The simple answer is that a shader is GPU Program, that run on GPU hardware ( GPU + Memory)
When we talk about shaders, we are in reality talking about different types of functions and they are 3 different types of shaders:
Vertex/Geometry Shaders which perform operations the vertex and geometry data of a 3D model.
Pixel/Fragment Shaders which run on pixels and fragments (fragment is a chunk of pixels on the screen), these do everything that’s not the geometry data, typically the output of the Geometry/Vertex shader is fed into these shaders.
Compute Shaders, they can be used to do pretty much any kind of parallel calculation that’s not a graphics function, mining crypto currency on a GPU is a compute shader.
How are shaders developed?
Shaders are written in a special shading languages that have different focus and can be used for different purpose. Some languages are:
For Offline rendering
RenderMan Shading Language
Houdini VEX Shading Language
Gelato Shading Language
Open Shading Language
For Real-time rendering
ARB assembly language
OpenGL shading language
Cg programming language
DirectX Shader Assembly Language
DirectX High-Level Shader Language
Adobe Pixel Bender and Adobe Graphics Assembly Language
A part from using languages at low level, in the last years some visual building tools have been making their way into the market and that allows to develop and deploy shaders without actually coding a single line of code.:
The best youtube channels to learn shader programming – Shader Forge
How do shader works?
A shader’s unique purpose is to return four different numbers: r, g, b,and a., which in case you are not recognizing them (shame on you) are the four channels used to code for colours in computers.
So Shaders, are basically doing a lot of calculations just to output on a per pixel goal a single color to be painted on a pixel in the screen.
The function within a shader will run for every single pixel on screen, and returns those four color values, and that that will color the pixel. This is what is usually called a Pixel Shader, also referred to as a Fragment Shader.
void PaintPixel( out vec4 fragColor, in vec2 fragCoord )
{
fragColor = vec4(1.0,0.0,0.0,1.0);
}
The complexity of programming the shader is on how to define the color that each pixel should have based on where it is in the game world, what time of lighting is affecting it, etc….
For that to happen, it is needed then to take in account the world and the shape or surface that gives origin to that pixel in the screen, and we need then to start looking at the render pipeline.
Render pipeline or rasterization
The Rendering Pipeline is the sequence of steps that shaders takes when rendering objects.
For example OpenGL works with the following render pipeline
Once initiated, the pipeline operates in the following order:
Each vertex retrieved from the vertex arrays (as defined by the VAO) is acted upon by a Vertex Shader. Each vertex in the stream is processed in turn into an output vertex.
The best youtube channels to learn shader programming – Render Pipeline
The best youtube channels to learn shader programming – Render Pipeline
The best youtube channels to learn shader programming
Although, as we have seen, there are plenty of courses on the shader programming topic, there is also some great free resources that can help you achieve the same results easily and without spending some dollars on the process.
Below we will be listing some of the best youtube channels that have helped us in our process of learning how to code shaders.
Price: $47.99 (as of Jul 21,2022 15:54:47 UTC – Details)
【Plug and Play, No Installation Required】Plug and play HD 821 classic mini retro game console. No installation is required. The retro TV game console is easy to use. Compact design. Easy to carry.
【HDMI Output Supported】This super classic mini game console has an HDMI output. It can be used on TV or PC with an HDMI output. You can play retro video games conveniently on modern TVs. You need NOT a converter anymore.
【9.18 ft Long Cable】A total distance of 9.18 ft long cable (the TV side plus the controller side) of the classic game console enables you to sit comfortably at a distance on your sofa. (Note that only the primary controller can control the console. The secondary controller (connected to the right port, port B) functions only in two players mode and when it’s the 2nd player’s turn to play.)
【Preloaded 821 Nostalgic Games】The retro mini gaming console is preloaded with 821 classic video games. You can find most of the popular classic games in the 1980s and 1990s. You need not download or buy games. Please check the alphabetical game list provided by us for a complete list to find your favorite games.
【Notes】1. The controller connected to the right port functions only when you have selected the 2 players mode. 2. To select another game, press the Select+Start buttons on the console for 2 seconds. 3. This is a third-party product. 4. Saving game progress is not supported. You can pause the game using Start. 5. The image quality will not be as clear as today’s games. 6. If you are not satisfied with our mini retro game console, we can replace a faulty product or refund.
We have been following this studio and this game for several years now, and they were really a big inspiration into getting in game development, and now they are releasing Overgrowth open source code together with the game engine Overgrowth.
What is Overgrowth?
Overgrowth is a 3D action-adventure game starring anthropomorphic animal characters.
The source code is released under the Apache 2.0 code license.
However, the assets of the game are not in the public domain, so if you want to run the game, you will need to purchase the game.
However, the price of the game has been reduced by 1/3 worldwide, so those interested should check it out.
Overgrowth runs on Windows, Mac and Linux, and the detailed build instructions are available on Github.
They have been working on Overgrowth for 14 years which seems to be their longest running project, being the amazing response and support from fans is one of the main reasons why they continued to work on the game for so long.
Not only have people around the world been playing and enjoying Overgrowth for years, but the community has also been a huge influence on the project. Whether it’s the helpful feedback that leads to better updates, the amazing modders who expand the options available in the game, or the talented artists and creators who expand the style and story of Overgrowth.
We always welcome releases of source code like this, as they not only ensure longevity for the game’s fans, but also introduce new learning resources for the development community and hopefully help prolong the game’s commercial success.
Don´t forget to read more new and cool tutorials on our blog
So that makes you a game developer. First of all, congratulations! Game design and development is a wonderful opportunity for creative self-expression, and you should be proud of it. It’s a lot of work, but you decided to give it a try. That’s great.
Use these game design tips that we have consolidated for you as tips as a useful guide on your journey into game design. These concepts they explore will help you understand some of the key elements in game design.
You don’t need to follow all of their advice on your first project, but these tips will become more valuable as your work grows.
Game Design tips – Level Design
When you think about games, you will usually think of gameplay and game design one being the bases for the other. Most people also think that both of them are easy to do and achieve, and that it just comes about having good ideas and that’s it, but today we’re focusing on the more obscure and challenging secrets of game design, often overlooked, but if correctly used will be the key to creating unique games that people want to play.
Excessive focus on fun as to reach a gameplay utopia.
Familiarity
Balance
Did you hear that? The importance of sound and music for your came
Design for the player not for you
Let’s dive in enhancing the view about these clear success objectives for games.
1. Alignment with Game Hook
We have already looked into the concept of game hook and understood that it is all the elements of the game that can make it unique and singular, and able to bring the attention of potential players, over other games.
It can be a story, a character, a mechanic or the beauty of the game. Hooks are the elements that make the game attractive to players. It is what grabs the player’s attention or the “hook” that keeps them in the game.
When you start creating your game design, you should always be working totally aligned with the game hooks that you have defined, as to guarantee a consistency of both. If you and your team fail to do so, then the game will have some gaps between what you were somewhat promising or communicating to the players and what we will actually deliver. This could eventually generate some frustration into the player and generate a negative movement towards your game that would eventually make it harder to be successful.
