6 Years of Learning Game Development

Codeer
19 Oct 202109:01
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRThe video details the game developer's journey over 6 years, starting with 3D modeling in SketchUp and Blender before moving to Unity to make mobile games. After releasing some small projects, he worked on a larger game with perspective-switching but later pivoted to a shooter with procedurally generated levels inspired by Horizon Zero Dawn and Nuclear Throne. He iterated on the idea, improving the visuals and adding unique mechanics like climbing. Recently he's participated in game jams and continues developing the quirky shooter.

Takeaways
  • 🎬 Started game development journey with SketchUp, transitioning from 2D drawings to 3D models.
  • 👨‍🎨 Explored 3D animations in Blender after initially attempting in SketchUp, learning to rig and animate characters.
  • 🕹️ Delved into the Blender game engine, creating basic games and learning about game mechanics.
  • 🛠️ Transitioned to Unity for broader export options and platform support, overcoming initial hesitance to learn coding.
  • 📲 Published games on Google Play, gaining experience with mobile game development despite modest downloads.
  • 📚 Experimented with a variety of game genres and platforms, including AR, VR, and multiplayer games.
  • 🎭 Created a successful Dutch educational app, showcasing versatility beyond gaming projects.
  • 🔬 Innovated with a platformer game that switched between 2D and 3D perspectives, enhancing gameplay with unique puzzles.
  • 🚩 Inspired by other games, evolved a mobile platformer into a colorful open-world PC game, demonstrating adaptability in game development.
  • 🚁 Embraced procedural generation and animation, expanding technical skills and game design capabilities.
  • 💪 Focused on unique gameplay elements like climbing and transforming in current third-person shooter project, showing continuous growth and creativity.
  • 🏆 Participated in game jams, enjoying the challenge and creativity of developing games within a limited timeframe.
Q & A

  • What was the first software the narrator used to make 3D animations?

    -The narrator first used SketchUp to make 3D drawings and animations as a kid.

  • How did the narrator transition from SketchUp to Blender?

    -The narrator's dad introduced him to Blender after seeing he was trying to make 3D animations in SketchUp.

  • Why did the narrator eventually move from Blender to Unity?

    -The narrator moved to Unity because he wanted to make mobile games, and Blender had limited export options.

  • What was the narrator's first successful project outside of games?

    -The narrator made a Dutch educational app to calculate minimum passing scores for school courses, which got some downloads.

  • What inspired the narrator's current climbing/shooting game project?

    -The narrator was inspired by the robots in Horizon Zero Dawn and the quick gameplay of Nuclear Throne.

  • How did the narrator change the game to differentiate it from Risk of Rain 2?

    -The narrator turned the character into a human/creature hybrid that can climb anywhere and made smaller, detailed areas instead of random generation.

  • When did the narrator start sharing devlog videos about the current project?

    -The narrator started sharing YouTube devlog videos on the climbing/shooting game project at the start of 2022.

  • What does the narrator enjoy about participating in game jams?

    -The narrator likes game jams because the short timeframe takes pressure off and makes them more enjoyable to work on.

  • What was the narrator's most recent game jam project?

    -The narrator's most recent jam project was a top down shooter called Balancefield where you balance enemies.

  • What is the narrator's current goal moving forward?

    -The narrator's main goal now is to finish developing the weird shooter/climbing game hybrid project.

Outlines
00:00
😊 Getting Started with 3D Modeling and Animation

The first paragraph describes the author's journey getting started with 3D modeling using SketchUp at the age of 12. He made buildings, furniture, and animations. He then started using Blender to create more advanced 3D animations and rigged characters. He tried using the Blender game engine to make simple games.

