If you’re particularly tech-savvy, you might’ve wondered if making your own video game is possible. Maybe you’re so skilled that you’ve played a game only to think, “Wow, an entire team at Ubisoft made this? I could too.” Or maybe you’ve just been curious about your abilities and want to challenge yourself just like Concerned Ape, the one-man development team behind Stardew Valley.
But before we get your hopes up, let’s emphasize that making a video game isn’t easy. And ironically, it’s not all fun and games either. It requires extensive programming and scripting knowledge, basic sound design skills, a grasp of game design, the ability to animate, and possibly some support to fill any skill gaps.
Still confident you’ve got the skills and guts to take on such a massive project? If you’re all in for the sake of gaming, read on for our beginner’s guide to making your own video game.
Step 1: Learning How Game Design Works
No matter how well-versed you are in the back end, learning the ins and outs of game design is a whole new beast in itself. Without knowledge of it, you won’t know how to structure your game or keep a player hooked—even if you consider yourself a true gamer. There are many elements of game design, such as world-building, level design, gameplay mechanics, and characteristics that shape player experiences, like difficulty curves and game loops.
Sparked your curiosity? Learning game design doesn’t necessarily mean reading game design books, although those are helpful. It could involve watching YouTube videos, prototyping, or even playing a whole lot of games with a critical eye.
Step 2: Selecting a Game Engine
Once you feel like you’re ready, you can go ahead and select a game engine, which is the software that your game will run on. This platform will provide all the tools you need to render, create, and run your game, but the choice really depends on your skill level, the features it comes with, the programming languages it uses, and the nature of your game in general. Therefore, it’s a good idea to make sure you study the types of games you want to emulate so that you know what features, elements, and technical capabilities will be needed. If you plan on making a retro-style point-and-click adventure game, these games will inspire you. Similarly, here are some ideas for budding online casino developers.
Step 3: Studying Programming Languages
Got a firm grasp of game design topics? Great—now it’s time to brush up on your programming languages. It’s the foundation of just about everything you’ll do during the creation process, which means you’ll want to study how to write clean and efficient code. It might seem counterintuitive to choose a game engine before studying programming languages, but the reason is that different engines rely on different ones. Unity uses C#, for example, while Python is preferred for simple 2D games. Tip: Codecademy and game development communities like Stack Overflow will give you a head start.
Step 4: Designing a Game Concept
Equipped with the fundamentals, it’s time to get creative. The best video game concepts are based on a defined vision, something you’re passionate about bringing to the gaming world.
At this point, you’re taking everything you’ve learned from your own gaming experiences, what you discovered in step one, and your own creativity to create a concept people will love and be interested in. Think about your visual style (Pixel art? Hyperrealism?), your characters, the setting (Historical? Futuristic?), your gameplay, and, of course, your target audience.
Step 5: Development Begins
This is the fun part—the actual development itself! This step is likely to be the longest, taking anywhere from a few weeks or several months to as long as many years as you create individual assets, code, and toy with the user interface. To put it in perspective, solo developer ConcernedApe, who we mentioned at the start, took over four and a half years to develop Stardew Valley, working 10 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, developing a super basic game likely won’t require such a demanding and extensive development process.
Step 6: Refining the Look and Feel
After you’ve developed the core functions and aesthetics of the game, there are countless little details to consider. You might look deeper into the gameplay and consider your audience’s skill level or how they’ll take to the navigation menus. Perhaps you’ve neglected the sound effects and background music. Or maybe you want to make the art style more consistent across the board. We’ve all seen how a clunky and unrefined game can disappoint the community, and you won’t want that reputation on your hands.
Step 7: Publishing
Until you release your game to the public, it’s nothing more than a fun personal project. However, the publishing process can be intimidating. Where and how do you release it? Does it need to be approved? Who approves it? The number of questions you probably have at this point is endless. The first course of action is to decide where you’re releasing your game. Will it be available on PC, consoles, mobile, or a combination of platforms? Then, you’ll want to create marketing materials and develop a press kit to generate interest among streamers and established game media.
Only then can you truly be ready to submit your game for approval. Most platforms will have strict approval processes, which is why it may take a few days or several weeks to get fully approved. Take this time to check for any issues or bugs within your game that’ll garner negative feedback.
The best-case scenario? You get approved! The worst? You don’t, which means a trip back to the drawing board. Either way, remember to pat yourself on the back for making it this far. Good luck!