Game Design Tips – Game Hooks
2. Keep the controls intuitive
The game’s control system is related to the user experience and affects how efficiently and easily the player can learn the game. The control system also determines the player’s progression through the game. Therefore, making the game controller and keyboard/mouse functions as comfortable and easy to learn as possible is no small feat.
If you want to learn more about setting up controls (and as a bonus, animations) for your 2D project, we have placed below a very interesting video from CouchFerret‘s; for a tutorial on creating responsive controls.
Also, read the Gamesradar article “The Most Ridiculously Complex Controls in Gaming” for a fun explanation of some of the too weird controls.
Surprise, excitement, amazement or how we call it the WOW Factor are elements rarely discussed in games, yet they are essential to the long-term success of any game as to avoid it to become boring. The reasons for this lies deep in the inner working of the brain and how it reacts to things that are not changing and not representing something that challenges its capacities.
It is also the secret to turning new players into lifelong game fans. Surprising and inspiring players can create an emotional connection with the game. Creating this connection is key to making great and successful games.
Your objective should be for players to get hooked on your game and keep coming back for more. Without this emotional connection, players will quickly get bored of the game, stop playing, and eventually delete the game to make space for others more refreshing games.
This results in zero replay value and retention, and zero profit. (And get you a bad name as a game developer).
Challenges + Emotion + reward.
But when emotion and rewards are added to the mix, you get a memorable and interactive experience. Players will want to continue to discover and surpass their previous scores to see what rewards and special bonuses await them. The element of surprise and wonder is key to keeping player interest. This game design approach to gameplay, characters, level design and even the user interface can be used to create an emotional experience.
As games are interactive media, it is very easy to elicit an emotional response from the user. The combination of sound effects, music, character expressions, text, movement and colours can emotionally engage the player and keep them engaged in the game. Consider how you can develop these elements with the theme and art style of the game in mind. For example, you can add interesting sound effects or background music to match the pace, mood or theme of the game. If it’s a racing game, adding a fast, adrenaline-pumping beat will resonate with players. If it’s a spooky platformer, you’ll want spooky background music and eerie sound effects when you find objects or when platforms fall. In this way, adding surprise and excitement to a game requires a lot of fine-tuned ingenuity.
Surprise in game design
Characters are another powerful element. Using characters can do a lot of things. Characters can add emotional depth to a game and act as an effective reward system. During the game design process, a number of unlockable characters can be added, with animations, effects and unique facial expressions that match the theme of the game.
Rewards can surprise and impress, but also strengthen the emotional connection with the player. Unlockable characters and unlockables can be used to create a highly satisfying reward system.
Coins, points and praise (a kind of underused reward) can also be effective. Praise can be given in text or voice when a stage is completed or a bonus item is found.
Animations and cutscenes can also be used to celebrate the completion of a level or as a prelude to a fun new challenge.
Wonders through power-ups
Hidden and power-up elements can make the game amazing ( or absolutely destroy it). Hidden game elements ( portals, areas, powerups, etc= also add significant replay value to the game. Players will enjoy exploring new areas and new game amps, new power ups and orbs, as well exploring new, and unseen worlds. It’s a fascinating and fun surprise that will immediately increase the positive perception of the player about your game.
Nintendo games excels at using the power-ups to surprise and impress with its gameplay. A good example is the mushroom power-up in Super Mario World, where by eating a mushroom, the player will be transformed into a low level Mario character. You can also get extra points.
Creativity is important in game design. Make your game fun with features that attract players.
Game Design Tips – Game Characters
4 – The size of the characters.
Size should not be overlooked in game design. Character size is not always the same as the size of the character.
A common mistake is to make characters too big. Game characters should be well proportioned. Do not make them larger than necessary. If the characters are too large, it not only gives the impression that the game is unfinished and unprofessional, but also distracts from the real experience of the game.
It is important to achieve this early in the game design process.
A good way to determine if a character is too big is to compare it to classic games such as Mario. All you need to do is import all the screenshots of the game into image editing software such as Photoshop or Illustrator and compare them with other popular games.
Mario is a classic and a great benchmark. You can also compare it to popular games of different genres. If you notice any differences, simply resize and save again.
One of the secrets of game design is to create universal laws in your game that are always applying to the overall aesthetics of the game.
The look and play of your game is greatly influenced by these universal laws. For example, all buttons should have the same color. Particle effects are similar for similar objects. This consistency makes the game less complicated and more natural. Try to maintain the same style and appropriate themes throughout the game.
The goal is to make your game as consistent and cohesive as possible and avoid overusing multiple color combinations or wild texture.
You should always pick an art style and stick to it as if your lifes would depend on it.
Ask yourself the following questions: ” What colours and combinations best suit my main characters and my theme?”
Take the time to research different colour schemes, consider the possibilities and plan everything out.
Getting inspiration from other places
You can also look online for inspiration for your game design – check out Google images for interesting game world references.
You should always keep a folder with all the references that you should be using for your game world ( and game characters or other game references needed to build a consistent game).
You can create pinterest boards also to keep their your references and interact with potential players what they like the most.
6. Excessive focus on fun as to reach a gameplay utopia.
Making games fun is something that can have two meanings totally different, and that could have very different impact on our game and the expectations that we could have for it.
The point here is that there are many kinds of “fun” in games. Fun can be experienced through an immersive story and memorable characters, but it can also be linked to interaction with the game. Fun can be created using a design style that evokes an emotional response or engages the player.
In the video above, Jonas Tyroller shows how simples modification can make a game more fun.
You can also find a deeper explanation of these concepts in a very interesting article from iD Tech’s article on what makes video games fun.
Video games are fun. Here’s why, and how they hook us.
Familiarity is another important aspect of game design. Aside from being a unique game, it is also important that the game be familiar to players. Most of the most successful games are based on basic mechanics that have been popular for some time. Most of games in the last years, were not the first in their genre, but they used common approaches that the players can resonate to and feel confortable.
Familiarity is one of the secrets of game design because it makes the game easier to master as the player is not starting from zero. If designed in this way, anyone can start playing the game right away, without any special training and without suffering the frustration of the learning curve. It is important to design games that are easy to understand and control but hard to master. Games nowadays can’t afford to be too complicated and to be abandoned by the players.
Aim for a game that is unique, yet familiar to players.
Game Design Tips
So how do you create a unique yet familiar game?
The best way to do this is to use the “Research, Inspire & Improve” method. This is the formula that has been in the industry almost from its beginnings.. There are three basic steps to this method. First is research: explore the game store and look at all the top games that are similar to the type of game you want to create. Take a not of all of them with what you like and what you don ‘t like of the game.
