Where to learn to make games. Where to get an education in game development. What kind of knowledge can you get at HSE?

What should the future take into account? Which language should I start learning with? What to strive for? Who to look up to? And what needs to be done first?

Most rock music fans sooner or later pick up a guitar. Sports fans passionately dream of going to the football field, basketball court or tennis court. Well, those who have committed hundreds of thefts in GTA, spent dozens of hours in computer clubs playing Counter-Strike, or achieved considerable success in MMORPGs are probably thinking about a career as a game developer.

The problem is that this area is taught in only a few educational institutions. Therefore, most game developers are self-taught, having once compiled the curriculum themselves. But what nuances did they take into account? Where did you start and what did you strive for? What language did you learn first? We tried to answer these and other pressing questions.

What to strive for?

Before going to the store, you make a shopping list (at least in your head). Before traveling to the other end of the city, plan your route. Well, before learning how to develop games, it is advisable to ask yourself: what exactly do you want to do? Create mobile applications or browser games? Work in a large company or a small one? Should I develop games professionally or devote my free time to it? And if the first, then what interests you more: creating an interface, polishing the gameplay, or writing scripts?

Correct goal setting will help save a lot of time and effort. In addition, it will allow you to reach your final destination by the shortest route. Without the risk of leaving the road or falling into a swamp.

What language should I learn?

In addition, the answer to the burning question depends on the goal: what programming language should you start with?

Thus, future developers of games like Minecraft and mobile applications for Android should pay close attention to Java. To begin with, we recommend taking an intensive course, especially since it is free. For those who are looking towards iOS - Objective-C. For browser games, sometimes knowledge of Ruby-On-Rails is enough. For very small and simple ones, HTML is sometimes enough. Flash game production uses ActionScript, and to write scripts of any complexity you will need JavaScript or perhaps the less common Lua. To create small console games, knowledge of C# is required.

As for the most large-budget games (the so-called AAA class), most of them are equipped with their own or borrowed “engine”. Often, however, the entire “engine” or most of it is written in C++. It was this language that was used to create many famous “toys” - from Doom 3 and Call Of Duty to FIFA and The Sims. While classics like Quake were written in C.

However, there is a catch in mastering C++ - excessive complexity. It’s not for nothing that they say that taking on C++ without knowing other languages ​​is the same as starting to study mathematics with linear equations.

Is one language enough?

One of the beauties of programming is the opportunity for constant self-development. In the development of games (especially large ones), self-improvement, including learning as many languages ​​as possible, is not a whim, but a vital necessity. Thus, experienced developers working for the benefit of the giants of the gaming industry are often faced with the need to alternately write in 7-8 languages. At the same time, in addition to the above languages, they have to learn, for example, Python or even SQL (as you understand, to create databases).

Therefore, if you decide to throw in your lot with the production of major games, be prepared to become a “polyglot”. In addition, the more languages ​​you master, the more interesting and varied tasks you will be given. And, of course, your chances of getting your dream job will increase significantly.

WHERE TO BEGIN?

Before you can travel around the world, you need to learn to walk. Well, before a serious game project, you need to try your hand at something less significant.

Almost all experienced developers, regardless of credentials and talent, started with small applications: board games, variations of well-known “toys”, simple “flash drives”. Then they did not think about large exhibitions like E3, but accumulated invaluable experience. Why not follow their example? It is not necessary to write extremely complex code. For a debut, it is enough to use special programs for creating games (for example, Game Maker). After all, even with simple tools you will make your life much easier. Firstly, you will understand in miniature the logic and structure of almost any gaming application. Secondly, you will get bumps that will heal during the transition to serious projects. Finally, thirdly, enrich your portfolio. After all, even a simple “toy” requires a lot of time, patience and creativity to come up with a concept, write code and fix bugs. In addition, it shows that you are familiar with game production not only in dry theory.

What to take as a guideline?

Anyone who dreams of becoming a writer will read hundreds of books before writing a single word. Piano masters know the best works of Strauss, Chopin and Beethoven by heart. Famous artists memorized art history before major exhibitions.

