Welcome! I’m your code mentor. So, 2025 is here—Happy New Year! If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to become a game developer and make your first game, that’s awesome. Nowadays, the tools are incredibly user-friendly, and there’s a wealth of free educational content available for everyone. You can definitely make your first game this year, regardless of your current skill set.
Is It Too Late to Start Game Development?
Some people wonder if it’s too late to start making games in 2025, or if they’re too old to learn programming or game development. The answer is no. It’s never too late to start learning something new. Yes, there are more games being released now than ever before, making it harder to stand out. But it’s absolutely possible to find success.
The Power of Continuous Learning
Personally, I’m a huge believer in education. I love learning new things and constantly push myself to stay updated with the latest trends and technologies. For example, I recently learned Netcode for entities—a complex subject. I read the documentation, went through samples, and wrote a ton of code to understand it better.
Accessible Game Development Tools
Whether you’re a programmer, an artist who has never written code, or a designer who likes plugging things together, you can start making games today. There are excellent engines available like Unity, Unreal, Godot, and GameMaker, all of which are free. You can also find substantial visual scripting tools to create games without writing any code.
Educational Resources
There is a mountain of free educational content available to learn any engine or tool. If you don’t enjoy programming, you can use visual scripting tools to create impressive games. If you’re a programmer with no artistic skills, you can use assets from stores to create beautiful games without doing any 3D modeling or animation.
Practical Learning with Tutorials
Tutorials are excellent guides to help you learn, but they’re just the first step. Don’t just blindly follow tutorials—pause, apply what you learn, and experiment. Take the time to understand why the code works and modify it to see the changes.
Recommended Courses for Beginners
For complete beginners, I recommend two excellent starting points:
- Kitchen Chaos Course: A free 10-hour course covering the creation of an interesting game from scratch.
- C# Course: A free 12-hour course teaching everything about C#, from basics to advanced topics like reflection, multi-threading, and asynchronous programming.
Whichever course you start with, I recommend going through the other one after completing the first. Understanding both will give you a solid foundation to start making your own games.
Advanced Learning and Tutorials
For more advanced topics, consider courses on multiplayer game development, turn-based strategy games, or Unity DOTS. There are also individual tutorials on various topics, such as making a third-person shooter, A* pathfinding, object picking, crafting systems, weapon attachments, character customization, and more.
Conclusion
it’s not too late to start making games, regardless of your age or skill set. With the right tools and resources, you can embark on your game development journey and create amazing games. Keep your projects small, stay motivated, and continue learning.
FAQs
- Is 2025 too late to start game development?
- No, it’s never too late to start making games, regardless of the year or your age.
- Can I learn game development at any age?
- Yes, you can start learning game development at any age. It’s never too late to learn something new.
- What game development tools are available?
- There are excellent free engines like Unity, Unreal, Godot, and GameMaker, along with substantial visual scripting tools.
- How can I effectively use tutorials?
- Follow tutorials, but also take the time to apply what you learn. Experiment, modify the code, and understand why it works.
- What courses are recommended for beginners?
- The Kitchen Chaos course and the C# course are excellent starting points for beginners.