Next, In the research part, try to understand from all your opinions on the game, if some of them could affect the capacity of the game to perform well in the market by enjoying the game, or if in the opposite direction. Analyze the games to figure out what parts of each game work well and what parts don’t. Download and play all the games and take notes. Write down everything you notice about the game. Pay specially close attention to the different elements of the game, from user interface, characters, backgrounds, and gameplay to sound effects, through other business related elements as ad placement, monetization techniques, and much more.
The third step is to think of new possibilities you and your team could have to improve the game concept based on all the previous analysis findings. This could include ( and not limited to) additions, replacements, deletions, or all three.
Think about what features or elements could be added or replaced to make the game better. Consider what different improvements or changes could be made in all areas of the game. Keep brainstorming until you have an entirely new game concept that is unique yet approachable.
We like to call this last step as arithmetic of ideas. As ideas can be added, multiplied, rested, divided a lot of operators that have to be taken in account when designing the game.
Playstation Classic Mini Console
Playstation Classic Console with 20 Classic Playstation Games Pre-Installed
Although a lot of people think on the creative of game design, in our hand of the work, we actually think that, although a creative work, it is more related with controlling everything that comes into the game design document, from graphics elements, to level of mana or magic that has been assigned to the game..
Nothing is more painful than feeling crippled or disadvantaged while playing. Weapons that don’t do consistent and adequate damage, levels that are visually distracting, and enemy AI that can’t be tamed are all evidence of game imbalance.
Gameplay balance is one of the biggest challenges for game designers, and for good reason. What may be unbalanced in one game may have exactly the desired effect in another project, depending on the type of game being created. Perhaps the best way to test the balance of a game is to have others play it and get feedback. Game balance could be been as countability of all the elements that will apppear in the game.
The ultimate secret to game design is finding the perfect balance of difficulty, challenge, and fun. All great games achieve this perfect balance, or what we might call the “Zen Balance” element. Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, and Sonic the Hedgehog are good examples of this.
Think of the game balance in game design on a scale. One is a boring, easy game; the other is extremely difficult to beat. The goal is to design a game that falls somewhere in between. If you can do that, you can create the perfect balance of excitement that will keep players engaged for a long time.
New game makers often tend to be biased to one side or the other. They either make the game too easy or too difficult. Neither is fun for the player. You don’t want to design a game that is too easy and you will quickly get bored, or too difficult and you won’t have fun playing it.
Unfortunately, it is easy to make this mistake, especially if you are the only one testing the game. The problem many creators have is that they know their game so well that when they try to test it themselves, it is difficult for them to accurately judge the difficulty of the game. This is why testing by beta testers is so important. It is the only way to determine where your game falls on the “zen balance” scale. Always test your game with more than one person to ensure that the difficulty level of your game is appropriate.
Remember to surprise and inspire people to become emotionally involved in the game. Keep the size of the characters to a minimum and try to make the game world as cohesive as possible. Your game concept should be both approachable and unique. And always test your game rigorously to find the best game balance for your game.
9. Did you hear that? The importance of sound and music for your came
Most of the times, music and sound are only noticed when they are not there, or if they are included, in such an awful way, that you have to note it.
Whether you’re making a hypercasual game or a fully immersive AAA game, the right sounds at the right time with right music for the right mood are a very important part of the gaming experience. Sounds and music can even serve as implicit guidance to the player, help them navigate through levels or give them clues about the outcome of their actions.
Most importantly, sound and music design sets the mood and atmosphere of the game.
10. Design for the player not for you
One of the biggest problems that usually game designers have is that they are working for the game that they would like to play, and not the best games that the game’s potential audiencie would like to play.
While sometimes this way of proceeding can generate successful games ( although we could leverage on divergent opinions here), most of times when you are making the game that you would like to play, then the game could be going in the wrong direction directly from the beginning.
To avoid this, generate frequent builds of your game and organize some focus groups with people in your team, students, family or other set of representative players. Let them play your build, collect their opinion and try to act on improving the game design into the direction pointed by the focus group.
This will help you moving aways from the game that you want to so, versus the game that your players will want to be playing.
Conclusion
In conclusion, game design is a complex and constantly evolving process that takes time, effort, and testing to perfect and that should always take player feedback into account.
By following the tips provided in this article, you will be on your way to creating a successful game, but don’t be afraid to experiment and find what works best for you and learn how to create an enjoyable and engaging gaming experience for your players. The secret is to iterate frequently as to learn learned lessons and especially by interacting with your players. No game designer will be good if he has no experience in making games that were played by actual players.
Thanks for reading!
Don´t hesitate to leave your comments below as to help us create a vibrant community.
Price: $193.90 (as of Jun 27,2022 15:38:03 UTC – Details)
This pre-owned or refurbished product has been professionally inspected and tested to work and look like new. How a product becomes part of Amazon Renewed, your destination for pre-owned, refurbished products: A customer buys a new product and returns it or trades it in for a newer or different model. That product is inspected and tested to work and look like new by Amazon-qualified suppliers. Then, the product is sold as an Amazon Renewed product on Amazon. If not satisfied with the purchase, renewed products are eligible for replacement or refund under the Amazon Renewed Guarantee.
To promote your indie game in a professional way, you need to know where to go to get maximum exposure, discoverability as to be able to be found by your players.
Luckily, there are plenty of online places where you can promote your indie games as to try to maximize the chances for success.
So today, we’re taking a look at some of the best places for indie developers to promote their upcoming games and create the early buzz needed to achieve the indiegame marketing plan.
Where to promote your indie game Table of Contents
promote your indie game – Player playing game- Photo by Ryutaro Tsukata on Pexels.com
What are indie games?
Indie games are video games made by individuals or small teams of developers without the financial or technical support of a major game publisher.
One of the best examples of indie games is Minecraft. It is arguably the most successful indie game ever made, and has also won the Guinness World Record* as the “best-selling game with 200 million copies sold by May 2020”. Minecraft’s success can be seen as a result of the free marketing as a lot of the future players had found out about Minecraft through a friend, and a third through YouTube.
As the internet set out to change the world, software developers faced new challenges and a new industry: video game publishing. Games and experiences created in basements and bedrooms suddenly had a huge influence. For the first time, big publishers like Microsoft, Sony and EA had a credible competitor in game developer James Schmaltz and his company Digital Extremes.
Why can indie games fail? Three pitfalls to avoid
Why do indie games fail? And how can developers avoid failure? Here are three common mistakes and how to avoid them.
A- No marketing spend or strategy
promote your indie game – Marketing strategy – Photo by Kaboompics .com on Pexels.com
Before starting your game, you might wonder how much budget you can spend on marketing your indie game. First, there is no “right” amount, and success is not tied to a specific budget. A high budget does not mean success, and a low budget does not mean failure.
However, it is understandable that funding is not plentiful in the first year or even the first few years, and for veteran indie games like Minecraft, the early bird advantage is probably one of the factors behind success. The excitement of the new almost always puts the lucky entrant first. This, however, is the exception. Most indie games rely on their own luck and marketing strategy.