The same principle applies to game development. You can't develop in a vacuum. Therefore, play, be inspired by the masters and, like a sponge, absorb the best. At the same time, try to look at applications not through the eyes of a “gamer”, but through the eyes of a developer. In other words: transpose the game. Think about why at this moment in time the “bot” ran to the left and not back? What factors change the strength and accuracy of a shot in a sports simulator? How to create a "fatigue effect" when a character runs for a long time? How to make sure that when it rains, the player hears the sound of drops, and not the squeal of a pig? In general, get to the point. Try to recreate in your head the algorithms you encounter during the game. Believe me, such a constructive approach will help you in your future difficult, but damn exciting career as a game developer.

The main thing is to find out at the very beginning what awaits us, so that later we don’t stop halfway, go through all the stages and release the release. We teach in detail all the subtleties, skills and tricks in the course "". Here we will consider the first steps that await the developer.

Where to start developing a game

We hope that you have already figured out what the game will be like, developed a concept and are already looking for ways to develop it. The time has come to realize your ideas. There are several options on how to do this.

• Writing everything from scratch is a difficult method, but it is better to start with it to understand the languages.
• Using engines is an easier option. Even a beginner, armed with manuals from the Internet, can create a game on one of the popular platforms.
• Find blanks - ready-made templates are sometimes enough to pass off the game as your own, replacing the components with your own.

All three methods involve some kind of programming, so you will definitely have to know at least the basics.

Programming languages

Anything from Python and C to Pascal and Java will do. The choice determines how long the game will take and what platform it will be released for. Language also affects performance.

For example, C++ can be written for any platform, but PHP or JavaScript are better suited for browser games. If you use one of the engines, then it is better to learn C# in addition - scripts are written in it. The main thing is not to underestimate languages. The Unity engine is also friendly with JavaScript, and MineCraft was written in Java.

Engines for creating games

Among the modern ones we highlight:

CryEngine

Crysis, Far Cry, Sniper II: Ghost Warrior.

Unreal Engine

Gears of War 4, Dead Pool, Mortal Kombat X, Tekken 7

Outlast, Assassin's Creed: Identity, Temple Run, Deus Ex: The Fall.

Very popular Unity, it is designed both for 2D, and on 3D games. It is suitable for different platforms and languages. Most mobile and indie games are created on it. It's free, but if you earn more than $100,000 a year from your games, you'll have to share it with the Unity developers.

How the game code is built

Let's say you've chosen a language and an engine, and made a plan. What's next? Think everything through. Depending on the path you choose (pure language or using an engine), what awaits you at different stages of development will differ.

If you do everything on your own, then the work on physics, mechanics, graphics, artificial intelligence and balance will fall on your shoulders. If you choose an engine, you can breathe easy.

Physics

Physics is how the game world reacts to the actions of the player or objects within the world. Here are some physical actions:

• walking;
• riding;
• jumping;
• blows;
• shots;
• falling objects and so on.

If you write it yourself, then for a regular jump you will have to:

• check if the player is on the ground;
• change the Y coordinate so that the player rises up;
• finish the climb after some time;
• start and continue falling until the ground is under the player’s feet.

Not to mention the fact that you have to work on animating it all.

function jump()( If(gamer.jumpTimer >= 1 ) ( gamer.y++; gamer.jumpTimer --; ) else ( If(gamer.y >= ground.y) ( gamer.y--; ) ) )

The physics is already written into the engines, and you just need to adjust it to your needs. For example:

1. You have placed an object into the Unity workspace.
2. They indicated that it needs to use physics.
3. When the game starts, the object will fall.

And for this you don’t have to write any code at all - everything is already provided.

Mechanics

Game mechanics are the ways in which the player interacts with the world. The set of game mechanics makes up the gameplay. For example, you have already implemented the ability to walk and jump. This game is more of a platformer.

And if you add the mechanics of gaining experience, increasing levels, pumping up skills, the game will begin to resemble an RPG. Mechanics are as important a component of the game as the plot or graphics.

Another example: you wrote a script for a game in which you need to escape from prison. Even if the game is the most linear in the world, game mechanics can change everything:

• if you add shooting, it will be action;
• if the player is unarmed, stealth;
• If you also need to pick locks, then this is already a puzzle or puzzle.

