How to Make Computer Games

Are you a gaming enthusiast who wants to learn how games are made? Do you enjoy a challenge and finding creative solutions to difficult problems? Game design may be for you. Today’s game engines make it easier than ever to create and publish games for nearly any platform with little or no knowledge of computer programming. You just need to know what your skills are and design a game around them. This FREE tutorial teaches you the basics of how to make a computer game.

Producing A Computer Game

Download Article

1. 1Plan the project. Before you start designing the game, create a list of all the tasks that need to be completed and create a schedule for when you want to complete these tasks. Break large tasks down into smaller tasks. Create a Gantt Chart. Set milestone goals. At the end of each week, write down what you accomplished during the previous week and what you hope to accomplish the next week. Compare those notes from last week’s notes.^[4]
   • If you go a little overschedule don’t worry too much. There is always going to be unexpected problems that come up in game development. Even experienced producers will often take their best time and add 50%. If you go over by more than 300%, you may need to consider scaling back the project.
   • If this is the first game you have ever created, don’t plan on making anything that takes more than a month to make. It’ll probably take more than a month, but that’s okay. Don’t go into it with any major ideas in mind. Your first game should be a learning experience. Use this as an opportunity to see what you can create. Create something simple, and then move on to the next project. Be proud of what you created. Even if it’s not very good.
2. 2Create a prototype for your game. Once you have the tools needed to make a game, it’s time to start creating. Start by creating a simple prototype. It should not take more than 3 weeks to complete. This should only contain the core mechanics with no special features. In game development, this is called the “minimum viable product.” This gives you something to play and test. You can learn a lot about your game by actually playing it. The prototype will let you experience what aspects of the game are engaging and what is not. This lets you create a solid foundation to build the rest of your game upon.
   • For example, if you are making a first-person shooter, your prototype doesn’t need to be a huge level with a plethora of enemies, multiple customizable weapons, and killer graphics. Your prototype would just be a single room with 1 enemy type and 1 weapon that you can shoot. ^[5]
3. 3Create the assets of the game. Once you have an idea of what the final product of the game is going to be, it’s time to start creating all the game assets. The assets are everything the game is made of. This includes the character models/sprites, enemy model/sprites, animations, level design, scripts, sound effects, music, and more. All of this will need to be constructed individually and then imported into the game engine.
   • If there are game assets that you don’t know how to make or don’t have time to make, many game engines have an assets store where you can purchase game assets made by other people and import them into your own game. Some games are made entirely of assets purchased from the assets store.
4. 4Test your game. You can learn a lot by playing a game that you made. You can also learn a lot by watching others play your game. Playtesting should be done at all stages of game development from the early prototype stages to crunch-time just before launch.^[6]
   • Playtest using players of all skill levels. Don’t just used skill gamers unless that is the niche you are going for.
   • Don’t explain too much about the game at first. Just let the Playtester have a crack at it. If they get stuck or get confused, then you can go ahead and give a little bit of an explanation.
   • Pay attention to what playtesters do on their own in the game. See where they get stuck and where they need instruction. Figure out where they spent most of their time looking in the game.
   • Pay attention to the playtesters reactions during the game. See what makes them gasp, sigh, or make other audible noises Write down any feedback you get.
   • Pay attention to what order they give their feedback in. This explains what is most important to them. Don’t get defensive or feel the need to explain anything when you receive negative feedback.
   • Don’t force playtesters to continue to play your game. Allow them to quit and walk away. When they decide to give up on your game is an important data point in and of itself.
   • Have a test survey for your playtesters to fill out. Be sure to include 1-10 rating questions that can be turned into data and include a section for comments at the end.
   • The worst playtester for a game is yourself. The second worst playtester for a game is friends and family. They are biased.
5. 5Make adjustments to your game. After you receive feedback from playtesting, make the necessary corrections to your game. Check the data points from the surveys to make sure the numbers are trending upwards. Make sure you are correcting the issues that need to be corrected.
   • Be flexible with your ideas. During playtesting, you may find out that you are wrong about your game. What you thought would be the most engaging may not be what others thought was engaging.
6. 6Polish and optimize your game. When your game is nearing completion, then you can add some bells and whistles to the game. Feel free to enhance the graphics and add additional effects and sounds, but be aware of how these additions affect the game’s performance. Make sure the framerate stays consistent through the majority of the gameplay.
   • If you find that adding a particular effect is slowing down the game, consider if the effect is needed or if it can be implemented in a way that isn’t as hardware-intensive.
   • If you are planning on selling your game to a wider audience, your goal should be to make a game that can play on as many PCs as possible. Create options that allow players with lower-end PCs to be able to turn off the more hardware-intensive features.
   https://effcaae0db88d854b7248992b38aad75.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html
7. 7Publish and distribute your game. Unless this is your first game and you are doing it just for the learning experience, you’ll probably want to sell your game and earn some money for your hard work. Luckily Windows is an open platform that allows anybody to develop software for it. Many game engines have the ability to publish a working version of the game for you to ship. Once your game is finished, you’ll need a way to distribute the game. Luckily, there are plenty of online distribution platforms you can turn to.
   • Look for a digital distribution website that will carry your game. Today, it’s easier than ever to get your game on a platform like Steam or a more independent platform like Itch.io. Whichever platform you choose, make sure you understand the quality control process for that platform.
   • Before your game launches, start building up some buzz. Create a website and a promo trailer. Talk to independent gaming websites. Do interviews and go on podcasts. Post about your game on social media.