I'm in my second year of studying software development, but an accident caused me to miss a lot of classes. Most of my first year focused on pseudocode and presentations, so I'm now relearning the basics on my own while working full time. I'd eventually like to create a story-driven game, probably a simple walking-simulator-style experience involving exploration, collectibles, and clues rather than combat. I've used RPG Maker because it requires less coding, but I'd like to understand programming well enough to move the project to an engine such as Unity, Unreal, or another suitable option. What programming language, game engine, tutorials, or websites would be a good place to start? I want to learn and build it myself without relying on AI.
2 Answers
Don’t worry about jumping straight into a major engine. Start with a tiny text-based adventure in a language such as Python, or whichever language you already know a little. Make the program display a location, accept the player’s choice, and show what happens next. Then add features like inventory, health, objects, and clues. This lets you practice the game logic without getting distracted by graphics or a complicated editor. Once you’re comfortable building small programs, moving to a full engine will be much less overwhelming.
I’d look at Godot before Unity or Unreal. Its scripting language, GDScript, is relatively approachable, and the engine’s official documentation includes a step-by-step beginner tutorial. Follow the tutorial carefully, finish the sample project, and then build it again with your own small changes. Godot exposes more of the programming than tools such as RPG Maker, while still being manageable for a beginner. You can start with a tiny room, movement, interactable objects, and a few clues, then expand gradually.
Thanks for suggesting Godot. I had only recently heard about it, so I’ll read through the official documentation and try its beginner tutorial.
I’m not planning to start with Unity or Unreal immediately. The project would be a simple walking simulator with exploration, pickups, and clues, without combat. Are there any good places to learn programming specifically for games?