The Complete

Game Development
Toolbox

Everything you need to start creating and publishing your own games
By Brice Morrison
www.TheGameProdigy.com

Hello future game developer! Playing games is a lot o! !un" but ma#ing games is even better$ %uc#y !or you and me" today we live in a golden age o! indie game development where anyone with a computer and internet connection can dream up a game" build it" and share it with millions o! potential players. &ll it ta#es is passion" a little bit o! hard wor#" and #nowing where to !ind the right tools and resources. That's where this Complete Game Development Toolbox comes in. (hat you are reading right now is a complete guide to getting where you need to go in game development" !rom pro)ect planning and setting goals" !inding so!tware and resources" all the way through to publishing your game !or millions to see. * )ust #now that you have hundreds o! great game ideas bouncing around in your head + now it's time to trans!orm those ideas into code and pixels and share them with the world$ (hether you are )ust getting starting ma#ing your own games or you are a seasoned veteran with numerous releases under your belt" this guide has been written to be use!ul to you and help you !ind tools and tric#s you never #new about. *! you want to ma#e games to bee! up your port!olio or resume" to grow your s#ills" or even ma#e some money" it's all here. ,o i! you're one o! the !ew who has what it ta#es to be a great game ma#er" then get ready- you're only a !ew minutes away !rom becoming a !ull.!ledged game developer$ Play hard" Brice Morrison Game Designer" Editor o! TheGameProdigy.com

T&B%E 01 C02TE2T,

,ection *- Plan %i#e a Pro34 o 5our Compass- (hat &re your Goals6 o 5our 7oadmap- Ma#e a Plan o! &ttac# o The 8irtue o! Being 9umble o The : Di!!erence Between &mateurs and Pros

*ndie Game ,potlight- ,#y Garden3; ,ection **- Dreaming *n Code3 < o Getting started with Programming
o

Coding Programs and Tools

o %evel =p- *ntermediate and &dvanced 7esources

*ndie Game ,potlight- &ntichamber3 4 ,ection ***- Becoming an &rtiste$... >

o

Developing the &rt ,tyle !or a Game

o Parts o! Game &rt o Programs and 7esources

*ndie Game ,potlight- Canabalt3 ; ,ection *8- The ,ound o! Triumph3/<

o

Music in Games

o ,ound E!!ects o Creating ,oundscapes

*ndie Game ,potlight- Minecra!t3/? ,ection 8- Give The People (hat They (ant3/4
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o o

7eleasing 5our &rt to the (orld Competitions and Contests

o Getting *nvolved in Communities and Publications o %isten to 5our Players

*ndie Game ,potlight- (i@orb3/A ,ection 8*- 5our Bright 1uture3/; o Ma#ing 2ew Games o Build a Team o Careers in Games

,ECT*02 *- P%&2 %*BE & P70

(hen pro!essional game developers ma#e massive &&& titles li#e Call o! Duty or Elder ,crolls" there is considerable planning involved to build a schedule" design speci!ications" and ma#e sure everyone #nows what to do and when to do it. 5ou don't need to spend nearly as much time planning your game" but we can still learn a lot o! use!ul tips and tric#s !rom the pros that are applicable. By ta#ing > minutes to do some simple planning !or your game" you'll put yoursel! ahead o! ;>C o! other students out there trying to ma#e games. *n this section we'll tal# about a couple o! Duic# things you can !ocus on be!ore you get started that will save you tons o! time later on.

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&s with anything in li!e" it's good to have a goal. & goal tells you where you are going and" sometimes more importantly" where you aren't going. & goal can help you !ocus you or your team's energies into a common purpose. & goal can give your team the energy to succeed and ma#e your dreams into a reality. Many students don't have goals when they thin# o! wor#ing on a game pro)ect. They )ust do it. (hy6 Probably because it seemed li#e a good idea" something that would be !un to do. That's what * was thin#ing when * used to wor# on my !irst game pro)ects. &nd there's nothing wrong with that" to be sure. But going !orward and getting serious about game development without a clear goal o!ten results in Giving up on a pro)ect %osing sight o! why you're doing it Expanding it into an unimaginably large scope that is discouraging and leads to burn out