As a programmer, you will have to devote a lot of time to mechanics.

Graphic arts

Previously, graphics were created using software code, then textures and sprites were invented, and models are used for 3D games. Having prepared all the textures and models, you need to add them to the game.

In the engine, you just need to download the necessary files and attach them to the desired models. Otherwise, you have to write everything manually, including animation.

Example of 2D character animation

To animate 2D objects, a texture similar to the one in the image above is created. It is divided into equal parts, which replace each other. That is, the player first sees the first frame, which then changes to the second, and then to the third - this creates the illusion of movement.

Animation in action

If you take a 3D model, then skeletal animation is used - the model is, as it were, strung on a special frame (skeleton) with moving parts. The movement of these parts is written in code.

The screenshot shows how the character bends his arm in places with points (vertices). There can be a lot of such points if complex animation is required - gestures, facial expressions, and so on.

An animation is created like this: coordinate points are specified or the movements of a real actor are captured.

The first method is complex, but cheap, because the programmer only needs to register the movements - move point A1 to coordinates (50,240).

The second one is simpler, because it is enough to dress the actors in special suits with beacons, film it and transfer it to the game. But here, of course, you will have to pay for costumes, a pavilion, the work of operators, directors and actors.

Balance

To make the game interesting, you need balance. This means that each opponent must have strengths and weaknesses. This way the gameplay won't turn into killing dandelions or ten-hour shootouts with the boss.

For example, if a shooter has a high-damage weapon, it should have a long reload time. If the damage is small, reloading can be fast. Armored enemies have low mobility, and nimble enemies die with a few hits or shots.

Artificial intelligence

If the gameplay involves interaction with NPCs, then they need to be prescribed behavioral models: reaction to the player’s actions, aggressiveness, the ability to conduct dialogues or trade.

Working with AI is one of the most difficult, because there are many situations to consider for which the reaction is designed. For example, when you are trying to go through the door, your companion must block your path so that life does not seem like a raspberry.

Which platforms to target

Having figured out how everything will be arranged in the game, you can begin development. But for the project to be commercially successful, choose popular platforms. There are four in total.

Before I became a game developer, I (and everyone around me) considered myself a website designer.
Not a bad one, by the way, but a website designer. A profession that is almost never used in game development.

There is such a stereotype - when someone says that he develops games without a team, everyone immediately imagines him as a programmer. In fact, the stereotype is not so far from the truth: most likely, the developer described above really knows how to program, but he may not consider himself a programmer.

After one game project with a stream of the entire development process, novice developers often write to me, ask something, show something, and complain about something. Recently I had to get into a dispute between two guys, where the topic of the argument was: “What is cooler to know is 3D modeling or programming if you are going to develop games?” I got into an argument with them with a proposal to take the first step from a scheme that was born in the process of participating in game projects and creating my own.

Step 0: Become a Game Developer

How to say this to yourself and others?

• Start visiting sites related to gaming and game development.
• Subscribe to blogs of developers whose work you like.
• Buy a couple of Kindle books on Amazon, for example, about game design.

That's it, you're a game developer.. Indeed, a simple step can give you access to such a “closed” profession as a game developer. True, without experience and regalia, but no one ( neither you nor those around you) will no longer dispute that you are a game developer.

Step 1: Find a Use for Yourself as a Game Developer

The words “find a project” mean different things to each game developer, here is a list of popular ways to find projects:

• find a project that is close in spirit, with an interesting idea, invest your skills and/or money, and maybe some other resources into it;
• take a couple of games and make a mix of them;
• make a clone of the game, which can bring good profit;
• come up with a brilliant idea and try to find enthusiasts;
• make a remake of your favorite game;

  And many other ways.

This stage is the first test for a novice developer. It is very difficult to make a choice with a complete lack of experience, but, fortunately, any choice will bring us experience.

Here are some tips for getting through this step:

1. Start something of your own. Your own from idea to implementation alone. Even if you have programming skills or can draw reasonably well, do not join existing projects. Do something small that doesn't require major skills.
   

   For example, I gave my mother a gift for New Year’s Eve - a 3D game using psychological methods:
   I had no experience developing in C# and I didn’t really know how to program (I knew a little Python) and had never modeled before.

