I've been coding in VB.NET for over 20 years, focusing mainly on creating tools and utilities. Now, I'm feeling inspired by my childhood love for games and want to try making one just for fun. My previous experiences include playing around with ZZT and a college project where we cloned the Atari game "MegaMania," which was quite challenging. Since then, I've steered clear of game development. With so many game engines available today, even non-coders are creating games quickly. What steps or tools would you recommend for someone like me to begin dabbling in game development?
4 Answers
Instead of diving straight into making a full game, consider starting with a small project that feels fun. Try creating a simple toy, like a character that jumps or a mini Breakout game. Godot is a fantastic engine for beginners without overwhelming setup, and if you're looking for simplicity, PICO-8 or Love2D could be great because they help keep your projects manageable. The key is to avoid getting stuck in tutorial hell and focus on building something that feels good to play.
Unity and Godot are both really popular among indie developers. Given your coding background, picking up their languages shouldn't be too tough. If you want something simpler, PICO-8 is a fun option with restrictions that challenge creativity.
Since you’re already familiar with C#, Unity 3D is a great option for you. It uses C# for coding, and there are tons of resources to help you get started.
You might want to check out GameMaker, which is free for personal use. They have premade game templates that make it easy to start messing around with.
Totally agree! Starting small lets you explore game feel without getting lost in complexity.