Another good tip is to use free channels like social media and game newsletters to promote your game. You need to work on your marketing so that your audience understands why your game is worth buying, whether it’s for mobile, console, PC or all three platforms.
B- Lack of alignment with relevant platforms and channels.
With so many great gaming platforms and channels out there, how do you know which ones to connect to?
There are two platforms that are essential to any indie gaming strategy – Twitch and YouTube. Here we explain how these platforms drive engagement and why optimisation is essential.
Twitch
Since 2011, this live video streaming service has attracted millions of users: according to Twitch’s official website*, 7 million (or more) unique streamers go live every month, with an average of 30 million daily visits. Working with Twitch, developers can engage with viewers and streamers through influencer campaigns, game extensions, products and in-game incentives.
Making your game Twitch-ready during the development phase is usually a good idea to achieve promotion. This includes using the Twitch API in your game, as well as reaching out to existing streamers to test your game. Optimising your game for this platform early on will also optimise the likelihood of streamers finding and streaming your game.
YouTube.
Over the last years, the platform has built a loyal following of over 2 billion users. While it may be natural to go after the streamers with the largest market share, don’t exclude streamers with smaller audiences. Rather, it’s important to find streamers who like the genre of your game and play your game on the platform/console your game is designed for – like Twitch, your game should be YouTube-enabled at the development stage.
C- No long-term plan for the game or story
Here’s a common gaming myth: if your first game is successful, the sequel is sure to sell just as well. As tempting as it may be to update and tweak the original version, we recommend going back to the drawing board.
One of the main reasons gamers are drawn to indie games is originality. Keep this in mind when planning your long-term strategy for your game and its story. People looking for indie games are looking for originality, to have a unique experience that the big studios and their games don’t offer.
Use this insight to fuel your creativity, especially when it comes to your long-term plan for your game and its story. Without the pressure to create a polished sequel to your original game, this frees you up to create another game that delivers exactly what your audience wants.
1: Indie game and development forums
Indie game and developer forums are a great place to find potential players to check out your game. Forums are the perfect platform to promote your game, especially in the early stages. Forums have promotion and sharing forums where you can post screenshots, game trailers, download links, etc. Take advantage of it. Be active in the indie gaming scene and join these forums to help promote your game.
You can share and promote your indie games with the BB community in the “Showcase” section of the official Buildbox forums. We also have a promotion section on our Discord server. But don’t stop there! Join other indie game developer forums such as Touch Arcade and TigSource. Markus Persson “Notch”, the famous Minecraft developer, used the TigSource developer forums to find out more about his next game and get valuable feedback on the development process. Indie online communities are a great way to promote a game before and after its release.
As an example:
TIG Forums: https://forums.tigsource.com/ – Much of the activity comes from Dev Logs. I highly recommend checking them out.
Devmaster forums – http://forum.devmaster.net/ – Something I used to visit but now is filled with games people release. Discussions are almost non-existent.
2: Social media platforms and groups
There are of course social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. All of these sites give you access to millions of people who want to play your game, and a recent study by Statista estimates that there will be 3.2 billion social media users by 2021. That’s a lot of potential players waiting to hear about your great app.
You can use different strategies to promote your game on social media. You can post promotions and updates, reach out to influencers, promote it in Facebook groups, and use a variety of viral marketing tactics to gain an advantage. Try several methods until you find the one that works best. The ultimate goal is to build a strong fan base around your app. People will get excited about your new toy and spread the word. It takes time to establish an indie studio or indiegame on social platforms, so start early.
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.
Choose one or more popular platforms to create an online presence for your game or indie studio. Then add logos, game icons and information to your page to ensure consistency of posts. Then share screenshots of your game, cool new graphics or recently added characters, gameplay trailers, GIFs and teaser videos. And always include a clear call to action, such as “click here”, “download now” or “find out more”. And be consistent with your publishing schedule. Consistency is the key to success.
Get creative with your post imagery and captions to grab their attention. You can also reach out to game reviewers and community influencers to help promote your game. Do some research on the best people in your platform or niche and contact or message them. Some influencers play and promote your game for free, while others charge a fee.
Facebook groups
Facebook Groups are another great place to promote your indie game – you can find almost any group on Facebook, click the join button and instantly start connecting with people who share your interests. Find players who are passionate about retro gaming, racing, iOS and Android apps. The more exposure you get, the better. Many indie developer marketing groups are also on the list. Start a search and list the groups you want to join. Then try to incorporate them into your social media strategy. Here are some good groups to promote your indie game
Indie Game Developers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/IndieGameDevs/ – One of the bigger dev groups on FB. They’re incredibly active. A little spammy, disguised under needing help. But it’s not bad. They also have a slack channel that you can join.
Indie Dev Marketing & PR: https://www.facebook.com/groups/IndieDevMarketingPR – Focused on the marketing side and organized by IndieWolverine’s founder Logan Williams. Lots of professionals jump into to answer specific marketing/pr questions. Highly recommended to join.
Each Facebook group has different posting rules and guidelines, so be sure to check before joining and try to always deliver value also and not just trying to get value out of them, or you will usually find yourself banned from the group.
An active server dedicated to helping Indie Developers, with more than 1800 engaged members consistently growing.
Very supportive, especially that of Heiny himself. With an impressive Twitter following of over 101k, he is consistently pushes out the news of quality Indie developers and publishers.
A fantastic server (and website) for those looking for work. Very user-friendly with jobs posting channels split out into specific skills, making it easy to find the roles. More than 6300 members offering or looking for work makes of it a very good server to hangon.
Another active server of over 11,100 members, which independently of the size has been able to keep a community feeling to it. Plenty of support and advice on all things unity.
This is the place for Unity developers, publishers and people who like and use the Unity engine to hang out, socialise and lean on others to help when there is an unfixable problem in your way.
The biggest on this list with a thriving community of more than 63,300 Unreal Engine users, from all over the world. The aim of the server is to allow members to interconnect and exchange experiences and advices.. The server is filled with active channels of informative chats and questions rarely seem to go unanswered from the community.
Viral marketing tips and advices.
If you are using social media to promote your indie game, use the best screenshots and visuals. The more attention you attract, the more likely you are to get people’s attention.
There are also other marketing techniques, such as promotional codes and targeted ads, that you can use to promote your videogame through social media. For paid apps, promotional codes on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram allow players to get the game for free or try a time-limited version. You can also send promo codes to game reviewers and YouTubers for coverage.
Developers with bigger budgets can also place targeted ads on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you’re new to creating ads, take the time to learn the ropes. There are plenty of free online courses and resources available; the Facebook Advertising Guide offers a wealth of information on getting started with Facebook and Instagram ads; YouTube is also full of tutorials; and the Facebook Advertising Guide is a great place to start.
Also remember to try to cross-promote across all the different channels when using social media. This will give you a wider reach.
4: ProductHunt.