2. Tell yourself the code phrase: “ If someone can do it, I can do it too" No matter how prepared you are for a game project, there will always be a challenge you've never faced before. For example, even experienced software programmers often have no experience creating shaders. Tell yourself a passphrase and learn as you go.
3. Find like-minded people. They helped me a lot in my development: Skype chat of social game developers(now the creators: Voice of Pripyat 3D, Tanks Heroes, Contract Wars, Battle and many others), as well as classmates from Scream School game design course. Their success will push you, and sharing experiences will speed up the development process.
4. Choose your development platform. Find a platform that suits you. This could be, for example, Unity- for its capabilities, huge community and relatively low entry threshold. Regardless of the platform, become her evangelist. This will allow you to establish communication with other developers and develop faster.
5. Don't let your emotions take over. Errors and failures will become your companions for a long period, and if you share the development process with Russian-speaking developers, be prepared for tons of shit and a large number of negative reviews. Don't let your emotions get the better of you: listen to any feedback and suggestions, but treat everything with the necessary criticism. Keep a critical mind.

Step 2: Help yourself finish at least ONE project!

1. Drive yourself into extreme conditions, and make a release as a way out of them. Set yourself a realistic, but very short deadline for release, for example, 48 hours or a week, but you will sleep 4 hours a day. This will give a strong impetus, make you use your time optimally and focus on the result.
   • Short time
     When pressing deadlines, don’t leave yourself time to take risks. Squeeze to the last, the 48 hour example is a good one.
   • Lack of sleep
     A complete or almost complete lack of sleep is a good motivator, but don’t go to extremes. Practice shows that even a young body needs to be given rest.
   • Time management
     You shouldn't spend a lot of time on time management, but don't forget to set milestones for yourself. For example, tell yourself that in 5 hours you need to make a playable prototype.
     

     For example, in my first 48-hour marathon (in which I only drew), in the first third of the time I found the game style, drew the main, game screen and all the enemy sprites. And in the remaining time I made 170+ animation sprites and finished drawing the interface.
     

   • Competitions, especially events like HackDays or Ludum Dare, where there is no time to think and you have to immediately rush to work, are a great help for the points above.
2. Set yourself limits. For the first release, especially in a short timeframe, it is critical to know the scope of the project. Write down the minimum you need for the release, and don’t go beyond it. Of necessity:
   • Trim down your feature list
     It would be great to be able to fly planes, but if you're making an infantry shooter, focus on shooting.
   • Reduce your playing time
     You were probably expecting to make a single player game for 5 hours of play, but you will emerge victorious with a 20 minute demo.
   • Remove some content
     Of course, an additional card will not be superfluous for your tactical shooter, but the release will remain a release even with one card.
3. Look for simple ways. Remind yourself that you a release is needed, not a masterpiece. You still have the right to make a mistake, but you have lost the right to freeze the project.
   • Use crutches and hardcode
     Don't focus on the versatility or performance of your code. Optimization will also have to wait. Just go for the result.
   • Copy, don't invent
     If you have difficulty answering any question, copy the solution of your colleagues.
   • Use experience at 150%
     Keeping track of the mistakes you've made is undoubtedly a good thing, but while you were making them, you accumulated a baggage of experience. Try to use something from it.
   • Connect all resources
     If you have friends who are ready to help, do not refuse, and if you have a financial resource, invest (buy ready-made solutions, content and labor). Your investment will pay off in the future.

Step 3. Make a full release

Making a full release is already a task with a million solutions, and you will definitely have a solution by the time you have the opportunity to create it. But here are some tips for real indies (guys who live hardcore and develop their games without investment or publisher money):

