Useful Resources
Want to make video games but not sure how to get started? You've come to the right place.
This page lists various freely available tools, tutorials and resources that will hopefully help you to make your games!
No clue where to begin? Try this.Tutorials
- Official Unity Tutorials - A really good resource for getting started with Unity
- Brackeys - In depth Unity tutorials
- NerdParadise Pygame Tutorial - Start working with pygame!
- The Total Beginner's Guide to Better 2D Game Art - learn to draw your own assets!
- Learn-by-doing Git Tutorial
- Git Tutorial Video
- A nice list of tutorials and articles on programming and game design by our friends at StemJuniors club
- A collection of articles on how the game development process works, and how to get started. Found by our friend Kris.
Tools
Version Control
Before you get started making a game you should familiarise yourself with version control. A version control system tracks the progress you make on a software project and allows you to rollback to previous versions, work on different versions concurrently, and deal with conflicts that arise when you work on a project as part of a team (for example, when two people modify a file two different ways). Think 'Google Drive' for Devs!
Once you have your project under version control, you'll need somewhere to put it online (a remote repository) so you can share it with your teammates. Many of these online git repository services also allow for things like issue tracking, and documentation!
Game Engines
Game Frameworks - for programmers scared of engines
- Monogame (C#)
- Raylib (C - loads of bindings to other langs)
- SDL2 (C - loads of bindings to other langs)
If even a framework is too high level
Art
Raster Graphics
Vector Graphics
2D Animation/Spriting
3D Modelling
3D Animation
Music
Raw Audio
Digital Audio Workstations
Trackers
Sound Effects
Level Design
Assets
- Kenney's Assets - 2D and 3D art. Affectionately known as 'Asset Jesus'
- OpenGameArt
- Pigsodus Sprites - 2D assets from pig RPG Pigsodus, freely available
- Free Sound - Need some generic sound effects?
Theory
- Game Developer Magazine - Archives stretching back to 1994
- Simonschreibt - How do games make such pretty fx?
- Daniel Cook: Game Design Theory I Wish I had Known When I Started - good vid
- Game Makers Toolkit - Videos covering specific game design concepts
- Vlambeer: The Art of Screenshake - how 2 good game feel
- Extra Credits - high pitched man talks about games