*'ve seen all o! these things happen to student developers be!ore" and it's not a pretty sight. Ma#ing games" even small indie games" is harder wor# than you would thin#. & !irm commitment to a goal can help you and your !ellow students persevere. There are a number o! di!!erent goals when wor#ing on a student or independent game pro)ect. &ll o! them are valid" but it depends on what conseDuences you and your team are a!ter. 9ere are some o! the more popular goals !or ma#ing a student game-

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9aving !un is o!ten the de!ault" unstated goal. (hen people )ust start ma#ing a game !or no reason as a hobby on a random a!ternoon when they were sitting on their couch in their student housing apartment" had an idea" and decided to ma#e a game out o! it. They get some o! their !riends involved" and have lots o! energy. (ell" at least at the beginning they have lots o! energy.

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2ow there's nothing wrong with en)oying yoursel! when you're ma#ing a game. 9owever" i! this ill.de!ined goal is the only thing that's #eeping you going when wor#ing on a student pro)ect" then * can almost guarantee you that sometime soon you and your teammates are going to get tired o! the game" burn out" and Duit. ,ince the game is only !ueled by how much !un you !eel li#e you're having" when a moment comes by and you aren't having !un" then game development stops. &nd in order to !inish games" there are some parts that aren't that !un Eli#e !ixing bugsF. ,o )ust be prepared !or that.

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The second goal that many student developers have is to ma#e a game that ma#es them some money. This seems li#e an easy enough )ump. G9ey" we've made something #ind o! cool" why not sell it and ma#e millions6H This is de!initely a possibility !or your game pro)ect i! you li#e" albeit a di!!icult one. This is mostly a goal that applies to larger teams and video game companiesI you can be certain that 2intendo is not ma#ing games solely because o! goal : I as a publicly.traded corporation" they're in it !or the money. There are plenty o! other boo#s and online resources on how to ma#e games that ma#e money" so we aren't going to go into detail here. *! you want to attempt to sell your game" then you should de!initely go !or it. But !or the methods discussed in this boo#" * recommend against setting a goal to ma#e money" because it may detract !rom accomplishing your other goals which will be more bene!icial to your career in the long term. Most success!ul student pro)ects that aid in getting the students )obs" 2arbacular Drop included" are given away as !ree online advertising !or the team. *! your goal is to !urther your career odds" *'d recommend giving your game away !or !ree as well.

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The third common goal in student game pro)ects is to develop s#ills. *! you're )ust getting started in programming" you'd li#e to learn more about animation and modeling" or you're curious to see i! you really are capable o! designing the best game ever" then ma#ing a game is a great way to improve. 5ou will run into all sorts o! important challenges and problems when ma#ing an actual game that would never come up in a tutorial or a textboo#" and you'll be able to overcome those hurdles and really develop out your trade. Just li#e learning a !oreign language" using the s#ills o! the discipline you're cultivating gets better with practice. Ma#ing a game can be a !antastic way to put yoursel! to wor# and present what you've learned to the world. *! this is your goal" then you're going to want to choose tools and technologies that are going to challenge you. =sing a game.ma#ing programming might help you ma#e the game !aster" but it won't develop any o! the s#ills you'll be using in the industry. (e'll get into these di!!erences and how you can choose correctly later on in the chapter.

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1or the purposes o! this boo#" this is the goal that we want to !ocus on. *! you want to impress the higher ups and the recruits at game companies" then this is the goal you will want to set !or yoursel! and pursue with a !iery passion. Ma#ing a game is a harrowing process that ta#es time" coordination" and dedication" and developing )ust the type o! game that is going to get you noticed is an incredible experience. %i#e the 2arbacular Drop team" beginning with this goal in mind and !ollowing it through to the end truly can brea# you into the industry. *t will guide your decisions as you decide what to put in the game" how you're going to ma#e it" and when you should Duit. &nd i! you start with this in mind" you'll have an incredible bullet point or two to add to your resume.