1. Do a project every day. All indie beginners have activities with which they have to combine development. But don't forget to add at least one line code or a new sprite into the game every single day. This is very important, this is point number 1.
2. Set yourself small goals and try to do them every day. A long-open task, for example: “develop an inventory system,” can quickly turn into a “hanging fruit” with a very low priority. Set the task “Main Inventory Window Interface” and close it on the same day, and then enjoy the progress.
3. Two steps forward, one to the side. No matter how varied you plan the game, you shouldn’t make 50 types of enemies and thousands of levels at once. Focus on realizing the player's capabilities, not how they manifest them. Are you making a slasher? - Implement the ability to chop the enemy, and clone enemies.
4. Prototype. When you're focused on the actual release, you need to be aware of what the game should be good. You can check this by prototyping.
5. You are making a game. You should not turn your game into an engine or framework. No, I'm not talking about code purity or the ability to reuse it. Work well and the result will be good. Don't implement features before you know your game really needs them.. For example, if you are not sure that it will be possible to change the color of the hero’s clothing, you should not draw a mask to change the color in the shader. Make sure your design includes items before you create the Item class.
6. And most importantly... Don't be afraid to go back to step 2. It may not be time for a real release yet.

Many of the readers of this article undoubtedly love to spend the evening playing computer games. Be it a popular MMO RPG, an unknown “turkey” or an old strategy tested by time and gamers. And almost everyone who is in one way or another involved in the video game industry has thought at least once in their lives about how nice it would be to create a game themselves.

Some want to bring their long-standing ideas to life, others want to demonstrate to the players a plot born in their heads. Some people think that they can create the perfect game, in which they themselves will then enjoy spending time. All of them thought: “I want to become a game developer!”

Of course, there are those who just want to make money from producing games. Unfortunately, at least in the world of games for mobile devices, these are the majority. So how do you start developing your own game?

What you need to know before you start

It’s worth noting right away that developing your own video game is, at least at first, not very profitable, and making a game with the expectation of making money is useless. Especially if this game is the first in your “track record”. However, you still shouldn’t be afraid of not receiving some kind of payment for your work. If the game is made well, it has a twist that can attract players, then it will certainly find its audience.

So, the first thing a future game creator needs is readiness. Willingness to spend time, money and effort to create something of your own. Willingness to receive criticism from users. Be prepared to fall, because the first game does not necessarily turn out to be good. What else does it take to become a game developer?

Confidence. Confidence in himself and in the fact that he will be able to devote a sufficient amount of time, effort and finances to creating his game, realizing himself as a creator.

As you can understand, a lot depends on the very character of a person, his willpower and ability to overcome difficulties. It would seem, why is this even more important than good knowledge of the necessary programs and rich imagination? It’s all very simple: a person can start writing his own game, make a great story for it, but, having received the first criticism, and it will invariably accompany any developer, give up and give up. Therefore, it is very important to be prepared for the fact that the player may not like the game.

Where to begin

How to become a game developer if you have never seen the code for a full-fledged game before? Difficult. Therefore, you should start your acquaintance with the world of video game creation with less than a real game. You can start by creating fan modifications and additions for various games. Since this entails interfering with the files of finished products, studying the structure, learning writing languages. Also, mods are mainly created for options that are good: no matter how many improvements you shove into a bad game, if it has disgusting gameplay and a boring plot, the game will not become more interesting to play. For example, there are a lot of mods for projects such as Skyrim and GTA, which few would call bad. And for the extremely popular Undertale a few years ago, fans even created simple fan games, essentially consisting of fights with bosses that were not in the original version.

However, if you have no experience writing mods/add-ons, this is not too scary, although this approach will be very useful. It’s just that in this case you will have to spend time learning programming languages ​​and gaining minimal knowledge of how it all works and what it is based on.

The game production itself starts with developing an idea. It’s worth figuring out what kind of game you want: choose a genre, sketch out at least a rough plot (if there is one), come up with what kind of gameplay you would like to have.

What will you need first?

What do you need to know to become a game developer? At least several programming languages ​​and the essence of how games work. Here is a list of what you will definitely need if you want to create your own game:

• Knowledge of programming languages ​​such as Java, C++, HTML. This is a necessary minimum, without which it will be extremely difficult to create anything.
• Understanding how the game works. The easiest way to get it is by writing fan modifications and additions to existing projects.
• Willingness to receive criticism from users, as well as self-confidence and the desire to achieve something.
• Idea. In fact, the idea is everything that indie game creators base their projects on. It is she who can make the work of beginners truly good.

