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How do I make a video game?
I'm Ms. Balint at the International Community School. My 2nd graders have a few questions and I'd like to share your advice with them. Thanks in advance!
#gaming #video-game #video-game #game-design
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Andy’s Answer
Hello Ms. Balint,
Glad to hear that your students are interested in making games at such an early age. There is no one right answer to this question. Many people begin learning about game design by playing traditional games like card games and board games. These games help to provide the basic framework for understanding rules and player interactions. Turn-based games may not be as popular these days as shooting and action games but they can be a good jumping off point. Have your students try to understand all of the rules for a particular game, articulate what the goals are for winning and how players might come up with winning strategies.
To begin exploring programming and design, there are popular games like Minecraft and Roblox that have some tools that not only allow players to play games, but to create scenarios and mechanisms as well. Some other titles include games like Little Big Planet (PS3) and Dreams (PS4) on Playstation platforms.
Once your students have gotten a little older, they can look into learning the basics of programming by creating their own systems using Lego robotics kits (like Mindstorms and Technic), Raspberry Pi for understanding how computers work, and then onto development software like Unity and Unreal Engine. The last two might require a bit more aptitude with programming concepts at the high school and above levels.
Many engines like the Unity and Unreal Engine are free for users unless they make a certain amount of money on games that they create using these engines. At that point certain fees and/or percentages would apply.
Take a deep look at board and card games to understand their rules and goals
Look into games like Minecraft and Roblox to see how other people make games
Try to make some simple games in Minecraft or Roblox
Get some basic understanding of programming and scripting from things like Lego robotics and Raspberry Pi
Get some awareness for the game engines like Unity and Unreal for much later
Glad to hear that your students are interested in making games at such an early age. There is no one right answer to this question. Many people begin learning about game design by playing traditional games like card games and board games. These games help to provide the basic framework for understanding rules and player interactions. Turn-based games may not be as popular these days as shooting and action games but they can be a good jumping off point. Have your students try to understand all of the rules for a particular game, articulate what the goals are for winning and how players might come up with winning strategies.
To begin exploring programming and design, there are popular games like Minecraft and Roblox that have some tools that not only allow players to play games, but to create scenarios and mechanisms as well. Some other titles include games like Little Big Planet (PS3) and Dreams (PS4) on Playstation platforms.
Once your students have gotten a little older, they can look into learning the basics of programming by creating their own systems using Lego robotics kits (like Mindstorms and Technic), Raspberry Pi for understanding how computers work, and then onto development software like Unity and Unreal Engine. The last two might require a bit more aptitude with programming concepts at the high school and above levels.
Many engines like the Unity and Unreal Engine are free for users unless they make a certain amount of money on games that they create using these engines. At that point certain fees and/or percentages would apply.
Andy recommends the following next steps:
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Hassan’s Answer
I'd take a look at the suggestions here https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/14-tools-to-turn-game-obsessed-kids-into-genuine-game-designers and start with creating new levels or worlds in existing games.
There are sites like https://www.commonsense.org/education/top-picks/game-making-tools-for-schools that list options for getting deeper into game design.
There are sites like https://www.commonsense.org/education/top-picks/game-making-tools-for-schools that list options for getting deeper into game design.
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Simeon’s Answer
There are free and accessible coding programs you can download online. I'd recommend checking out game jams like the one hosted by Game Maker's Toolkit on itch.io. He has a very successful Youtube channel and has had record-breaking numbers of participants in his game jams these past years. Game jams are multi-day events where entrants compete to make games that match the theme of the jam. You don't need any prior experience to participate and you'll find people, especially on Discord, who would be excited to point you in the direction of free resources. It helps to have a focused event like this to practice using a skill. It makes it easier to practice the skill and wrap your head around which parts of the coding process are giving you issues.