How to Learn Programming for Game Development If You Are Not a Techie?

Once you have decided on your path in game development and you are not a tech person, this article is precisely for you. Nowadays, there are a plethora of ways to learn how to make video games, from free YouTube channels to paid either online or offline courses. This reading will give you insight into finding motivation and resources to start coding games.

Did you know that, according to Statista, the total revenue of the video games market in the US reached almost $86bn in 2021, marking an 11.9% increase compared to 2020? Furthermore, with the advent of user-friendly game engine UIs, plug-ins, and frameworks for programming languages, the indie industry replenishes its army of developers.

Today is probably the best time to step into the world of game development even when you are not a techie, and your favorite high school subject was literature, not math. Let’s get started!

What Is a Starting Point in Programming Video Games?

Beyond question, game development is a risky endeavor. It will unquestionably be a tough challenge if you have never written even a line of code. The first big thing is to cherry-pick a programming language that best fits your game development prospects. Start questioning yourself about what games you would like to create, outline their genres and style.

If it is indie game development, better stick to the Unity engine. In turn, Unreal is a more complex platform offering supreme-quality graphics as well as allowing developers to build AAA projects, whereas Unity is perfect for indie or mobile game creation. Simply put, Unreal Engine is powered by a general-purpose programming language referred to as C++. If you prefer working exclusively as a developer, choose a reliable game development company.

In case you are more into indie and mobile video game development, a better choice for you will be C#-powered Unity. As a rule, one may point out two methodologies according to which you can learn this powerful general-purpose, multi-paradigm programming language, including project-based and language-oriented approaches.

Project-Based Approach

Well, the best way to learn to code for game development implies relying on a project-based methodology. This approach is pretty straightforward — first, you learn syntax, then do framework tutorials, and try to make games, simultaneously studying object-oriented design.

The practical algorithm of the project-based methodology boils down to the following steps:

1. Install and set up the Unity game engine;
2. Install Visual Studio from Microsoft;
3. Try working on small video game projects using C#.

And that is pretty much everything you might need to start making real games to be published on Steam, Google Play, or, say, App Store. Once you master C# and Unity, it will just take time, practice as well as management and marketing skills to promote your first indie game.

Fundamentally, the most apparent benefits this approach brings about include:

• Hands-on practice;

• More motivation to move on with game development;

• Better problem-solving skills;

• Advanced bug detection abilities;

• Less time is needed to finish a full-scale project.

Even though there are not so many drawbacks to this approach to mastering game development, at least one you should keep in mind — chances are you can miss a ton of theoretical knowledge that you might need to replenish as you work on your game. In this case, Google is definitely your best mate.

Language-Oriented Approach

Another method presupposes starting everything from learning the programming language itself. Therefore, after installing Visual Studio, gain more insight into the theory. Learn data types, loops, logical comparisons, variables, and the rest. By mastering these subjects, you are likely to become a better C# programmer, which, in turn, will result in more advanced coding abilities.

Interestingly, C# is not only one of the most potent technologies today but also one of the most frequently used in modern development. For instance, one survey indicates that almost 28% of developers in the world build software using C#, which means this technology is in high demand. The same statistics show that slightly more than 22% of developers employ C++ in their practice.

Although a language-oriented approach is becoming a less applied methodology in the modern world, it still provides some benefits. Among the most evident ones, there are:

• A more in-depth and insightful comprehension of the technology;

• A better understanding of how to apply this or that tool in each unique case;

• Less time spent googling and researching issues as you make your game.

Of course, this learning model is also prone to some drawbacks. One of the most significant ones is that there are increased odds of giving everything up long before you are able to work on your first game project. This theoretical approach will ensure a more multifaceted knowledge of a subject but does not guarantee long-term motivation compared to the project-based method.

What Is the Best Way to Launch Your First Game Project?

As soon as you become a confident C# coder and Unity user, you can either increase your one-person team with a 2D or 3D artist who will be involved in modeling, designing, and animating your game world or learn to do it all on your own. Nevertheless, be prepared for burnout and remember that your game projects will be limited to a smaller scale in this case.

What you also should do is accumulate the experience of professionals. Primarily, it goes for game development studios that have helped others release hundreds of complex projects. Consider visiting their websites and familiarizing yourself with their portfolios.

For example, one of such companies is Game-Ace, a full-cycle game development studio specialized in multiple styles and genres, from mobile slot to big NFT games for PC. Here is its website — https://game-ace.com/. Consuming the experience of others, you prepare yourself for the future, thereby making a massive investment in your self-improvement.

Learning Programming for Game Development Is Easy

Even if you are indeed a creative person who stays away from math and physics, indie game development may truly become your passion. Mastering C# for Unity does not require the knowledge of these disciplines. The plurality of free YouTube tutorials, as well as multiple frameworks and plugins, will considerably reduce the workload. You just need to be creative.

Ultimately, learning programming for Unity is not what it looks like at first sight. It is not about mastering integrals or matrices. Modern C# programming for indie game development requires motivation, creativity, and thought-out game mechanics, which is more associated with game design rather than mathematics.

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