Those are the main !our categories. 9ere are some other examples o! goals that !it into those categories. The more speci!ic" the better 0ne o! my goals !or this pro)ect is to learn how to use 1lash &ctionscript 0ne o! my goals !or this pro)ect is to learn how to ma#e a !ull game in ? months 0ne o! my goals !or this pro)ect is to ma#e a game using physics 0ne o! my goals !or this pro)ect is to ma#e a side.scrolling game" since *'ve never done that be!ore 0ne o! my goals !or this pro)ect is to get better at character animation 0ne o! my goals !or this pro)ect is to learn how to use &dobe *llustrator 0ne o! my goals !or this pro)ect is to have my game covered on a blog

The important thing !or now is to be obsessively aware o! what the goal o! your pro)ect is" because all important decisions will be measured against that goal. ,o !rom here on out" ma#e a promise to yoursel! to be very clear about what the goal o! your student pro)ect is" whether it be having !un" ma#ing money" developing your s#ills" getting you into the industry" or something else.

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0nce you've decided the goals !or your pro)ect" then the next step is ma#e a rough plan. This consists o! answering a !ew Duestions. /. ?. 9ow many hours each wee# are you committing to this pro)ect6 (hen do you expect to be !inished with this pro)ect6 (hat are the milestones o! your pro)ect6

*! you answer these two Duestions" then you are acting li#e a Pro Game Developer and have a much better chance o! ma#ing something great$ The thing that we are trying to prevent against is wor#ing on a pro)ect that drags on and on !orever. * personally li#e to #eep trac# o! how many hours *'ve spent on a pro)ect each wee# so that * #now * am stic#ing with my goal Ewhich may be as little as > hoursLwee#F. Muestion /" when do you expect to !inish this pro)ect" is almost certain to be wrong. 1or whatever reason" people notoriously under.estimate how long a game pro)ect will ta#e them when they start out. But that's !ine" because this is meant to be a !eedbac# loop to help you become more accurate. *! you estimate your !irst pro)ect will ta#e you ? months at > hoursLwee#" and it actually ta#es you > months at > hoursLwee#" then you'll be more accurate next time EG(ell" now * #now that it ta#es at least a month to !ix bugs at the endHF. Each game you ma#e" you'll get better and better at estimating.

The !inal part is ma#ing milestones. These are when you've reached a huge point in the development o! the game" and having a milestone to wor# towards helps #eep you !ocused. Each successive milestone should be signi!icant and move you towards the completed game step by step. 1or example" a good !irst milestone is having a playable !irst level. Crappy artwor# or no artwor#" no sounds or music" )ust a level you can play through. Driving towards this milestone ma#es sure that you !ocus on the right tas#s at the right time + get the gameplay wor#ing and don't distract yoursel! with artwor# or sounds. 9ere are some example milestones !or a /D game to help you !ocus on what's essential. 7ead this over" and then ma#e some milestones !or your own pro)ect. Each milestone should have a date you are shooting !or to be done. A Mario-Style Platformer Game, my Milestones might be: . /. ?. 4. >. K. N. Ma#e the !irst level playable Eno artwor#LsoundsF + ? wee#s &dd in artwor# and e!!ects to !irst level + > wee#s Complete the !irst world" including a boss level + ; wee#s &dd power ups and special abilities + 1inish all levels + > wee#s 1inali@e artwor# and add music and sounds + A wee#s Polish and !ix all buts + /< wee#s wee#s

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*! you've never played tennis be!ore" would you go try out at (imbledon as your !irst match6 *! you've never played bas#etball" would you start in the (orld ,eries6 *! you're )ust starting to learn how to spea# a !oreign language" then are you going to o!!er to translate a ?"<<< page boo#6 2o$ *n each o! these situations" you slowly wor# up to harder and harder challenges as you learn. Many people are overly ambitious when they plan out their !irst game. * don't want to sDuash anyone's dreams" but i! you've never made a game be!ore" then building the next great 1antasy MM0 is not going to be your !irst title" no matter how innovative your ideas are. ,tarting with an idea that is too ambitious is a recipe !or !ailure because you are li#ely to severely underestimate how much wor# it ta#es. *t's much better to step up slowly. ,ome game genres are more complex than others. There are programming" art" and design challenges associated with each" but each genre has lessons that can be applies to others. This is my rough list o! games in order o! di!!iculty. *! you want to ma#e games lower down on the list" ma#e sure that you have made most o! the games earlier in the list !irst. . /. & text based game with no images EGGuess the numberH or a simple 7PGF & simple menu game" such as a classic 1inal 1antasy battle A

