Where to start when your goal is Game development?

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Hi there,

I have been playing with the idea/dream of coding and being part of the game worlds I enjoy playing myself. When it comes to self-employment, I always struggled thinking about ideas, what would I do, what would the service I’d like to provide look like in the real world,and more.

I never had an answer to these questions, so it was pretty clear to me, I should not start a company. Neither did I really enjoy the work I was doing, I’m 34 years old now. It hit me late, but when it comes to gaming, I do have ideas. I do see mechanics I’d like to implement which I think might be super fun, or even entire game ideas that I think the player base would absolutely love if done right. I have been enjoying games all my life, it is one of the few areas I am super passionate about. I always tried to stray away from gaming topics when it comes to working and my career. In Switzerland and the way I was raised, I went different routes to secure my life when it comes to earning money. Gaming is something I loved, but in the end also something I thought about like “this is a waste of time”. Which it is, unless I actually start working in the gaming industry and take advantage of the thousands of hours I poured into all these worlds and ideas.

I still have no desire to create my own company, I’d much rather work for companies like, if I dare to dream big, RIOT, Square Enix, Valve, Epic, etc… So I do not want to create a game and make money with it, but I’d love to be a part of something bigger.

In order to achieve this goal, I started to think about ways to reach it. How can I get there? The best thing I can think of is to get courses online and start playing with Unreal Engine 5. Looking at the job descriptions, as an example for RIOT Games, you do need extensive knowledge in programming. We talk about descriptions with 7+ years of programming, and 3+ years of C++. Now I can’t generate experience in these areas out of thin air but I have to start somewhere.

Looking at all the courses online, as an example the C++ course on Code Ninja, some courses on Udemy. People rate these courses so badly, and the feedback is so negative, it made the starting point very unclear and hard. It also made me question if I was chasing a dream like “I want to be an actor”, or even a better one, “I want to be a big Twitch streamer”, where it is very very unlikely to get there and you simply should start to be realistic with yourself. I’m not 20 years old so there isn’t time to waste, but I would truly love to get this done.

Which is why I opened this thread:
What would you guys recommend someone with these goals to do?
Which course is the best out there, even if it costs money, in order to get started? Get the needed C++ knowhow, and simply start moving towards the goal with small steps.

I talked to people around me, and they always say the same thing. Why would you acquire these skills, and go into the gaming industry where you earn much less money compared to using them somewhere else. And the answer is, bcause I want to work on projects I’m passionate about myself. I tired and bored to work for money, I want to work for things like Final Fantasy, I want to work for games like Diablo4, Valorant. These are things which get me excited. Creating code for a bank does not.

I’d really appreciate answers on this topic, since I do struggle creating a realistic plan I can be dilligent on and follow in order to reach my goals. If not, I’d also appreciate a wake-up slap, in order to not waste my time if I’m actually chasing a dream which might only come true for 1% of the people.

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Hi @s0lidOz

That was one helluva read. And a tough nut to crack.

But a simple response is probably better than a long one.

Best way to learn is firstly decide what area you want to work in. That will then be your main focus. Logic, animation, modelling etc etc.

Then consider designing a small game, something you can do yourself maybe only a little help.

Plan your game out then start. What this will do is make you focus on 1 aspect of the game and you can then find tutorials on the aspect you are working on.

Ie say its a moving block game, how do you make the floor? How does the block move?

Youtube tutorials that are free are aften as invaluable as paid courses. I have taken some udemy courses. One was terrible (well considering it was an ULTIMATE guide to… it was a beginners so jmm) but i took a niagara vfx one that was VERY good. Udemy do a paid monthly subscription which may benefit you its about as much as 1 course costs when they have their “sales” (every week).

But seriousley there is a wealth of free tutorials and help out there including on here.

This is one of the best help resources ive ever seen. Go to stack exchange u get flamed for asking something regardless. Here you will get really good answers and opinions and no grief.

So in essence pick yourself something to achieve a small term goal and start learning.

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Well questions like these are rather subjective as they usually contained wishful thinking mixed in with the reality as to what is required as to achieving your goals.

First there are plenty of positions for talented individuals even if they only have the skills of getting things done. The thing to keep in mind is all potions are not paid and at times would only included members on the team who enjoy building rather working for the pay check. Not everyone who plays golf on the weekend have dreams of playing in PGA yet finds their own joy in a round well played.

First tip take the quest for the paycheck off the table and look for learning opportunities of use to you.

