Hey there! Have you ever thought about making your own video game? It might seem tricky, but it’s actually easier than you think. Today, I’m going to show you how to get started with game development using a tool called GDevelop. Plus, we’ll have some fun by creating a duck-themed game together!
First things first, let’s talk about game engines. A game engine is the software you use to create your game. There are many different game engines out there, like Godot and Unreal, which can handle both 2D and 3D games. For our project, we’ll use GDevelop. It’s perfect for beginners because it’s fast, easy to use, and best of all, it’s free and open-source!
Before you dive into making a game, you need a concept. This is the idea or theme of your game. It’s important to start with something simple, especially if you’re new to game development. You could create a classic arcade-style game like Pong or Flappy Bird. For our game, we’re going to help a duck find a key to unlock a door, while avoiding spikes and pits. Sounds fun, right?
Once you have your concept, it’s time to create the artwork. You can use tools like Pixel Edit or Piskel, which is built into GDevelop, to make pixel art. Don’t worry if you’re not an artist; everyone starts somewhere. You can also find free art assets online if you prefer. For our game, I sketched some ideas and then turned them into pixel art. Now our duck is ready for action!
Now comes the part that might seem scary—programming. But don’t worry, GDevelop makes it easy with its visual scripting language. Instead of writing code, you use a visual interface to set up the logic of your game. Think of it like this: if you flip a light switch (condition), the light turns on (action). In our game, pressing the space bar makes the duck jump. Simple, right?
By playing around with conditions and actions, you can control what happens in your game. For example, our duck needs a solid surface to walk on, so we create a platform object for it. We also add a key that increases a variable when collected, and a door that opens when you have enough keys. Add some spikes for a challenge, and voilà, our game is coming together!
Our duck game is simple, but that’s perfect for a first project. Once you understand the basics, you can expand your game by adding more levels, characters, or even a storyline. The possibilities are endless, and you can use what you’ve learned to create any game you want in the future.
So, was our duck game epic? Maybe not, but it was a great learning experience. Remember, the key is to start small and learn as you go. You can always add more features later. If you want to try out our duck game or use it as a template, head over to GDevelop.io. I’d love to see what you create!
If you have any questions about getting started with game development or using GDevelop, feel free to ask. I’m here to help. Thanks for joining me on this game development adventure, and I can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Research different game engines like GDevelop, Godot, and Unreal. Create a comparison chart highlighting their features, ease of use, and types of games they are best suited for. Share your findings with the class and discuss which engine you would choose for your first game and why.
Think of a simple game concept, similar to the duck-themed game. Write a short description of your game idea, including the main character, objective, and any obstacles. Present your concept to a partner and get feedback on how to make it more engaging.
Use a tool like Piskel to create a simple sprite for your game character. Start with a basic design and experiment with colors and shapes. Once you’re satisfied, share your artwork with the class and explain your design choices.
Using GDevelop, set up a basic game scene where a character can move left and right. Add a condition that makes the character jump when you press a key. Test your setup and troubleshoot any issues. Share your experience and any challenges you faced with the class.
Think of one new feature or level you could add to your game. Plan how you would implement it using GDevelop’s visual scripting. Create a flowchart to outline the logic and share it with a classmate for feedback. Discuss how this addition could enhance the player’s experience.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Alright, so I was challenged to make a game in GDevelop, not just by you all but actually from the creators themselves. I don’t just want to make a game; I also want to answer a question that I get a lot from you, and that’s how to get started with game development. It’s actually a lot easier than you might think.
So, where do you start and what software do you use? Well, today I’m going to be making a game while teaching you how to get started making games. But we’re not just going to make any old game; we’re going to make a duck game. So let’s get started!
Let’s start with the very basics. For those of you who are completely new to game development, you may not even know what a game engine is. It’s actually pretty simple—it’s the software you use to create your game. There are all sorts of game engines out there, ranging from Godot to Unreal, from 2D to 3D. Each has its own unique strengths, but today I’m going to be using GDevelop because it’s incredibly fast and easy to use, especially for beginners. Not to mention, it’s open-source and free, which is fantastic!
Aside from the game engine, the only other software I’ll be using is Pixel Edit for making pixel art, but honestly, you can just use Piskel, which is built into GDevelop, so you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.
Alright, so we have our game engine mentioned, but what else do we need to make a game? Well, we need a concept. Your game’s concept is probably the most important part because it literally decides what you’re going to be doing and what the genre of your game is. I think this is where a lot of beginners can get stuck because they don’t know where to start or they want to create something overly ambitious.
Now, I’m all for making big games, but when you’re first starting out, you need to keep your expectations realistic. Try to make something simple, or you can even create an arcade-style game like Pong or Asteroids, or even Flappy Bird. Since I was challenged by the creators of GDevelop to create something epic, the only thing cool enough to fit the bill—pun intended—are ducks.
So here’s my game concept: there’s a duck, and he needs to unlock a door using a key to escape this room. But we’re not going to make it easy for the duck; we’re going to put some spikes in the way and some pits, and the duck’s going to get a little mad sometimes. And that’s it—that’s the game!