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& /D pu@@le game such as Tetris or Be)ewled & /D action game such as classic ,uper Mario & ?D action game such as Call o! Duty &n MM0 li#e (orld o! (arcra!t

9ere are some other guidelines to understand how di!!icult di!!erent game genres are ?D is much more di!!icult than /D 7eal.time is much more di!!icult than turn.based or stopLstart *mages are much more di!!icult than text 0nline is much more di!!icult than o!!line

,o the ta#eaway here is to be humble. (hen you are deciding your next game pro)ect" don't try to do some giant pro)ect that would ta#e a << person team > years to build. Ma#e something small" smaller than you thin# it needs to be. 5ou'll li#ely be surprised how long it ta#es you. That said" don't stop dreaming big$ *! you have an idea !or a game you want to ma#e one day" then write it down. * #eep a list o! ideas that * want to ma#e one day" and every time * !inish a pro)ect * loo# over the list and pic# something else that !eels li#e a reasonable challenge !or me. &s they say" GThe )ourney o! a thousand miles begins with a single step.H

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Do you #now what the : di!!erence between amateur game developers and pro!essional game developers is6 Pro game developers !inish games. &mateur game developers don't. Period. Because o! a lot o! the reasons that we've already discussed" such as being overly ambitious" not doing simple planning" not setting goals" pro!essional game developers are much better at completing pro)ects. &mateurs always have several pro)ects they're wor#ing on" lots o! ideas" lots o! games that they've started" but they haven't !inished anything. Their computer loo#s li#e a graveyard o! !ailed and abandoned pro)ects. The other reason !or this is persistence. &s we've already discussed" a lot o! people who start ma#ing games )ust because it's a lot o! !un in the early design stage Duit when it gets hard. &nd let me tell you" at some point every game pro)ect gets di!!icult. *t's being able to #eep going and going and going until it's !inished that separates the pros !rom the amateurs. &nd this is what will separate you !rom everyone else. * have a rule !or mysel! that * am not allowed to write a single line o! code or draw a single image !or a new game idea while * am wor#ing on another game. * !orce mysel! to !inish the game *'m wor#ing on !irst. This wor#s very well !or me and has allowed me to complete many games that would have !allen by the wayside otherwise.

,o learn to be persistent and not Duit on your game. (hen things get tough and they aren't all rosy and !un anymore" #eep going" #eep pushing" #eep developing. Eventually you'll get those bugs !inished and release your game and it will !eel so good$

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,#y Garden is a !ree !lash game that involves solving pu@@les in nature. Players turn trees into rivers" seeds into trees" destroy ice" and avoid lava in do@ens o! perplexing levels. The calming piano music and easygoing sound e!!ects draws the player into a deep sense o! relaxation as they thin# through the riddles be!ore them. Each set o! levels introduces new abilities and bloc#s until the evening comes" drawing a close to the playerOs day. (ith almost ><"<<< plays on Bongregate and other websites and !eatured in Casual Connect Con!erence's *nnovation ,howcase" ,#y Garden is a great example o! a simple o! game that can go !ar. Ma#ing a game similar to ,#y Garden would be a great starting point !or early game ma#ers to learn about programming in !lash" level and systems design" and more.

,ECT*02 **- D7E&M*2G *2 C0DE

Modern games would not exist without computers. (hile we've always had games o! some sort" such as sports or chess or tabletop 7PG's" but computers are where the real magic happens. &s a result" all games today" the games we are tal#ing about in this toolbox" reDuire some sort o! coding to create. There are a wide spectrum o! tools" programming languages" and applications to help game ma#ing. *n this section we'll run through all o! them and get you on your way to building something. (hether you've never written a line o! code in your li!e or are a veteran hac#er" the tools in this section should help you go even !urther. This section will also tell you where to go to get a lot o! these programs" o!ten at steep discounts worth hundreds or even thousands o! dollars.