Another place to promote your indie game is Product Hunt, a cool discovery site where you can share and find new products and apps. Users, or “hunters”, can upsell their favorite products. If your product gets a lot of votes, it can be the “Product of the Day” and be featured on the site.You can upload your game for free to Product Hunt, but the number of votes counts. The number of votes determines how many people will see your page.
The goal is to get your game on Product Hunt. To do this, you either need to set yourself up using a tool called “Ship Pro” or contact the hunters and ask them to send you games. The hunters are the original members of the site and have the right to choose which products to display. Just like a social influencer, when a hunter posts a product, all of their followers will receive a notification to check out their game. The more followers you have, the more likely they are to vote and download your game. You can search for hunters through the social platforms on the site.
5: – Reddit Communities
Reddit is probably currently one of the best places online where to promote your game, they have a huge number of communities that can be more or less specific to game genres, and you will certainly be able to find the right one for your game.
Called the “front page” of the internet, Reddit is a huge community forum site where people post interesting news, videos, photos and memes. The site is divided into millions of topic-based communities, called “subreddits”, where users post, comment and vote on other content they share.
Reddit also allows gamers to promote their own applications through special subreddits such as Play My Game. Below is a list of popular subreddits where apps can be shared
Quick tips If you’re using Reddit, earn karma points by getting active in the community first. Don’t give the impression of spamming. The community is relentless.
6: Game review sites
Marketing your game on review sites can also help with discoverability and exposure.
Before you can start pitching your game to game journalists and review sites, you need to prepare your game and a press kit with all the details and best visuals of your indiegame. Once you have these basics in place, you just need to find game review sites to contact and journalists who cover your app’s niche.
Below is a brief summary of mobile review sites to consider.
Alternative Digital stores can expand your reach by exposing your game to more potential players. Most alternative Digitalstores are not as big as the other game or app stores, but they are effective options because they have less competition and constant traffic. Also, many of them promote new games on their websites and offer paid features that you can take advantage of.
There are countless ways to promote indie games online. These were just a few examples. The secret is to start early and be consistent. You need to start promoting your games as soon as you have something to show, and you need to do it in a variety of ways. Create a game developer blog, be active on forums, post on social media, run paid ad campaigns, reach out to game critics, use sites like Product Hunt and Reddit. get your indiegame featured on digital stores and get people excited about your game!
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When developing a new product/game, what is the process like?
Generally you start with a general idea of a videogame that you think you could make from the company. You start thinking about the concept of the game from the point of view of fun elements and from the point of view of visual aspect (how would be the characters, how would be the scenarios, etc). You must pass some market filters to see that the idea could really work well as a videogame.
In the case that the answer is yes, we start with a process of building what we would call a game pitch of the videogame, to show it to possible videogame publishers to see if they also consider the videogame interesting. This pitch can be a ppt presentation of the game, but it can also be a demo of the game that the studio develops in order to show the gameplay and visuals of the game and make it easier to sell to the publisher. Generally, studios first do a pitch only with the presentation, and if they see that the publishers like it, then is when they start with the development of the demo.
In the development process of a demo of these characteristics, usually between 3 to 5 people are involved and usually work with some pressure, but not much, because it is the studio that is supporting its funding, and the pressure that may or may not be, is to reach a fair, or a date on which the publisher may have asked us for a demo.
Crunch Time – Can mine the team moral – Photo by Jopwell on Pexels.com
If this pitch is successful, then a publisher will buy the game and pay for its development for a well-defined budget and a very specified production duration. The development payment, or financing, occurs on a milestone basis, i.e. the publisher will pay the studio a predefined amount against the delivery of a series of materials and progress of the game. These milestones are what increases the pressure of development, and if not well planned and well controlled from the point of view of project / production, could at some point, cause the studio to ask for extra work to workers to reach that date, because if you do not arrive, basically the studio would not be paid and therefore could have a financial problem.
The development of video games has a lot of risks and it is not very difficult to make mistakes in time estimates because elements of the video game, in its conceptualization, may seem fun and or interesting, but once implemented may not meet expectations and require to be redone, which would begin to generate deviations and delays. The team may not be as experienced as they should be and so everything slows down, etc….
If all goes well, you meet the milestones, until you reach the stage of closing the game and sending it for editing, which could be to the Xbox or Sony platforms, or towards the manufacture of physical discs. And finally it would be available for players.
How many people make up the production team?
The answer to this question will depend on the game, its quality and its complexity.
A small casual game for mobile or pc, could cost about 50 thousand euros, and occupy 3-5 people for 5 or 6 months of work.
A medium sized game for PC or consoles, could occupy 10-15 people during 12 to 16 months, and could cost between 150 to 300 thousand euros.
A game with a certain size for consoles, could take about 2 years and about 25 to 30 people for 1 million Euros.
A game with top ambition can have more than 100 people for more than 2 years and cost from 10/20 million euros to 200 or 300 million euros.
How is the game development funded?
The closing date is signed when you sell the game to a publisher. If you work without one, in self-editing mode, you have more flexibility to define the date, but even in this case, it is important to define concrete dates in order to meet a development budget.
So that means that in order to be paid, you will need to deliver to the publisher specific parts of the game at specific times, for which in turn, you will be receiving part of the funds you need to continue working on the game.
Crunch Time – Project Schedule – Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
What happens if the project delivery date is delayed?
If you are moderately delayed without affecting the sale of the video game, you may delay the payment of the associated milestone, and you may have financial problems to pay salaries, or to pay other expenses.
If the delay is significant and causes you to miss a release window of the game, for example Christmas, or a joint release with a movie, this could cause the game to be canceled, the money received to date to be refunded, and even legal issues of compensation.
Those delays and the impact that it can have on the funding of the studio is what usually is behind the usage of crunch ( although in some cases some studios are constantly under crunch).
How can delays happen?
Although most studios don´t like to resort to crunch time, but sometimes there are issues that are out of the developer’s control, things that don’t work, more work than estimated, slowness of the team, bad planning of the producer, etc… This put at risk the milestone and the associated payment coming with it and if you need that money to continue operating as a company and pay salaries, then you have no choice than crunching, which can be from asking the team to stay a couple of hours more at the end of the day, to work non stop 48 hours for a final push, or to work during a weekend to get to a delivery on Monday for example. Generally, crunches should be usually very short in time, and should be paid or given back as vacation days. But sometimes, they are difficult to manage.
But, there are also studios that have their workers constantly under crunch time, which in the long run will be very negative for the company as people end up getting burned out, leaving the company and telling their history on why they left, with the bad word of mouth generated.
Is crunch time something impossible to avoid?
Crunch time can be avoided to a certain extent. Control production scheduling well, include pockets of hours to manage risks associated with work estimation errors. Control the execution of the project very well, and when there are any deviations somehow reinforce the team, or try to renegotiate the scope with the editor to make sure that the deviations can be mitigated.
This involves working with experienced producers who have worked extensively on complex and well-executed projects. Also have video game designers who know how to define the scope associated with the video game.
What is crunch culture in video games?