So we have our game engine and our concept. It’s time for us to get started actually making the game. The first thing I like to do is create the artwork. Especially with smaller games, by making all your artwork first, it makes you less likely to add new things and have scope creep. Plus, you already have one part of your game finished without even programming yet.
In the future, you probably should prototype your game first before making the art, but I think when you’re just learning or if you’re copying a game like Pong or Asteroids, it’s fine to make the artwork first because you know what to expect.
Also, I know some of you may not enjoy making art or may feel insecure about your work. Don’t be! We all have to start somewhere, and it’s a great feeling when you play a game with artwork that you actually made.
With that said, if you’re not interested in the art side of game development, you can always download some free assets linked in the description. Normally, I would just jump into making pixel art, but this time I decided to sketch out some ideas first. After that, I took the sketches I liked the most and remade them in pixel art.
Now our duck is ready, and it’s time for us to put everything together in what I like to call the programming phase. I think this is the part that people are most afraid of, but it’s surprisingly simple. One of the reasons I’m using GDevelop is that it uses a visual scripting language. Instead of typing out code, you use a visual representation to do the programming logic.
What’s great about it is that beginners don’t have to worry about learning syntax and can focus on the actual logic part of programming. A lot of people think that programming is just math, but while math is a part of programming, it’s not the whole picture. Programming comes down to conditions and actions.
For example, think about a condition as flipping on a light switch—what’s the action? The light turns on. In my game, when I press the space bar, that’s the condition, and the action is jumping. Simple enough, right?
By playing around with these conditions and actions, you can manipulate the character to do what you want it to do. The great thing is that I’m making a platformer, and I don’t even need to do much. I just need to attach the platforming behavior to my sprite.
So I have a duck, but he’s going to follow the map if I don’t give him a solid surface. I just make another object, my tile in this case, and give it a platform behavior so it doesn’t fall outside of it. It’s a solid object that the duck can walk on.
Now it’s just a matter of going through each object I want in the game and programming it. I make a key and a key variable, and when you walk into the key, your variable goes up by one. Boom! Beautiful key system. Then I add a door that checks how many keys you have and opens accordingly. I add some spikes, put in the artwork, and wow, we already have most of the game figured out.
I know this may look like an incredibly simple game, and that’s because it is. And that’s what it should be for your first game. The amazing part is that if I want to expand upon this more, I can. I can add more levels, more objects, more characters, storylines, RPG elements—you can add whatever you want. This is just the base, and if you understand the basics of how to create a game, then you can really make any game you want in any engine.
Now, was I successful in creating an epic duck game? No, I actually wasn’t. But I hope this helped demystify the process of game development a little bit more. Of course, there are things like sound and music that you want to add, and there are all sorts of different aspects of game development, but this is the very bare bones of how to get started.
Create something basic; it doesn’t even matter if you don’t finish it because you’re still learning from it. For those of you who want to see more of this duck game or play around with it, you can actually go over to GDevelop.io and use it as a template. I would love to see what you create!
If you have any questions about getting started with game development or any GDevelop questions, let me know in the comments. I would love to help out. I also want to give a huge shoutout to my Patreon supporters—these videos wouldn’t be possible without you.
Thank you so much for watching the video, especially to the end, and I’ll see you next time for another game development adventure!
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Let me know if you need any further modifications!
Game – A structured form of play, often undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool, especially in the context of computer software. – Example sentence: “Creating a video game requires a good understanding of both programming and design.”
Development – The process of creating, designing, and programming software applications, including games. – Example sentence: “Game development involves multiple stages, from concept to final release.”
Engine – A software framework used to build and develop video games, providing necessary tools and features. – Example sentence: “The Unity engine is popular among developers for creating both 2D and 3D games.”
GDevelop – An open-source, cross-platform game development software designed for creating games without programming knowledge. – Example sentence: “Using GDevelop, even beginners can create simple games with its drag-and-drop interface.”
Programming – The process of writing instructions for a computer to perform specific tasks, often using languages like Python or JavaScript. – Example sentence: “Learning programming is essential for anyone interested in developing their own software or games.”
Art – The visual elements of a game, including characters, environments, and textures, created to enhance the gaming experience. – Example sentence: “The art in the game was stunning, with beautifully designed characters and landscapes.”
Concept – An initial idea or plan for a game, outlining the basic gameplay, story, and mechanics. – Example sentence: “Before starting development, the team spent weeks refining the game concept.”
Visual – Related to the graphical elements of a game, including the user interface and overall aesthetic. – Example sentence: “The game’s visual style was inspired by classic cartoons, giving it a unique look.”
Coding – The act of writing code to create software programs, including games, using programming languages. – Example sentence: “She spent the afternoon coding a new feature for her game project.”
Assets – Resources used in a game, such as images, sounds, and animations, that contribute to the overall experience. – Example sentence: “The developer downloaded free assets to use in their indie game project.”