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*! you've never programmed be!ore" don't worry. *t isn't nearly as intimidating as one would thin#. (ith a couple o! the right websites" boo#s" and programs" you can get up and running and on your way to being a coder in no time !lat. The general process !or going !rom never having written code be!ore to ma#ing your own games goes something li#e this. /. ?. ,tart with simpli!ied game programs Move to engines and scripting languages Dive into core programming languages

1irst" you'll want to try ma#ing a game with a simpli!ied game program. This will help you get your !eet wet with some simple programming that o!!ers a lot o! help and hand holding along the way. Ma#ing a !ew games this way is a per!ect method to use to get started. *nevitably though" the simpler game programs won't be able to do something in your game that you would li#e to do. Maybe you want to publish your games on a 1lash website or have more control over the #inds o! animations you can do. Maybe you want to have auto.generated levels or go ?D. These are all things that are obviously possible in games but may not be easily done in a simpli!ied program. &t this point it's best to pic# a scripting language or game engine and start !rom there. Game engines and scripting languages are great !or ma#ing more advanced games that you want to build without having to worry about a lot o! deeper programming challenges. 1inally" i! you want to really become a hac#er and on your way to being a pro!essional game engineer one day" you'll want to move to a core programming language" where you'll learn all about data structures" memory management" algorithms" and more to create any technology you can thin# o!. ,o to begin" let's loo# at some o! the best simpli!ied game programs out there$ Pic# your !avorites and start exploring$

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Game ma#er is a !avorite o! a lot o! independent developers out there. (ith an easy to understand inter!ace and power!ul scripting" you can have a game up and running literally in minutes. *t will get you started in /D games and has a !airly strong scripting language to get you !amiliar with programming. But honestly" you could go a long way in Game Ma#er be!ore running into limitations. 9ere is a great video put together that shows o!! what's possible with Game Ma#er- << Game Ma#er Games in < Minutes

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Multimedia 1usion is a competitor to Game Ma#er and has many similarities. *t is optimi@ed !or ma#ing /D games and !eatures a similar drag and drop inter!ace. %i#e the Game Ma#er video" here is a video that shows o!! what's possible with Multimedia 1usion- >< Multimedia 1usion Games in < Minutes

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0nce you've gotten your !eet wet with some simpli!ied game programs" it's time to dive deeper and use some o! the tools the pros use.

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1lash and its associated &ction,cript ? are the de !acto game ma#ing technology !or the web. (hether it's games on Bongregate and 2ewgrounds to the thousands o! games on 1aceboo#" almost all o! them are made in 1lash. The o!!icial 1lash so!tware !rom &dobe is very high Duality and allows you to do all sorts o! things" such as create movies with a timeline" ma#e animations as well as doing heavy scripting. *! you'd li#e to be ma#ing games in !lash" be sure to ta#e advantage o! the lin#s above !or the student discount + you'll save a ton o! money.

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P7*CE- 17EE %*2B1lash Develop is a great resource. (hile it doesn't come with the timeline" easy animation editor" and all the bells and whistles o! 1lash C," it is free$ This is the cheap way to develop in 1lash" and some coders actually li#e it because it has easier editing !or programming.

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Price- 1ree Demo" P "><< !or Pro 8ersion %in#- http-LLunity?d.com http-LLunity?d.comLgalleryLmade.with.unityLgame.list =nity is !ast becoming the gold standard o! game engines !or all sorts o! plat!orms. *t's built ground up with games in mind" with power!ul scripting" ?D modeling" and more. 0ne o! the best parts o! unity is that you can build your game !or many di!!erent plat!orms" !rom web to i0," &ndroid to PC and console games. *t's really ta#en o!! as the easiest way to ma#e mobile and tablet games. (hile the !ull pro!essional version is a bit steep !or students" it is a great tool to download !or !ree and learn to use.

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The =nreal Engine was used to create some o! the most cutting edge visuals ever seen in the history o! the games industry" and not it's available to you. 2ot !or the licensing cost o! millions o! dollars" but !or !ree. 1ree$ Be sure to chec# it out + it has ama@ing lighting capabilities" rendering e!!ects" modeling" and more.

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*! you want to ma#e games !or the Qbox" then Q2& Game ,tudio is the way to go. Microso!t has made this tool available !or !ree to students in order to get more people ma#ing games !or their plat!orm. *! your !avorite memory o! playing games was on a console" then this might be the place !or you to start$

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Most game developers can get pretty !ar with the tools we )ust discussed + many success!ul independent games have been made using =nity" =nreal" or Q2& Game ,tudio. 9owever i! you are interested in diving even deeper and want to one day become a game engineer" then you'll want to start writing games Eand maybe even other programsF in some o! the core programming languages. (ith each o! these you can !ind online tools !or !ree to start coding. &s !or learning" however" they are bit more di!!icult to pic# up. To learn one o! the languages here" * recommend getting a boo# to get you started and then going deeper and exploring as you see !it.