The games industry is complicated, complex and challenging. Video game developers go through hell in the final weeks, months and sometimes years of the video game development cycle in order to deliver as much of what we love as possible, a lot of studios have overabused of the crunch and have generated the negative word of mouth which has grown through the industry and cross its borders until getting a reference of being a generalized culture, the Crunch Culture
What is a crunch culture?
As seen above, It can be natural to work hard at something you are passionate about, especially if you want to share your work with others.
Crunch time – Photo by Djordje Petrovic on Pexels.com
Crunch Time culture is different., because you are forced to work overtime on the edge, directly or indirectly where days before you were exhausted and without a justified or visible reason.
In the games industry, crunch culture means that game developers work incredibly long hours, sometimes 80-100 hours a week, and unpaid overtime is the norm. This is usually done at the end of the game development cycle, so that everything is in the best possible condition before release. However, the crunch culture is not limited to the last weeks of development, but can last for months and sometimes even years.
Some people say that crunch culture makes for great video games, because the pressure while being under a crunch period theoretically sparks the creativity and attention for details. But, for many video game developers it has led to burnout as long working hours are simply not sustainable and productive if they take a toll on developers’ mental and physical health long after the game is finished, and if the workflow is constantly exhausting, demotivating and deprives employees of a sense of well-being.
The crisis culture does not only affect studios working on AAA games. Any video game studio, be it a large studio or an independent studio, and be it a first, second or third party game developer, can be hit by a crisis culture. However, for AAA game studios working on large or popular video games, this is usually the norm because of the volume of work involved.
Unfortunately, crunch culture has become misused and become some kind of commonplace in the games industry that those working in the industry are proud to celebrate it, rather than criticise it.
Crunch culture is a serious problem in games
As things stand, crunch time is not going away. There are people who disagree with it, but there are few who disagree with it, and few who even know what crunch culture is.
Crunch time is just one of the biggest problems surrounding the games industry. Others include terrible monetisation practices, locked content and games that are broken at launch. Games are all good things, but there is much that needs to be improved.
Making crunch time disappears is something that should executed by the industry executives, that are the ones that usually have the key to avoid this practice.
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The number and volume of resources available on how to make a game is vast, and the following article will help you to better understand these emerging new spaces, aswell as the expertise and skills needed to create and excel in games.
Below are links to free online software that can help you harness new skills in digital and creative technologies and help gamers focus on key conditions and skills.
Making games as living
Working in the games industry is not just for programmers. It takes a team to create and publish games. In addition to hiring game programmers, studios regularly employ musicians, artists, scriptwriters and game designers. Game studios also often employ project managers, accountants and business people to ensure the success of their games – in the 21st century, even game testing is a real job.
These are usually some of the questions that haunts game creators when thinking about making a game:
How do you make an online game for free?
How to create a game?
How do I start a game development for free?
How can I make a game online for free without coding?
How do I make a game app without coding?
How can I make a mobile game for free?
How can I create my own game?
How do you create an online game?
Maybe that’s the feeling you’ve thought of when you’ve fantasized about video game projects that would be great if only you could make them happen. Of course, you can hire a small studio to make it for you, but most people don’t have more than $1000 to give a programmer or artist a few days’ work. Instead, many people choose to just spend their time and make their computer games themselves. But the question is: how do we start making games?
There are many questions that go with this question. What game engine should I use? Where is the best place to publish my game? How much programming should I learn before I start making games? Do I need to know how to program to make a game? How is game design done?
The aim of this guide is to answer as many questions as possible about video game design, engines to use, etc. This guide doesn’t specifically address how to make your first game from scratch, but it will point you in the right direction to be able to do so, using the resources provided.
So if you are ready to learn how to make a toy, let’s get started.
In the following infographic you can see a very interesting high level overview of what is actually inside a game that, in someway, conditions the process of making it and the different steps through the lifecycle associated with how to make a game.
So let’s start by analyzing the game development cycle.
What is the game development cycle?
There is a general cycle of game development, followed by many game projects, from huge 200-person studios to independent indie projects. We will look at each part in more detail, but in brief, the game development cycle is as follows.
Come up with an idea. Formulate in your head what kind of game you want to make.
Design the game. Further develop the idea, document and flesh out the systems, levels, art styles, etc.
Make the game. Start actually making the game. Many people make a simple one with basic graphics to get a feel for how it plays, then develop it.
Test the game. Show the game to others. As a developer, you already know everything about the game, so you need to test it out with people to see if it works, if it’s fun, and if it’s easy to understand. You should also do this regularly. This is because when new changes are made to the game, people may change the gameplay.
Finishing the game. In some ways, a game is never finished. You run out of time or money. Eventually the game has to be finished and released to the world or they feel the need to do so.
Publishing the game. The game must be published for the whole world to see.
The five steps of the game development cycle (IMAGE)
Come up with a game idea.
Everyone thinks “I wish I could make a game like that”, but not many people can actually make it happen. Those who are just learning how to make games may be tempted to jump right in and make a game because of the great technology available. But we don’t recommend it. When making games, you need to think about scope. How long does it take to produce? Do you have all the skills needed to make this toy? Do you understand the game and how it is made?
Understanding the game is paramount. You may have the story, the setting and the mechanics in your head, but to understand the game you need to know every aspect of it. How the different systems interact, what the player can/can’t do, what the objectives are, etc. This may seem like a lot of work, but remember that big games are made by big companies.
As a sole game developer, this is the best way to create a manageable game with the right scope.
Think about the basic mechanics. Mario’s jump and Just Cause’s grappling hook are just a few examples of basic mechanics.
The game is developed around these basic mechanics. Every feature in the game should encourage players to use the basic mechanics.
Example of a puzzle platformer (IMAGE)
Take Marios, for example. Mario’s basic mechanic is jumping. In almost every element of the game, the player had to jump.
Jump on the enemy.
Jumping and hitting blocks
Jump over gaps
Finally, jumping on flags.
This is one of the reasons why “Mario” (especially the early parts) was so successful. The developers focused on building the game around a single core mechanic to make it as fun, sophisticated and varied as possible. Here are some resources to help you develop your game ideas and find the basic mechanics.
Once you have an idea, you need to develop it further – if it’s a small game with one or two mechanics, you might just keep it in your head, but if it’s bigger than that, or especially if you’re working in a team, you need to document it. You use the game design document to define your game ideas, mechanics, goals, players, interactions, art style, theme, etc. You can give a GDD (game design document) to two people and both of them can develop a fairly similar game. You should be able to do this. If you are working in a team, this is necessary to communicate how you want to make the game.Here are some useful resources for making GDDs.
How to write a game design document – Gamasutra
Game Design Document Template – by Game Dev Underground
How to design a game. Game Design Document – Tim Bonson
As for the actual design of the game, it’s up to you. Game design is one of those areas where there is no 100% solution. There is no recipe for creating unique and fun games. That doesn’t mean there are no best practices and guidelines. Knowing game design can help you develop games that are engaging and easy for players to understand. Here are some online resources that can help you with game design.
