7 Tips for Student Game Developers

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For those who’ve entertained the idea of making a game, it might be adequately confusing to know where to start. We’ve compiled a step-by-step guide of the fundamentals that anyone can follow while starting in the field.

Games are a fun experience, and just like any sort of media, it has a narrative and a world that immerses the player. But it takes more than a script idea to make a game. Games need to be coded and optimized for the digital world. That’s why we recommend that you read through the article since we’re covering the basics.

But hammering out even the most basic parts of game development can take time. And we know some of you are still strapped in your schoolwork. Studyfy offers academic services like online essay editing service for every type of student. Fair prices and instantaneous communication. It’s high time to let an expert writer help you.

Moving along, here’s some very crucial tips and a guide to the world of game development:

1.  List Down Ideas

Imagination comes before conception. For developers who haven’t started on a game yet, just list down ideas and structure them. It doesn’t matter how many, just try to list down the best ideas you have so far. Game developers need to remember that they actually need to like the ideas, and be motivated to work on them.

2.  Cutting The Fluff

If you’re a student game dev, chances are that you fall in any of these categories:

  • Solo game dev with some sort of coding expertise and experience in gaming.
  • Solo game dev with no coding experience.
  • Game dev in a group aspiring to make their first game with coding experience
  • Game dev in a group aspiring to make their first game without coding experience.

If so, the second step to do in the process of game development is to cut the fluff from your list of ideas. Zero in on the idea or ideas that are actually doable in terms of your experience and coding capability. Game devs will waste time if they try to tackle a game idea that they can’t make in the first place.

However, for those who are motivated to follow through with a certain idea, it’s not impossible. It will need 100% effort and devotion. A lot of people can spare these precious resources. But if you absolutely feel like you are up to the task – you can go for it.

3. Profit or Hobby

For those who are trying to create a game for the purpose of profit, here’s what needs consideration:

  • An in-depth analysis of the current market and what’s trending. Game devs will need to inspire themselves from the games that are getting attention, without necessarily just copying them.
  • The budget for the creation and the available resources.
  • The time it will take to finish the game.
  • The possibility that it will get rejected by game publishers.
  • The possibility is that you will have to make more than one game before reaching success.

For hobby game devs who want to create something for their personal interests, there’s not much to consider. Start with what you know and what you plan on doing. The creation process will be less restricted since you won’t need to understand market trends. Do as you please, it’s basically an art form.

a person holding a phone

4. Download Blender and Unity

Blender is free software that has almost everything a game dev needs to create assets, characters, and materials for their game. For game developers who want to create 2D or 3D assets, Blender will be the perfect starting point.

Once they’re done with 2D or 3D modeling, they can simply export their models to Unity. There are multiple ways to do this but the easiest way is:

  • Export a file on Blender as a .fbx file
  • Import the .fbx file on Unity

Unity, on the other hand, is a free game development software that supports the creation of 2D and 3D game creations. It has a community, and assets store, and even supports visual coding for less technical coders. It has multiple packages depending on what the game dev can afford, but the free version is more than enough to start with.

Unity comes with the C# language, and there are many tutorials and learning resources through Unity’s website and the community itself, and on Youtube.

5. Start to Finish

Once they’ve gone through the other steps listed in this article, they can start working on their creation. They should:

  • Model whatever needs to be modeled on Blender
  • Export models on Unity
  • Coding on Unity
  • The final step is to release the game. They can submit a preview level of their game to publishers, if one of them is interested, they might succeed in getting the game published by a big name. For hobby devs, this step is optional and it’s completely up to them if they want to release the game for free or for profit.

6. Be Patient

Coding and game development takes time, so expect hitches along the way. It can be frustrating, but the best thing to do is to accept that mistakes will be made and keep going. Like any goal, devotion and patience will be the creator’s tools. Don’t give up too quickly, don’t burn yourself out either.

7. Integrate Our Tips, Create a Plan

Create a schedule, time your efforts, put it in a planner or on your computer. Just try to strategize. Use our tips to ease up the process, and optimize your game plan. No game without a game plan.

Even if you’re not a planner type of person, it will make life much easier if there is a visualization of the steps you need to follow and take. Work smart when you can, to not burn yourself out. Work hard when it’s needed.

Final Thoughts

Game development combines visual skills, creativity, and programming. It’s a multifaceted discipline, but if you have a passion for gaming and creating, it’s just like every other art form and its own type of media that tells a story.

We hope this article will help our readers out with the fundamentals. They will have to color the spaces in between, so we recommend strategizing to make their journey easier.

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