Ive always wanted to make a video game but i feel too dumb to make one. Is gamedev worth looking into still even if im not the sharpest tool in the shed?
Or are there better hobbies out there for newcomers to the hobby space? I know most of you will say do what you enjoy, the thing is im not sure what i enjoy.
Idk if this goes here but i like the linux community as they are usually kind on lemmy.
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I personally split gamedev into 5 separate hobbies:
- conceptualizing
- 2d/3d rendering
- music
- programming
- putting it all together Then I rotate between whichever one I feel the most attracted to at the moment.
The hardest thing is to keep within your level. You’re not a 1-man army who can make a Hollow Knight in a year. Start with small ideas and expand and remix them as you improve and/or find slaves. But definitely keep the big ideas somewhere bc you might accidentally make all the systems you need along the way.
I’d recommend getting to grips with the fundamentals of python or JavaScript first before jumping in but Godot is a great open source tool for picking up some gamedev after you are used to the basics.
It’s a hobby: it’s driven by your interests alone.
It’s been my hobby for a few years now and I love it. Just make sure to temper expectations and that you’re doing it because you enjoy it and not because you think it’ll make you rich or something lol
Even if you dont like it, no harm in trying it. Worst case you find you dont wanna do it and move on to something else.
You can start with something like pico-8 or a free engine of which there are a ton: https://lexaloffle.itch.io/pico-8
Me personally, ive been trying Godot and its kinda hard to get into, but I may try something else like RPG maker or what not just to get my ideas on paper so to speak.
Grab godot, grab some tutorials, make something. It really is that simple. Just set your expectations. Your games will be closer to Pong for a while but there’s nothing wrong with that.
If you don’t know what you enjoy the only way to find out is to try things, and it’s never been easier to try making a game. If you have zero programming experience whatsoever I’d say start here: https://gdquest.github.io/learn-gdscript/
Hobby? Absolutely!
Just don’t expect any money out of it. At all. If you DO get money out of it, consider yourself very lucky. Do it for fun first and foremost.
Yep. Like many arts, gamedev is something people do for free, so it’s very difficult (or torturous) to do it for profit.
But that is the best part of user software development.
Developing [a game] is pretty much free, so if you make any money out of it at all is just a bonus.
Most physical hobbies cost money where if you make some money from it it likely won’t even start breaking even, you are often 1-10k€ in the hole before you even start selling anything.
Oh I agree. It’s lovely that you can just get started, all you need is a computer and an Internet connection.
I just wanted to make sure OP’s expectations aren’t too high because some people get into it seeing the success of small team or even solo indie games like Minecraft (before Microsoft) or Stardew Valley and think that could be them. But those are results of a perfect storm of passionate people working on creative projects that people happen to like a lot, which also filled some sort of void in the game market. One in a million chance if you ask me.
It’s a hobby that allows for a LOT of different types of creative expression, does not require any monetary investment to get started in, or to pursue long term, and even has a small chance to MAKE you money, if it turns out you enjoy it enough to purse that end. It has the potential to make a GREAT hobby.
Just give it a try. Even if you decide that gamedev isn’t for you, you’ll learn something new about yourself and game development in general.
I know most of you will say do what you enjoy, the thing is im not sure what i enjoy.
Well, I suppose there’s one way to find out: give it a try!
A hobby is “good” if you enjoy it. That’s all that matters with hobbies. Don’t look down on yourself for wanting to do something for fun. It doesn’t have to be “efficient” or turn into an income or anything else. Just try it and learn. Learn the skills, learn if you like it
I found it fun to do amateur gamedev, for my own little enjoyment (e.g. making a super-basic FPS with a gun that shoots a thousand cubes like a shotgun, then making it shoot a thousands spheres that explode on impact like a grenade launcher). Lots of engines are accessible that you don’t need to learn much/any programming skill to make something fun. You can do plenty with free assets, I never paid for anything, but if you are willing and able to pay small amounts for premade assets, then it will be even faster and easier to make something more pretty.
I’ve also done level design (and LoC) for some open-source FOSS games. This is easier for some games than others, but it’s also rewarding. I was particularly known for making experimental or puzzle-like levels, so it was nice to get feedback from others and improve. I’ve mostly grown apart from games these days, but I don’t regret the time I enjoyed making them.
Do it! The barrier to entry for gamedev is ridiculously low with something like Unity or Godot, and nowadays you can make a complete game with 100% open-source tools.
If game development interests you, it’s a great hobby. You don’t need to be knowledgable, but it helps if you like logic puzzles, because programming is basically solving one logic puzzle after the other.
Yes but also no. For me it kind of killed other games because I suddenly started looking at stuff like assets and how much effort was put into them. Gamedevs can put so much detail into stuff the average user does not notice at all.
I used to work as an animator and now I have that lol. It’s hard to watch anything animated just for fun because my brain wants to take it apart and analyze it.
