I graduated with a computer science degree focused on game development, but I have almost no real-world experience and an empty portfolio. Most of my programming has been for assigned projects, so I struggle to come up with ideas or motivate myself to build something independently. I've studied several general-purpose languages and am especially interested in less common ones such as Lisp, Odin, and Haskell, although JavaScript has never clicked for me. I'd like to start making projects for fun and eventually have something to show for my work. What would be a good way to get started?
4 Answers
First decide whether your main goal is employment or enjoyment. If it’s employment, game development can be a difficult and unstable path, so expect a long process. If it’s for fun, focus on making the process enjoyable enough to keep returning to. Books and tutorials can provide structure, and AI can act as a tutor if you use it for explanations, exercises, and quizzes rather than letting it write the whole project. Start with guided practice, then gradually take on standalone exercises.
Don’t wait for a brilliant original idea. Make tiny versions of familiar games such as Pong, Snake, Tetris, Flappy Bird, or Minesweeper. Keep the first version extremely small, then add one feature at a time. Completing several modest projects is more useful than planning one ambitious project that never gets finished.
Try a structured course such as Racket’s “How to Design Programs.” It gives you a method for breaking down problems instead of leaving you staring at a blank editor. “Realm of Racket” is another good option because it teaches through small games. You could also use Processing for graphics projects. For the creativity problem, clone something simple—Pong, Snake, or a basic puzzle game—and rebuild it from scratch. It doesn’t need to be original; finishing small projects will help ideas come more naturally.
If game development is what interests you, choose one small game and build the simplest playable version you can. JavaScript itself is useful beyond browser interfaces, but you don’t have to force it into your first project. Pick a language and framework that make experimentation pleasant, set a narrow goal, and focus on shipping something playable.
The hardest part for me is finding a reason to sit down and start. I can follow books and documentation, but I rarely get that spontaneous feeling of having something I want to build just for its own sake.