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Java seems to run on everything + in !act be!ore smartphones became the norm" cell phone games were written in Java. This language is slightly more high level than CSS because it has its own garbage college and virtual machine" but is still power!ul enough !or Minecra!t to be written in it. Eclipse is a great Eand !ree$F program !or getting going in Java.

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CSS has been around !or decades and is still one o! the top programming languages to learn. *t o!!ers more detailed memory management than Java which ma#es it better !or some applications. 5ou can !ind a !ree copy o! visual studio to get started.

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(hen you are programming" you are inevitably going to run into problems. The program won't compile" the !rame rate is too low" you can't !igure out how to get the collision right" or you can't even get your level to load. ,tac# 0ver!low is a community site !or programmers to as# one another these Duestions. *t's a great source o! in!ormation and a great community to be involved in !or when you get stuc#.

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GameDev.net has been around !or years and is still one o! the top resources online !or engineers who are interested in ma#ing games. (ith daily or wee#ly articles" many resources and a vibrant online community" GameDev.net is somewhere that you should get !amiliar with i! you are interested in programming at any level.

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(ritten in the =nreal Engine" &ntichamber is a game that ta#es players to another world" where rules and laws o! physics in our universe no longer apply. Players can wal# through walls" !all up" change their perspective by loo#ing through windows" and more. 2ominated !or numerous game awards" &ntichamber has been praised !or its imaginative rooms" intriguing pu@@les" and mind.bending e!!ects. The game was written using the =nreal Engine" a tool that is also available to any students or hobby game developers who are interested. &!ter going Gon tourH by being entered into numerous game competitions such as the *ndependent Games 1estival" it was released on the ,team plat!orm !or PC.

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0ne thing that * love about games is that they are part science part art. There is no one way to ma#e a game" there are thousands and thousands$ Games are the art !orm o! the / st century" combining all previous art !orms be!ore it + music" drawing and illustration" animation" !ilm" story + and adding in human interaction. ,ince all games are visual" the art plays a very important role. (hat the characters loo# li#e" how they move" the color palette and modeling o! the world" the textures on the ground" these are all things that will convey a virtual world that you invite players to live in !or a period o! time. ,o it's important to have an understanding o! how pro!essional game developers approach art and then where to !ind the right programs" tools" and resources you need to create your own artwor#. *n this section we'll cover both. (ho #nows6 5ou could be the Michelangelo o! this decade$

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(hen pro!essional game developers start wor#ing on a pro)ect and come to the stage where the art is going to be de!ined" then they typically start by gathering lots o! what's called Gre!erence artH. 7e!erence art is simply images and pictures that will inspire the game's loo# and !eel. (hile they aren't copying anything" they are !inding the colors" shapes" and ideas that are going to in!luence their game's artwor#. 5ou can do this as well. Beep a !older on your computer and use it to collect re!erence art. Do you see something that inspires you or helps you dream up cool ideas6 Do you see something that loo#s awesome and you'd li#e to learn !rom6 Then" when you are going to actually draw or create the assets !or the game" you can loo# at your re!erence art !or inspiration. *t can help you decide (hat #inds o! colors do you want to use in your color palette6 (hat #inds o! shapes6 &re the characters bloc#y6 7ound6 Tall or short6 9ow about the buildings and trees6 9ills and clouds6 (hat type o! !aces will you use6 (hat #inds o! shading or outlines will you have6 *s the loo# more li#e a cartoon" or gritty and realistic6

5our re!erence art will set the stage !or the mood and atmosphere o! the whole game. Plus" it's a lot o! !un$

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There are !our main parts !or ma#ing game art- Bac#ground art" character art" user inter!ace" and e!!ects. (e'll brea# down each o! them.

