engine has its own programming language, which can make things easier for you. Go ahead and do some reading on each to see what fits best with your vision!

If you don’t have any coding experience, I’d recommend starting with programming before you pick a game engine. The language you end up using will depend on which engine you choose. Personally, I think learning C# and using Unity or Godot would be a solid path. Both can handle your game well!

While game engines can make things easier, it's totally possible to create a game from the ground up using C or C++. If you decide to go that route, understanding how GUI works and learning graphics libraries like Vulkan, OpenGL, or SDL is critical. Also, many games use scripting languages like Lua, so you're not locked into one programming language.

Just throwing Roblox into the mix! It has a lower barrier to entry compared to other engines. I've worked with Unity, Scratch, and Roblox, and I find Roblox to be less visually demanding while still offering a platform to showcase your game.

For your first project, definitely go with Blueprints! C++ can be really powerful, but Blueprints will help you see your concepts take shape much quicker without getting bogged down by complicated syntax. When it comes to scale, it’s more about how you organize everything than the language itself. You can still create big, secret-filled games with just Blueprints, and if performance becomes a problem, you can switch heavy tasks to C++ later on.