Hey, folks! My son (currently 15) is interested in getting into game development. He’s taken a class in Python in school and enjoyed it, but I know Python won’t be enough. I don’t think he’s interested in ever making big, AAA games, but more along the lines of Undertale (which was made in Game Maker Studio) or Bug Fables (Unity).

There are just so many choices and so much content out there that I don’t know where to start. Do you have any suggestions for which language(s) to learn or software (like Game Maker Studio) that you’ve found helpful? Thanks!

  • I’m a professional software dev so my opinion may be a little biased towards generalist skills but I would recommend Unity. It has a huge support community and learning C# is a hugely transferable skill that an engine specific language like Game Maker Language won’t get him.

  • My son got started around 12 or so in Game Maker Studio and it was a pretty easy introduction to game programming. Unity is also a great option, and would be a better choice if he’s interested in 3D games at all. Godot is a great option, too, but with a caveat: It’s conceptually very different from GMS or Unity, and he may find it more difficult to pick up. It’s a very powerful engine, though, for both 2D and 3D, and it’s completely free.

      • to my understanding, C# is sort of a “second class citizen” on godot; There’s a lot of stuff you can’t quite do or is more clunky than using GDScript. But i also havent used godot enough to really weigh in on that (only a couple of small projects).

        That said, while GDScript is very “python-like”, it is definitely not python. If you want to focus on C#, i would definitely echo the unity sentiment over godot.

        All in all, the best way to learn is to just do it. Go out on youtube and find some tutorials, and just hunker down and try!

  • Have a look at the pygame library for python. It’s a great first step for this kind of thing. It has everything he needs to grasp the concepts and start to build some cool stuff. Then move to Godot.

  • Godot is really lightweight and the scripting (gdscript) is similar to python. It can be a bit rough around the edges but is my go to when making small games.

    The documentation is pretty good,but nowhere near as available as something like unity. If I can’t find something in the docs,I’ve been using https://www.phind.com/ to generate a snippet which does a pretty good job of getting me going.

    I’m by no means an expert,but if you have any questions feel free to reach out and I’ll help if I can!

  • I know you have a lot of opinions on this, so I’ll recommend something different: Gamejams. They are a great way to flex that skill, try new things, and be a part of a group all at once. And another tip from another amateur game developer: Use Itch.io for sharing work.

      • Yeah. I make games for gamejams once a year or so and it is always so rewarding to try new things, have a deadline, work with friends, and have almost nothing on the line. Spend a weekend playing around and see what happens. At this point I have a decent portfolio of jam games built up, and each time I learn something new and interesting.

  • I can help a bit with software. I tried Godot a while ago, didn’t personally like it, though I do recommend your son tries it, as it does work with Python and won’t require learning a new language. Also heard it’s beginner friendly. That’s how I started at least.

    Unity is my recommended game engine - it’s more versatile and has quite a community, so it’s easy to find answers to almost any questions your son might have (and trust me, he will have a lot). It does require learning C# though.

    For big AAA games the answer is Unreal. It works on C++. Can say much about it, I haven’t tried it myself, but I did hear it’s has a bit of a steep learning curve. Would recommend this one only if your son becomes very invested and will have made a few games already.

  •  embix   ( @brezelradar@feddit.de ) 
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    2 years ago

    I loaned a colleague’s son my copy of a very introductory Unity book for a school project. Instead of a 2D game (most of the book), they ended up making a 3D version. Now he has an apprenticeship with a game company where they use Unreal.

    Unity has other pros: With a decompiler you can check some of the Unity games you already own and add features you missed. Only for yourself, or in case your friends are curious, maybe release them as mods.