How to Develop Your Very Own Video Game: A Guide for Beginners

Video games are among the most popular forms of entertainment today. If you’re a fan of video games, you’ll know that there is so much more to them than playing them. As a gamer, there are many things you can learn and explore to improve your game. From understanding the different stages of game development to discovering resources that can help you succeed, you will learn everything you need to know to get started.

What Is Video Game Development?

Video game development is the process of creating video games. It may sound like something anyone can do, but it is not that simple. To create a great video game, you need to have various skills and knowledge. Video game development can be broken down into several phases. Each phase comes with specific challenges that you will need to overcome to create a successful game. The phases are concept development, development, production, and post-production.

Dissect The Process

Each development phase can be broken down into smaller steps that can help understand the process.

Creation 

 Creating the game world and all the assets that will be used in the game.

Scoping 

Determining the budget, time, and resources that will be used to create the game.

Planning 

Determining the goals for the game and how it will be developed.

Development 

 Making each aspect of the game. This stage focuses on programming, game art, and game audio.

Release 

Think of this as the end of the process. Now that the game is complete, it will need to be published, marketed, and sold.

Set Yourself Goals

When you want to create your own video game, you will need to set yourself goals. It is important because it will help you determine how much effort you should put into the project. You should set realistic goals and ones that are challenging enough to be successful. Your goals should include what platforms you want to develop for, what genres you want to focus on, which characters you want to include in the game, what themes you want to explore, and what age range you want the game to be appropriate for, and more.

Learn C++ or Programming Knowledge

If you want to work in the video game industry, it is important that you have a thorough understanding of programming and C++. It will help you in the various stages of game development, from creating the game world to making the characters and environments. In order to create a video game, you need to have an understanding of how the technologies that power the game work. Therefore, you will need to have a working knowledge of C++.

Choose a Platform

If you want to create a mobile game, you need to develop it for Android and iOS. If you want to create a PC game, you need to develop it for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It is important that you choose a platform early on in the process. Choosing the right platform is important for many reasons. It helps you determine which tools you will need to develop on the chosen platform. It will also help you determine the types of games you can create.

Build The Game

As you move through the various stages of game development, you will create more of the game. It means that you will be building all of the graphics that will appear in your game. You will create characters, environments, and so on. Depending on your resources, you might want to consider outsourcing parts of the project. A quick online search can connect you with animation studios in Houston or in your area to help you move through each stage of development. Next to creating the assets for your game, you will also be programming the game. Of course, you will also be editing scripts and writing dialogue for the characters and environments, but you will also be writing the code for the game’s mechanics.

Conclusion

Now that you know what to expect and what it takes to create a video game, you can check on what you can do to improve your skills. It’s important to keep learning and developing new skills throughout your life. It is important if you want to work in the video game industry. So, you should ensure to attend gaming events, read online articles, and watch videos online.