When you’re thinking about what kind of game you want to make, you’ve probably also decided what type of game you want to make. Below is a list of game types and the platforms on which they can be developed.
2D is offered by most game engines and is usually the best step for beginner game developers.
3D is offered by many of the most popular game engines and is also a great first step for beginners.
Mobile can open up a whole new market, touch-driven user interfaces.
Virtual reality, Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality are fast-growing segment of the gaming industry that enables immersive experiences. However, VR has some unique aspects. Augmented Reality has been growing in the games industry and beyond, with many applications.
How to make a game – What is a game engine?
Once you’ve got an idea in your head and (hopefully) a plan on paper, it’s time to turn to the question of how to make the game. Which engine to use, which coding language to learn? Or if not, using a node-code or visual technology. Now you also have the option not to use traditional game engines, but rather a new generation of technologies build to be used in cloud environments, some of them with very interesting.
These are all questions you need to ask yourself, but there is no single answer. What you need to learn depends on what type of game you want to make, what skills you have and whether you want to learn programming.
So, what is a game engine? A game engine is a software or framework that allows developers to create games. It provides a platform for structuring the game, building levels, assigning logic to objects and building them on a given platform. There are several game engines, each offering different features and specialisations.
In our case, and since we have already approached traditional engines, we are focusing this article on online or cloud based game engines.
How to make a game – Mario Karts on Switch – Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
Why using an Online Game Engine
Online game engines are a new concept for many developers who are used to desktop tools. This article explains the advantages and disadvantages of such solutions compared to traditional desktop computers. It should be remembered that some of the advantages presented here do not yet exist in any online game engine, but should be technically possible. In some cases, creative collaboration and other types of online solutions already offer advantages that are fully applicable to online game engines.
The trend towards using web applications to do work previously done in desktop applications is not new – the software as a service (SaaS) revolution and the first projects using centrally hosted applications … date back to the 1960s. This trend has been developing at an accelerating pace in recent years, especially thanks to the recent emergence of new web technologies. This evolution can be observed in all types of services and tools, some of which are presented here.
E-mail: perhaps the most obvious example is e-mail. More and more people – both private and business users – are managing their e-mail from their web browser, and web applications for managing e-mail, such as Gmail and Outlook, have become more efficient, user-friendly and productive, and are widely used from all devices.
Office computing. Office and iWork for Mac, and has gradually created alternatives to them. In 2015, Google claimed that their plan was to take 80% of Microsoft’s business away from MS Office; Microsoft’s response was Office 365, the online version of the suite, launched in 2011. An excellent comparative analysis of the two solutions can be found here.
Image editing: although there is no clear success story in this area, as in the other two areas mentioned above, a number of initiatives have emerged in the last few years that have become the model for online Photoshop. Examples such as Pixlr.com and Fotor.com show the potential of this type of web application. In any case, image editing web applications, even if not so widespread, can be well integrated with other types of services. Aviary (later acquired by Adobe), for example, has been integrated as an image editor into the Mailchimp newsletter management service. Basic image editing functionality is now integrated into the newsletter creation process, making the workflow easier for campaign creators.
Let’s quickly list the pros and cons of using online game engines to develop projects.
How to make a game – Advantages of using an online game engine
Platform independence.
Online editors can run on any operating system with a web browser, whether Mac, Windows or Linux. No installation is required as it is accessed through the browser. Access is instant.
Permanent storage is possible.
For online game engines, saving a project is usually a continuous process and all operations are usually automatically saved.
Security.
If your computer crashes, gets infected by a virus, burns down, gets stolen, your hard drive crashes, or any other misfortune or misfortune, your video game development will not be affected. All data is stored in the cloud and is always accessible from any device.
Version control
If you’ve used the Google Docs app before, you’ll know how well it handles different versions of documents. Like Google Docs, the online game engine that uses the infrastructure in the cloud can manage versions according to the changes and modifications made by the developer. Furthermore, the developer must be able to decide when to save a version and when to move on to the next version.
Cooperation in real time
Online game engines allow multiple developers with different profiles to work on the same project. A designer can modify the background graphics and a programmer can set the background parallax. What’s more, all this can happen in real time, and everyone can see each other’s work. In addition, a user management system can be set up in which different development companies can be assigned roles.
Instant communication.
With online collaborative game development tools, communication is instant and very much focused on the problem at hand. Developers can communicate with each other through an instant messaging system built into the tool. They can also work with different elements of the game, such as tools and a system based on comments left on scripts.
Instant updates and improvements
As the software for the development tools is managed directly by the provider, the current version can be upgraded to a new version at any time, and improvements and bug fixes can be made on an ongoing basis. Game developers do not need to download new versions or install patches, which makes it much easier to update new versions of the game engine.
How to make a game – From the web, for any platform
Finally, there are benefits that have emerged almost as an ideological position. The creation of web content from the web to the web. Because of the speed, agility, simplicity, consistency of development and production, adaptability to the media of the end product, and myriad other reasons, creating web content from the web is a winning bet
We believe the web is the next big gaming platform. We believe the web will be the next big gaming platform. And it seems logical that if it is technically feasible, we will develop games from the web itself. With Java, HTML5, WebGL and other technologies that are slowly becoming a reality, and all that’s left is to integrate and mature the various online game development tools.
Integration with other web services and applications
Another advantage of online development engines is the possibility of integration with other web services and applications. For example, asset storage like Dropbox, Google Drive and Box, analytics, version control like GitHub and Bitbucket, task management like Trello and Wunderlist, social networking, and many more, you can integrate online game engines with APIs in a mash-up style.
The possibilities are endless.
The downside of online game engines
Requires always-on connection.
This is obvious: if you don’t have an internet connection, you can’t use online services. Of course, there are solutions that allow you to work offline, such as Google Docs, but this takes away many of the benefits of real-time online development. In addition, an internet connection requires minimum quality in terms of bandwidth. Game development can involve very large file sizes and this work can require a lot of bandwidth.
Access to servers.
SaaS services are usually criticised by users who do not have access to the servers and the data and files running on them. Richard Stallman believes that the use of this type of service violates the principle of free software. This is because in many cases these products are source code-free and users have access to all the files and source files that make up the service. In any case, this issue has much to do with the culture and belief that it is better to have all data on the computer. Nowadays, this belief is fading away, in particular thanks to cloud storage services such as Dropbox and Drive.
List of online game engines
Below is a list of popular game engines, the types of games you can create with them, and the skills you need to build them For more information on 2020 game engines, see also this blog post. You can also find out which coding languages are best suited for game development.
GDevelop is a game engine that allows developers to create games without any development experience. Although there has been a lot of talk this year about “no code”, GDevelop has been around for several years. Florian Rival first started working on GDevelop as an open source side project, publishing the first public version on GitHub in 2014.
He wanted GDevelop to make game development as accessible as possible – GDevelop can be launched from a web browser or installed on a computer. You can start with a template, modify it and try it out at any time.