Next is from personal experience as I reached a point where I felt I could contribute in useful ways at producing assets that serve a purpose besides gathering dust and made a conscience decision to become a joiner. There are tones of projects looking for help and once you take the paycheck off the table things becomes much more clear as to what has value to you as a personal learning experience. On your part is finding the project that has wheels as well considering that most companies hire based on need and project requirements.

These opinions is use to be the way things worked as most hires are made via the Indy and mod pathway than going to school to learn this and that which is out of date before presented.
Opinion wise again I’ve seen individuals learn more and faster in 6 months in “work for the love of the game” and more so if a result is released :smiley:

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To start your journey in game development, it’s important to identify your specific area of interest, such as game design, programming, or art. Begin with smaller projects to gain experience and practice in your chosen domain. Utilize free online resources and community forums dedicated to game development for valuable insights and guidance. Set realistic goals, stay persistent, and enjoy the process of learning and creating in the world of game development.

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I am in kind of same boat as you are. My (good paying) company in February turned to be zombie corpo (those that do not make profit really, well we made profit but every time we started our board and CEO just spend it on new “ideas”, and then got even more investors money).

So because of that bankrupcy that kicked me out of my comfort zone i decided to go for game dev. I know it pays less.

Things that i do currently:
I am making some small game, that will either sell or be nice addition to portfolio. Also building portfolio projects, writing down ideas for nice to have modules. And recently got idea for a game that has chances on kicstarter or parteon.

So in short:
build portfolio, have idea for game that can generate passive income, think what modules you need for this game, create those as separate portfolio projects.

And specialize (if you want job in serious/big game company).
Learning backend (ie AWS Python etc.) can get you that job in game industry, they have plenty of game coders, and none for backend, servers etc. However crappy salary still applies, so better to do same job for a bank.

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I’ve been contemplating the idea of pursuing a career in game development, specifically with Unreal Engine. I’ve always been passionate about gaming and have a ton of ideas for unique mechanics and exciting game concepts. However, I’m facing some uncertainty about how to proceed. I want to work for renowned companies like Epic Games or Square Enix rather than starting my own game development studio. But here’s the catch: most job descriptions I’ve come across require extensive programming knowledge, particularly in C++. The problem is, I don’t have years of experience in these areas, and I’m not sure where to start. I’ve looked into various online courses, but I’m finding mixed reviews and it’s making the process overwhelming. I’m not getting any younger, so I really want to make the most of my time. Any advice on the best courses or resources to kickstart my journey into the gaming industry? Regards

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What steps have you taken so far to learn C++ or other programming languages required for game development? :grinning:

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SLAP! You can do Both :slight_smile: thus my question to you is…

Why havent you started yet?
  1. Download UnrealEngine
  2. Pick a couple of Game Ideas You LOVE
  3. Search UE Marketplace for Assets that can provide Content and Features
  4. Acquire Assets
  5. Search Youtube for tutorials of the Game Features I desired in my games
  6. Ask Questions in Unreal Forums and Discords of other developers doing similar games and assets creators.
  7. Use Tutorials and Forums to help construct the games
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I’ve chosen to start in generalisation. I now have a bachelor’s degree in Multimedia Arts with aims to specialise in in-engine cinematic development. I’m actually hoping to work in cutscenes and cinematics given that I have no talent in game development itself. I hope that I can be competent enough to help market your games in the future.

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I would really carefully reconsider it all. Just look at what is going on with deep AI currently. Safest job choice for starting career would be imo. “plumber”. At least pick one that cannot be easily automated in 5-10 years.

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Well in that case, the current form of employment is at threat. Start today and learn to incorporate deep AI into your current job and your Game Dev. That’s what I’m doing.

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Doing that just now. And chatGPT improved my “Coding speed” by 50% or so.

Also i seen somewhere this:
“AI will not replace you. You will be replaced by human that uses AI better than you.”

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I totally get what you mean about self-employment not being the right fit for everyone. Starting a company can be a big step, and it’s not for everyone. But the fact that you have all these cool ideas and a deep love for gaming is a great start. You don’t necessarily have to be the CEO of a gaming company to make a difference in the industry, right? And aiming high is always a good thing!

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There are numerous online resources and educational platforms available to equip you with the necessary skills. Go and let them explore game development more. :no_mouth:

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Start with learning the basics of programming, especially C++ if you’re targeting Unreal Engine. Explore free resources like LearnCpp and Unreal Engine’s official tutorials to get hands-on experience. Participate in game jams or join small indie projects to build your portfolio and network with others in the industry. For deeper insights and professional guidance, platforms like Devoted Fusion can be a great resource.