Ive always wanted to make a video game but i feel too dumb to make one. Is gamedev worth looking into still even if im not the sharpest tool in the shed?
Or are there better hobbies out there for newcomers to the hobby space? I know most of you will say do what you enjoy, the thing is im not sure what i enjoy.
Idk if this goes here but i like the linux community as they are usually kind on lemmy.
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I personally split gamedev into 5 separate hobbies:
- conceptualizing
- 2d/3d rendering
- music
- programming
- putting it all together Then I rotate between whichever one I feel the most attracted to at the moment.
The hardest thing is to keep within your level. You’re not a 1-man army who can make a Hollow Knight in a year. Start with small ideas and expand and remix them as you improve and/or find slaves. But definitely keep the big ideas somewhere bc you might accidentally make all the systems you need along the way.
I’d recommend getting to grips with the fundamentals of python or JavaScript first before jumping in but Godot is a great open source tool for picking up some gamedev after you are used to the basics.
It’s a hobby: it’s driven by your interests alone.
Yes but also no. For me it kind of killed other games because I suddenly started looking at stuff like assets and how much effort was put into them. Gamedevs can put so much detail into stuff the average user does not notice at all.
I used to work as an animator and now I have that lol. It’s hard to watch anything animated just for fun because my brain wants to take it apart and analyze it.
A hobby is “good” if you enjoy it. That’s all that matters with hobbies. Don’t look down on yourself for wanting to do something for fun. It doesn’t have to be “efficient” or turn into an income or anything else. Just try it and learn. Learn the skills, learn if you like it
It’s a hobby that allows for a LOT of different types of creative expression, does not require any monetary investment to get started in, or to pursue long term, and even has a small chance to MAKE you money, if it turns out you enjoy it enough to purse that end. It has the potential to make a GREAT hobby.
If game development interests you, it’s a great hobby. You don’t need to be knowledgable, but it helps if you like logic puzzles, because programming is basically solving one logic puzzle after the other.
Even if you dont like it, no harm in trying it. Worst case you find you dont wanna do it and move on to something else.
You can start with something like pico-8 or a free engine of which there are a ton: https://lexaloffle.itch.io/pico-8
Me personally, ive been trying Godot and its kinda hard to get into, but I may try something else like RPG maker or what not just to get my ideas on paper so to speak.
I found it fun to do amateur gamedev, for my own little enjoyment (e.g. making a super-basic FPS with a gun that shoots a thousand cubes like a shotgun, then making it shoot a thousands spheres that explode on impact like a grenade launcher). Lots of engines are accessible that you don’t need to learn much/any programming skill to make something fun. You can do plenty with free assets, I never paid for anything, but if you are willing and able to pay small amounts for premade assets, then it will be even faster and easier to make something more pretty.
I’ve also done level design (and LoC) for some open-source FOSS games. This is easier for some games than others, but it’s also rewarding. I was particularly known for making experimental or puzzle-like levels, so it was nice to get feedback from others and improve. I’ve mostly grown apart from games these days, but I don’t regret the time I enjoyed making them.
Why not?
You say you’re not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I think gamedev is a good way to learn a variety of skills. And doing it as a hobby takes a lot of pressure off and allows you to take things at your own pace.
How can we tell you what you will enjoy?
As for game developers I’m not too experienced with it but my understanding is there’s tools available that lower the barrier to entry. Even years ago I was able to publish a few mods for Morrowind as a teenager with no background in computers. I’d think the biggest barrier would be producing the graphics these days.
Creating something from nothing is always a good hobby. Whether it be a jigsaw puzzle or planning/designing a game that does not exist yet.
permission to be rude, your question is meaningless.
it is a hobby, the single most important factor is if you want to do it.
everything else if secondary. go, try, enjoy it, learn, improve…
it’s it the most “efficient” use of your time? that question is irrelevant, it’s a hobby not a job.
Go make a game, make a shitty game because you have no experience, but make that game.
I recommend pico8, I think it’s the simplest engine that isn’t a kids learning platform. has a low skill floor, but (given what some people make, someone ported Doom to that 2d engine) unlimited skill ceiling.
Game dev is much more about creativity than technical excellence, for the average hobbyist. So I’d say it’s actually a good hobby to get into if you’re “not the sharpest tool in the shed”. You could even go down a no-code approach like with RPG Maker, if you’re averse to coding.
Well, of course it’s a good hobby. Does it work for you? I don’t know.
I’ve been building random stuff for years. It has never amounted to a finished project, but I still keep doing it just because it’s fun to make things do things on screen. I didn’t start out as the sharpest tool either, but I’ve been getting better.
If you really enjoy it, I think you’ll just keep coming back.