Game development from scratch

So, you have an idea and knowledge of programming languages, but the question of how to become a game developer from scratch is still standing. Indeed, without any experience of working with a full-fledged game, it’s difficult to just come up with a work plan. And without royalties from past projects, it’s difficult to find money to create something new.

After all, one way or another, it is almost impossible to develop a game alone: ​​in addition to a good knowledge of programming languages, for this you need to be able to draw sufficiently to make a design, and also understand music in order to substitute a suitable free composition / pay for its use. Of course, no music will suit a game better than one written specifically for it, but in this case you will have to look for musicians, and also find someone who will play the role of a composer. If a future game plans to have voiceovers for the characters' speech, it is also necessary to find voice actors, and if the project involves support for several languages, also good translators and, if necessary, dubbing actors.

Of course, if there are no such people among your friends, their services will not be free. Also, many programs that are used in development are paid, although they are inexpensive. Therefore, among beginning developers who do not have much capital, fundraising on crowdfunding sites is very popular. To do this, you need to register on any similar site, create your own project, in which you need to express a clear goal and the required amount of funds. They are aided by various rewards for people who donate money, such as a free copy of the game or unique merch.

So, when you already have an initial monetary base, it’s worth starting directly with development.

Programs for development

There are currently many programs for game development. They all differ in the programming language they use, in the simplicity of the interface, and also in the platform on which the project is released.

Unity3D is one of the most popular programs. It supports most existing platforms, including Windows, Android, Linux and others, as well as several programming languages, which include C++ and Java. Unity3D also has a free copy aimed at beginner game developers. The main disadvantage of the program is that it only supports English.

Game Maker - Another very popular program. However, it only supports Windows, which makes it unable to create games for mobile devices.

3D Rad is a program that works with 3D games. Has Russian language.

Also for development you will need graphic editors (for example - Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator), programs for working with sound.

Game development process on PC

So, with all the above factors in place, plus a writing program, how to become a PC game developer is still a question mark? It’s worth starting the process with a detailed elaboration of the idea and writing project documentation. When the paper part is finished, you can move on to graphic editors. It is necessary to draw sketches of the interface, locations, characters and much, much more. Of course, if you managed to find people who can take over part of the production, this is very great, because it is extremely difficult to do everything alone. However, in this case, these people still need to explain their idea in detail.

Next, you should write down all the plot lines and dialogues. This is an important part of the work, because it is through this that the plot is revealed to the player. We should not forget about the calculation and balancing of both the combat and economic systems.

Is everything written down? You can start adding content to the game. A lot of character models, weapons, environments and the creation of game locations from this - that’s not all. It is necessary to make a convenient interface, enter all the texts, create a training system, fill out the parameters of all NPCs and characters.

When the idea is almost ready, the levels and characters are drawn, and the mechanics are written, it’s worth testing the game by playing it yourself or hiring testers.

And the last step will be to analyze the data obtained after the tests, correct the errors found and optimize the gameplay.

How to become a game developer on Android

If your game assumes that it will be used by players of the Android platform installed on mobile devices, then you should be concerned about a number of nuances that arise.

Firstly, it is worth knowing that the largest platform for distributing such games is the Play Market. To add your project there you will have to pay for owning a developer account. Now, before you become a game developer on Android, or, more precisely, make your project publicly available, you will have to pay about $25 (about 1,700 rubles) for a year of using a developer account. All this is done through the Google Play Console service. After that, on the same site you can add your game and configure how it will be displayed. Also note that this is a beta/alpha test or a release version.

Secondly, the interface of games for mobile devices should be different from their PC counterparts. Buttons should be visible on the screen and large enough to be easily reached with a finger, but not block the action area. The text needs to be larger to be readable, just like the game's video itself: the resolution of mobile devices is not as high as on a PC.

Thirdly, donation and advertising. This is, in a sense, the scourge of all games on mobile devices, because even when entering a paid game, the player is not protected from the fact that he will be offered to buy “this” for real money. What can we say about ftp games. However, as statistics show, if there is too much advertising in a project, users quickly abandon it.

An important part of developing games for mobile devices is making sure that the game is accessible beyond just an internet connection. Unlike personal computers, phones and tablets can easily become out of network coverage.