GDevelop is dedicated to 2D games, making it more accessible for gamers and developers alike. To design a course, simply drag and drop objects into the scene.
For game design, you can see all game mechanics in the “Events” tab. Everything is described with conditions and actions, for example, the character is animated to “jump” when the player jumps. GDevelop has a lot of actions by default. And if you want to do something more specific, there is an extension system that allows you to add logic to your game. If you want to go further, you can also create your own extensions. An extension is a set of conditions and operations, i.e. JavaScript code.
GDevelop uses web technologies to render your game, such as WebGL, JavaScript and WebAssembly. When your game is ready to be exported, you can either export it to the web or convert it to an Android game. On average, half of GDevelop users export their games to Android.
Construct 3 is a 2D game engine that can be used to design and create games such as puzzles, platformers, role-playing games (RPGs), shooters, racing games or picture books. Construct 3 also includes the Box2D physics engine for creating physics-based games. The development environment runs in the browser and allows online and offline file saving, so it can be used on any operating system, including Chrome and Android.
When creating a new game, it creates the background, adds objects and gives the objects behaviour. You can then add custom logic through events (conditions and actions) to make the game work. There are plenty of tutorials to help you navigate through the game. You can design the game with drag-and-drop, clicks and a bit of typing. In addition, a tile editor and an object editor are available to create the look of the game on Construct 3, but you can also use images you create outside the interface. Objects can be placed in layers, each of which can move independently of the others to create a sense of depth. Special effects options such as particle and light effects are also available.
Games can be published on the web (HTML5), Steam, iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Linux, Windows UWP, Facebook and Xbox One. Games support mouse, keyboard and game controller, as well as multi-touch input on mobile touchscreens.
Modd.io is a fun 2D multiplayer game engine where people of all skill levels can make games using our browser-based drag & drop game editor. It’s 100% free
Gamefroot is a website that provides a block-based coding platform for game creation and design. Detailed tutorials walk you through the basic stages of game creation and help you understand the basic elements of coding (loops, events, variables, etc.) For those who have used Scratch, Gamefroot will be a familiar interface. In fact, Gamefroot includes many of Scratch’s code blocks and game-specific blocks.
Gamefroot is aligned with New Zealand curriculum standards, but can easily be adapted to national standards for coding and computational thinking In addition to Gamefroot’s game design features, students can share and test each other’s work In addition to Gamefroot’s game design features, there is also a game room where students can share and test their work with each other.
PlayCanvas is an open-source, cloud-hosted, collaborative 3D platform for building video games that includes per-pixel lighting, shadows, post-effects, rigid bodies, triggers, vehicles, joints, audio, input, and animation, and entity systems.
microStudio is a browser-based game engine that makes 2D games incredibly easy to make, thanks to its sophisticated design and comprehensive, well-documented toolkit. Simply log into microStudio.dev from your browser, clone an existing project or create a new one and start coding, no account creation required.
The main features of microStudio are
Fully browser-based, no installation or account creation required
Simple Lua inspired programming language microScript
Built-in multi-file code editor with syntax highlighting
Run games directly in the browser or test remotely with live loading on your mobile phone.
Pixel art editor
Tile map editor
Automatic synchronization of changes from multiple developers.
Support for HTML5 distribution or beta export of games for Windows, Mac and Linux
Browser-based game creation toolkit. Everything students need to design, build, and program their own games is included, with no installation required. Custom game logic is programmed using the included Visual Logic Builder. Students can design their own game art using drawing and animation tools. It provides a self-paced experience for prospective developers to create and learn at their own pace.
There are several advantages to using flowlab
No installation required, browser-based and can be run anywhere
Projects are accessible from home and stored in the cloud
Visual logic builder requires no programming experience
Sprite, animation, and game logic creation are all included
Export Application allows you to export your game as a native application.
Phaser is a fun, free and fast 2D gaming framework for creating HTML5 games for desktop and mobile web browsers, with support for Canvas and WebGL rendering Phaser 3 is the New Version. It features an all-new, custom WebGL renderer designed to meet the needs of modern 2D games Phaser internally uses both Canvas and WebGL renderers and switches between them automatically depending on browser support. This enables lightning-fast rendering on both desktop and mobile devices.
Why use Phaser? Phaser is one of the best Javascript-based game engines for the web. It is a free framework and can render games on a wide range of platforms. The community is still growing, the documentation is very well explained, and you’ll find plenty of examples on the labs page to help you build your game Phaser is powerful and easy to use, so if you want to start your own game, go for it.
Microsoft MakeCode is a free, open source platform for creating engaging computer science learning experiences that support a progression path into real-world programming.
It was launched to be a competitor’s to Scratch but it wasn´t as succeeded as the MIT’s platform. Nonetheless it is a good platform to use when introducing into the game development process.
BabylonJS is an open source JavaScript framework for creating 3D games using HTML5 and WEBGL. hosted on github.
In the world of 3D animation, shapes are drawn with triangles, and WebGL adds a lot of complexity because of the large amount of coding involved in the process. Babylon Japan is a simple solution that alleviates some of that complexity. Here, you can easily use the light, camera, and engine APIs to create 3D objects.
The BabylonJS source code is coded in typescript, compiled into Javascript, and provided to the end user.
To start working with babylonjs, you can download the babylonjs file, host it on your endpoint, and start writing 3D code.
BabylonJS was developed by Microsoft employees in 2016. David Catuhe, Principal Program Manager for Microsoft’s Windows & Devices Group, is a key figure in BabylonJs development and great success.
In order to run BabylonJS, you need a modern browser with WEBGL support. Modern browsers, i.e. Internet Explorer 11+, Firefox 4+, Google Chrome 9+, Opera 15+, etc. support WEBGL and it is possible to run the demo and see the output in these browsers.
BabylonJs offers the following features to create various types of 3D scenes
Shapes such as boxes, spheres, cylinders, cones, cuboids, etc.
Cameras, lights
Meshes, textures, materials
Sprites
Morphing
Mesh intersection and collision detection
Physics engine plug-ins
Action manager
Solid Particles
Instances and Particles
Bone and Skeleton Support
Add music and sound to your scene
In addition to our own meshes, BabylonJS can use meshes from third-party 3D software such as Blender, FBX, and 3DS Max.
Scratch is an MIT open source project that aims to get kids started with programming. It is essentially a game engine and programming language in one, similar in functionality to Stencyl, GDevelop and Construct2 in execution, just much simpler and aimed at younger developers.
It also comes loaded with content (sprites, backgrounds, sound effects, animations) to get you started. You can also extend the language using JavaScript.
It is somewhat limited with mode advanced features geared toward making games that could have a potential to make money. It is more focused on teaching game development to kids.
Not really a tool to make games online but rather one to actually learn how make them in a very friendly gamified way. It is implemented like a game tutorial, where to move between phases you have clear the challenges and obstacles that will require you to apply some basic knowledge.
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