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This is what your game's world and levels will loo# li#e. The ground" the trees" the s#y" and so on. 0r i! you are doing a type o! board game or pu@@le game" this is the board that sits behind the pieces. Typically bac#ground art doesn't move" so it needs to loo# !airly interesting with !ew animations. &gain" pull !rom your re!erence art and loo# at how di!!erence scenes are made. Then try and recreate the scenes in your game. ,ome games will have a single picture that you draw as the bac#ground art" whereas other games will slice it up and build levels out o! tiles. *! you are doing a tile based bac#ground system" then it's important to ma#e sure that the tiles !it well together. &nother tric# that you should employ is to use color to draw the player's eye to what is important. ,ince you typically want the players !ocusing on the characters !ighting on screen or the bloc#s moving around" then the bac#ground should be a little less muted than these other aspects that are moving around. =se dar#er or more grey colors and ma#e the character colors brighter and more saturated. This will help the game to !eel more in balance and no cluttered visually.

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Characters are the heart o! a game" the point where the player's eye is going to be !ocus on !or the duration o! their play. (hether you are ma#ing a !antasy game with mages and #nights" or a Tetris type game with bloc#s Ewho *'d consider the GCharactersH o! TetrisF" then you want to ma#e sure they pop more than your bac#ground. 1eel !ree to pull out all the stops to ma#e your character loo# )aw.dropping. Many students aren't sure how to do animations !or their characters + they can draw a picture o! their character standing" and a picture o! them swinging a sword" but when they put it in the game it seems very choppy and unrealistic. To !ix this" animators use a techniDue called GtweeningH" which is where they loo# at two !rames o! an image" the !irst and last" and then they attempt to draw another one that is in the middle o! those. Then they repeat the process. (hen you put it all together" this will help ma#e the animations loo# much smoother.

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=ser inter!ace Etypically called G=*HF is what the player will use !or their menus" buttons" and !or the 9eads.=p. Display EG9=DHF" the in!ormation that is always on the screen to show the player what the need to #now. There are many di!!erent ways to style your menus and buttons" you )ust need to ma#e sure you are consistent with the rest o! your game. *! your game's bac#ground and character art has a nice" so!t" painterly !eel" then you won't want your menu's to be all hard ?D steel.loo#ing with sharp corners and edges. The best titles try to match their style.

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E!!ects are what ma#e the game pop and si@@le. (hen you get a level up" then you'll want to have !irewor#s go o!!. (hen you shoot a lightning bolt at an enemy" then you'll want to have little !lash particles !all o!! o! him. (hen your character runs o!!" you'll want to have a little bit o! dust #ic# up at his shoes as he ta#es o!!. ;

E!!ects are the little touches o! love" the little animations that really ta#e a game !rom good to great. *nexperienced game ma#ers )ust ma#e the characters and the bac#ground and =* and call it done" but pros #now that this is )ust the beginning. Putting lots o! subtle e!!ects around the game" a splash here" a ray o! sun there" are what ma#es the game !eel li#e it was Gmade with loveH. 0ne note- don't go overboard on the e!!ects. & good e!!ect is subtle" you barely notice it" but you are thin#ing to yoursel! the whole time" G(ow this game loo#s great$H. E!!ects shouldn't steal the show !rom the characters" instead they should )ust act as accents.

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There are a lot o! di!!erent programs and resources out there to help you !ind and ma#e your own artwor#. 9ere are some o! the best. &s always" i! you can't a!!ord the pro apps" use the !ree ones until you decide you'd li#e to save up.

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G*MP is a great !ree program !or image editing and a good program to use i! you are getting started in games

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,priter is a great program !or retro game ma#ers. *t ma#es it easy to create animations in an appealing /D game style. &nd best o! all" it's !ree$

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*llustrator allows you to ma#e vector graphics" which are #ey in web games and !lash. *! you are going in that direction then illustrator is highly recommended i! you can a!!ord it.

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Photoshop is where the phrased GphotoshoppedH came !rom" which implies it's the industry standard !or photo editing. Depending on the type o! game you are ma#ing" this may or may not be use!ul to you- i! you are doing a game with lots o! detailed art and textures" Photoshop will help. But i! you are ma#ing a !lash or pixel game" probably not so much.

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Maya is the industry standard !or ?D modeling and animation i! you are doing ?D games. Experience with this program is a de!inite plus on any resumes you might be ma#ing later on i! you're interested in a games industry )ob.

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*! you can't a!!ord Maya" then Blender is a great open source program !or ?D modeling you should consider chec#ing out. *'ve used it in one o! my game pro)ects as a student and it wor#ed great.