Having mastered all these rules, you can start developing. This is also done through programs like Unity 3D, Construct 2 or Unreal Engine. In general, the development process will not be much different, with the exception of the points stated above.

Components of a good game

It must be well written and presented to remain interesting to the player. Don't go overboard with the amount of text: statistically, most players prefer to scroll through large lines and descriptions. So, the plot includes 3 points that need to be considered and thought about:

• Scenario. The storyline itself.
• Atmosphere. This is why many people love games, surrounding the storyline with additional quests and the legend of the world.
• Staging. The way the story is told.

2. Graphics and sound.

Graphics can also be divided into several points: the graphics themselves and the development of location design. The sound should not distract from the passage, but only complement it, helping the player to immerse himself in the world. It is also worth noting that the quality of voice acting (if any) also has a great influence on the perception of the game world. And the last thing that is extremely important to know about sound, if you decide to voice characters in several languages, you need to check not only the accuracy of the translation, but also the approximate match of the characters’ voices and facial expressions.

3. Gameplay.

The gameplay should correspond to the theme and idea of ​​the project, and also be quite simple and understandable.

Last on this list, but perhaps first in importance. Now it is very developed, and it is very difficult to come up with something new. Moreover, somehow shock with gameplay or graphics. Therefore, one of the main “catchy” components that can force a player to return to the game and replay it is the idea and its implementation.

Level Design

When creating levels, it is important to remember that they should be both fairly simple (if being difficult is not the goal of the game) and interesting. The same goes for open world locations. The environment should not confuse the player and force him to wander around looking for a way out.

You can set yourself a goal - what the player should achieve in this or that place, what kind of atmosphere should be present there. It is also worth noting that all levels of the game must be made in the same style, so that they are a single whole.

An example of an excellent combination of levels is the platformer Ori and the Blind Forest. Although the game looks like a single whole, it is actually divided into several levels, which, although extremely different, look very holistic. There is no doubt that the Tree of Waters, the Fire Mountain, the Valley of the Winds, and the Tree of Spirits are part of a single world.

Useful tips

• Try to see the project from the player’s point of view more often and evaluate your creation. Ask yourself if this is something you would like to play. How about replaying?
• Take part in various competitions. These regularly take place both among PC games and among games on mobile devices.
• Make a good presentation. If possible, record a video of the game.
• Try not to overwhelm the user with the complexity of the gameplay. It’s one thing if the game itself is not easy, and then it will find its own audience. But if the gameplay itself causes problems, it’s unlikely that anyone will return.
• Don't drag out cutscenes and cutscenes for too long.
• Try not to bother players too much with advertising and donation offers. If a project hooks a person, he himself will want to donate to it. But if an offer to buy another item or currency constantly pops up on the screen, the gamer will most likely prefer to exit.
• If you suddenly think about how, for example, to become a Block Strike game developer, or more precisely, a member of the development team of a project, the surest and easiest way out would be to talk about it with one of the developers already working there.

Development in Russia

Well, if you are tormented by the question of how to become a game developer in Russia, then it is easy to answer. Just like all over the world. The only exception is that it may be more difficult to find assistants and you will have to do most of the work yourself.

The main problem for Russian-speaking developers is the small number of teams ready to accept them into their headquarters, as well as the fact that 90% of programs and platforms for hosting games are English-language and do not support the Russian language.

Cooperation with various companies

Many development companies love an influx of new talent, and no wonder: new people bring new ideas. On the websites of many companies you can see job offers and various advertisements. For example, on the website of Blizzard, one of the largest game developers, there is a “Vacancies” tab, where you can see a list of required specialists and the company’s requirements for them.

It is worth noting that in order to get into any really large and well-known company, you must not only have an idea and potential, but also have excellent command of the required skills and excellent knowledge of the necessary programming languages. Also, such work usually requires considerable effort and full-time work.

Summary

• Start by writing modifications for existing games: this is the fastest and easiest way to get into the structure.
• An excellent solution for obtaining initial funding for development is crowdfunding.
• A good game has a decent level of plot, sound, graphics, gameplay and idea.
• You should not write sheets of text in dialogues. Most players prefer to waste long lines. To reveal the plot, pay more attention to the actions of the characters.
• Even a masterpiece game can be ruined by poor voice acting/dubbing/sound mixing.

