Starting Your Video Game Project
Published:
1. The Idea Phase: "What Are We Building?"
Every great game starts with an idea, but not every idea becomes a game. Refine your vision by answering these key questions:
- Core Loop: What will the player do second by second? (e.g., Jumping, shooting, solving puzzles).
- Theme & Genre: What is the atmosphere? (Dark, cheerful, futuristic?) What is the genre? (Platformer, RPG, FPS?)
- Scope: This is critical. For your first project, aim to build a "flawless single room" instead of a "massive world-saving epic."
Professional Tip: If you cannot summarize your idea in a single sentence, it is not clear enough yet.
2. Planning: Game Design Document (GDD)
If you don't write it down, you will get lost. Create a simple GDD including:
- Game Story: A very brief summary of the narrative (if applicable).
- Controls: How will the player move and interact with the world?
- Level Design: A rough outline of the stages or environment structure.
- MVP (Minimum Viable Product): Identify the absolute core version. Build this first before adding polish.
3. Team Preparation
Whether you are solo or in a group, define these essential roles:
- Developer: Writes the code and manages the engine logic.
- Artist: Creates 2D/3D assets, UI, and animations.
- Designer: Creates the rules and ensures gameplay balance.
- Sound: Composes music and creates sound effects (SFX).
4. Technology: Engine Selection
| Engine | Best For | Language | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unity | 2D/3D Mobile & PC | C# | Industry standard, huge community. |
| Unreal | High-end 3D | C++ / Blueprints | For realistic graphics and visual coding. |
| Godot | Indie 2D | GDScript | Completely free, lightweight, easy start. |
5. Prototyping: The Greybox
Before finalizing graphics, build your game using simple shapes (cubes, squares).
- If the game is fun with just cubes, it will be amazing with graphics.
- If it's not fun, change the mechanics now. You haven't wasted effort on art yet.