05:00
👾 Entering the World of Game Development

The second paragraph discusses the author's progression into game development. He started making mobile games in Unity and published his first game to Google Play. He continued making various games and assets in different genres and platforms like VR and AR. His most popular creation was actually an educational app. He then challenged himself to make a bigger mobile platformer game with perspective switching mechanics.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡SketchUp
SketchUp is a 3D modeling computer program for a wide range of drawing applications such as architectural, interior design, landscape architecture, civil and mechanical engineering, film, and video game design. In the video, SketchUp marks the beginning of the speaker's journey into video game development, transitioning from drawing to creating 3D models of buildings, furniture, and even replicating their house. This initial experience with SketchUp ignited the speaker's interest in 3D design and animation, setting a foundation for their future exploration in game development.
💡Blender
Blender is a free and open-source 3D creation suite supporting the entirety of the 3D pipeline—modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing, and motion tracking, even video editing, and game creation. The speaker's transition to Blender was pivotal, enabling them to explore advanced features such as rigging and animating characters. This tool allowed them to enhance their skills significantly, diving deeper into the world of 3D animations and eventually leading to their experimentation with the Blender game engine for creating video games.
💡Unity
Unity is a cross-platform game engine developed by Unity Technologies, used to develop video games for PC, consoles, mobile devices, and websites. The speaker's discovery of Unity represented a significant turning point in their game development journey, offering extensive platform support and requiring them to overcome the hurdle of learning to code. Unity opened up new opportunities for publishing games on various platforms, including mobile, and allowed the speaker to create and share their first mobile game on Google Play.
💡Coding
Coding, or programming, is the process of creating instructions for computers to follow. It's a crucial skill in game development for implementing game mechanics, interactions, and logic. The speaker's initial hesitation and subsequent decision to learn coding during a summer holiday illustrates a common barrier for aspiring game developers. However, overcoming this fear and learning to code enabled the speaker to bring their game ideas to life in Unity, significantly advancing their game development capabilities.
💡Game Jams
Game jams are timed events where participants create a game from scratch in a limited time frame, often with specific themes or constraints. The speaker's participation in game jams showcases an important aspect of game development culture, emphasizing creativity, experimentation, and the ability to work under pressure. These events played a crucial role in the speaker's development process, allowing them to explore new ideas and refine their skills in a fun, competitive environment.
💡Procedural Generation
Procedural generation refers to the technique of using algorithms to generate data automatically, rather than manually creating it. In game development, it's often used for creating random or dynamically evolving landscapes, levels, or content. The speaker mentions using a procedural level generator for their project, which allowed them to create diverse and unique game environments efficiently. This approach highlights the innovative use of technology in game development to enhance gameplay variety and replayability.
💡Shaders
Shaders are programs that run on a graphics processing unit (GPU) to control how scenes are rendered, including effects related to light, color, and texture. The speaker's exploration into shaders, particularly through the use of the Amplify Shader Editor, indicates a deep dive into the graphical aspect of game development. Learning to use shaders enabled them to visually enhance their game, demonstrating the importance of graphics programming in creating immersive and visually appealing game experiences.
💡Climbing Mechanics
Climbing mechanics refer to a game's ability to allow characters to interact with the environment by climbing over obstacles or terrains. In the video, the speaker discusses implementing climbing mechanics in their game, which opened up new gameplay possibilities. This addition illustrates the process of evolving a game's design to include more complex interactions and mechanics, thereby making the game more engaging and enjoyable for players.
💡Mobile Games
Mobile games are video games designed for mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets. The speaker's journey into developing mobile games marks a significant portion of their early game development career. Creating games like 'Blue Runner' allowed them to gain valuable experience and understand the nuances of developing for mobile platforms, including the importance of optimized performance and intuitive control schemes.
💡Game Engine
A game engine is a software development environment designed for people to build video games. Developers can use game engines to construct games for consoles, mobile devices, and personal computers. The video references the Blender game engine and Unity as pivotal tools in the speaker's development journey, highlighting the transition from simple 3D animations to full-fledged game development. The choice of game engine can significantly affect the development process and the types of games that can be created, as seen in the speaker's projects and their evolution over time.
Highlights

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Transcripts

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