• Try to demonstrate your creation in competitions.
• If you have the opportunity and desire to continue developing games, you can join an existing development team.

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Many players at some point ask the question “How to become a game developer?” They ask what is needed for this, whether this requires any special talent or inclination, whether it was necessary to study mathematics at school, and so on. I'm telling you!

Hi guys!

Frequently asked questions I received from you: What does it take to become a game developer? How to become a game developer? What do you need to study? Where to begin?

*For those who don’t know me briefly: I program gameplay at a large game studio in St. Petersburg, and I’m interested in .

I decided to answer your questions in detail. First of all, a “game developer” is not necessarily a programmer. Game developer (from English game developer) is a common name for many professions that develop games. These are game designers, artists (from English Artists), programmers, managers and testers. And each of these professions, you will be surprised, is not the final specialization of the developer.

For example, artists are 3D modelers, artists, and animators. Programmers are gameplay programmers, graphics programmers, and tool programmers. And, as they say in the nursery rhyme, all professions are needed, all professions are important!

Where to start?

First of all: think about it, when you imagine the bright prospects of your dream job, what exactly would you like to do “developing a game”? What exactly do you think you will like most? Write a script/plot? Draw characters? Planning levels?

I'm just warning you that when you equate "game developer" with "game programmer" you might be wrong. By choosing the wrong profession, spending months or even years going in the wrong direction.

Why programming? Did someone tell you that programmers get paid a lot of money? The good ones get paid. Just like in any other profession in game development. Both modelers and artists, if they are good specialists, receive excellent salaries.

How to become a game developer quickly and easily?

Answer: No way! No courses - especially crappy ones from geekbrains, or courses from "game developers" who do not practice development themselves - can teach a beginner from scratch AT ALL! And even more so - quickly.

If you watch Unity courses on how to make a snake, a shooter, etc., you will not learn anything beyond the scope of this lesson. And YouTube is full of such courses.

So how do you become a game developer?

Answer: Hard work, diligence. Whatever field/profession you choose. If you're still in school, great! You can still choose the desired branch of development in this RPG :) Choose a university or college with the appropriate specialty and get ready for admission.

If not, look first for books and English-language courses (Russian-language courses, for the most part, are rare crap). and move towards your goal.

What about indie? How to make an indie game?

Yes, it's completely different. Unlike industrial developers, indies are a one-man orchestra. He programs, draws and tests. And, don’t let this romanticism confuse you, he also pays his own salary (or eats Rollton, his favorite vermi-chelle) and takes a very, very big risk.

After reading several books and watching good courses:
— Try to develop a game yourself. If everything works out, add to your own portfolio, and after some time try to remake it, make it better. Show employers your potential. The key factor in many places is experience, not a diploma. And the best demonstration of experience is a portfolio. This way you will break the chain: “We only need workers with work experience, but where can we get it if experience is needed everywhere?”

— Create mods for games, ask stupid questions in groups related to game creation, for example, in ours.

— Learn some free engine like Defold, Unity or GameMaker.

- Try to learn the basics as early as possible.

— Try to get a job as an intern at some studio. Some game studios offer the opportunity to take training courses and an internship after them.

- Try to endure falls stoically! The battle is lost, but the war is still ahead!

Interviews with game developers: bright professionals, representatives of professions

I ask fellow representatives of professions (modellers, artists, testers, animators) about what needs to be studied in order to master the subject. Where to go to study and so on.

How do you like this idea? After all, the coolest representatives of their professions work in my studio! And I can catch some from my former colleagues, now they work in the most famous studios: Nival, Wargaming, Saber.

So, with this post, I want to start a new round of interactivity with you guys and my coolest colleagues. I will write about how to become a game programmer myself, and at the same time, here is a list of topics that we can discuss together with you!

Professions in game development

What do you need from you?

P.S.

I’m seriously trying very hard to find those who don’t mind giving an interview and talking about the profession, I prepared a lot of different questions, asked quite a lot of people, but I understand that everyone is busy 25/8.