If You Can't Make Games After This Video, Give Up

Summary

This video offers a candid guide to aspiring game developers, emphasizing the importance of letting go of initial ideas, understanding the necessity of programming, and planning before diving into game engines. It advises creating simple, diverse projects to learn the basics and warns against becoming dependent on tutorials. The speaker encourages exploring different engines to broaden skills and stresses the importance of focusing on the development process rather than immediate success, advocating for continuous learning and improvement.

Takeaways

• 🚫 Initial Game Ideas May Be Flawed: Let go of your first game idea quickly as it's likely not the best.
• 💻 Inevitability of Programming: Games are computer programs; understanding programming is crucial, even with visual tools.
• 📝 Plan Before Starting: Have a simple game idea in mind before opening a game engine to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
• 🎮 Start with Simple Projects: Create at least three simple, different games to learn the basics without aiming for perfection.
• 📚 Learn Through Difficulties: Embrace challenges and use tutorials for specific issues rather than relying on them entirely.
• 🔍 Avoid Tutorial Dependency: After initial learning, be cautious of tutorials that teach entire systems to prevent becoming overly dependent.
• 🛠️ Experiment with Different Engines: Learning multiple engines, like transitioning from Unity to Godot, broadens your skillset.
• 📚 Value Documentation: Understanding the concepts and history behind game development can significantly improve your skills.
• 🎯 Focus on the Process: Game development is a craft; focus on improving and learning rather than solely on the end product.
• 🚀 Embrace Failure: Accept that early games may not be financially successful but are valuable for learning and personal growth.
• 💡 Be a Fountain of Ideas: Continuously generate new game ideas and don't become too attached to a single concept.

Q & A

What is the first lesson the video suggests for aspiring game developers?

The first lesson is to let go of your initial game idea quickly, as it likely isn't as good as you think it is, and to be open to learning and improving.

Why does the video emphasize that game development involves programming?

The video emphasizes programming because games are computer programs, and understanding programming is essential to creating them, even if using visual programming languages.

What is the recommended approach when first opening a game engine according to the video?

The recommended approach is to have a simple game idea in mind before opening a game engine, to avoid being overwhelmed by the options and information.

How many simple projects should beginners make to learn the basics of game development?

Beginners should make at least three simple projects that are different from each other to learn the basics of game development.

What is the purpose of making the first three simple projects in game development?

The purpose is to learn and understand the basics of game development without the pressure of releasing or showing the projects to others.

Why is it important for beginners to understand that their initial games will likely be bad?

Understanding that initial games will be bad helps set realistic expectations, allowing developers to focus on learning from their mistakes and improving their skills.

What is 'tutorial hell' and how should beginners avoid it?

'Tutorial hell' is becoming overly dependent on tutorials that teach entire game mechanics or types of games. Beginners should avoid it by watching specific tutorials that focus on particular components or nodes, not entire systems.

Why does the video suggest making a fourth game without relying on tutorials for the whole project?

The fourth game is meant to be a more polished project that can be shown to others for feedback. It helps developers to apply their learning in a more independent way and to start creating their own systems.

What does the video suggest about learning different game engines like Unity and Godot?

The video suggests that learning different game engines can help developers become more versatile and understand the overall concepts of game development better.

What is the importance of focusing on the process rather than the reward in game development?

Focusing on the process helps developers to improve their craft, withstand failure, and eventually achieve success by making better games over time.

What advice does the video give about becoming attached to a single game idea?

The video advises against becoming too attached to a single game idea, as it's important to be a 'fountain for good games' and to understand that failure is part of the learning process.