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There are a lot o! really great sites and resources out there that can save you time while ma#ing the art !or your game. 9ere are a !ew o! the best

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0pen Game &rt is a great collection o! royalty !ree game art !or indie gamers to use in their titles. 1rom tilesets to characters and units" boards and textures" it has everything. Be sure to obey the attribution and non.commercial licenses.

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Da 1ont is a great site to !ind lots o! !ree to use !onts !or your game. (hen you are building your menu's and your =*" try to !ind a !ont that !its the !eel o! your game.

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This is a great !ree !lash program that can help you !ind color matches !or your games. Particularly important when you are trying to decide on the loo# and !eel !or your title.

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Created by &dam G&tomicH and his small independent company ,emi.,ecret ,o!tware" Canabalt is a single.button game that pac#s a lot o! !un. Players run on the roo!tops o! a crumbling city" )umping over gaps and smashing through glass" trying to survive. The music" sounds" and atmosphere really contribute to Canabalt's overall !eeling + birds !ly o!! o! roo!tops as you land" spaceships sha#e the ground as they !ly by" and your character rolls when he ma#es a di!!icult )ump. (hile it's )ust in simple pixel art" the game is a great example" o! how presentation can ma#e a big di!!erence. Canabalt was a simple 1lash game that soon became an iPhone app" and it has since been a big part o! the in!luence o! the G7unnerH genre + games where players use simple controls to try and run as !ar as possible to reach a high score. But it started !rom humble beginnings" )ust as your games could. ,o as# yoursel!- *n what way would you li#e to in!luence the direction o! the games industry with your titles6

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,ECT*02 *8- T9E ,0=2D 01 T7*=MP9

Music is a huge part o! the atmosphere o! games" and sound is what really ma#es a game come to li!e. 5ou'd be ama@ed how some o! the most visceral experiences !eel li#e nothing when the sound is muted" even on &&& console titles. 0n the other hand" haunting music and strong sound e!!ects can turn a couple o! pixels in your homemade game into an epic story o! survival. *n this section we'll cover some resources that you can go to in order to !ind sounds and music in your games. 5ou essentially have three options. /. ?. Ma#e the sounds and music yoursel! 1ind !ree sounds and music" and ma#e sure you obey the licensing reDuirements Purchase sounds and music

*n my own games * pre!er the !irst two since they don't cost any money. There is so much great !ree and non. commercial stu!! !or personal game pro)ects out there that * have yet to !ind need !or paid sounds. Below we'll cover all three options. 9appy mixing$

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The 2ewgrounds &udio vault is a great source o! music !rom both pro!essional and amateur artists all over the world. 5ou'll !ind great trac#s uploaded every day and a huge repository o! old trac#s to browse through. *! you are loo#ing !or a big band tune to go with your side scroller" or an epic string choir to accompany your Telda.style adventure" this site is !or you. The only thing to remember here is to obey the license reDuirements. They typically will say something li#e thisAttribution: You must give credit to the artist. Noncommercial: You may not use this work for commercial purposes unless you make specific arrangements with the artist. Share Alike: If you alter, transform, or build upon this image, you may distribute the resulting creation only under a license identical to this one.

5ou want to ma#e sure you give these talented music artists your than#s by !ollowing the rules they set" so to ma#e sure you are complying" )ust put a lin# to the site and the name o! the artist somewhere in your game. Typically this can go in a big list in a GCreditsH section o! your title.

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*! you want to ma#e your own music" then there are a !ew common programs that allow !or easy mixing o! di!!erent sound loops. Garage Band is the de!ault mixing program that comes on &pple's Mac computers" and it's !airly robust" more than enough !or putting together some great tunes !or your titles. *t also comes *! you don't have a Mac however" and you still want to mix your own music" then you'll have to !ind some other options" such as3

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&cid is a program that lets you create and edit your own music. &lthough paid" the program is a great resource !or music ma#ers loo#ing to get their hands dirty and start mixing their own trac#s. *t comes with a massive library o! music loops that you can mix and match to create songs !or your game title" whether it's title music" a melody to accompany an enchanted !orest" or a Duic# victory diddy.

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Price- 1ree" with &ttribution %in#- http-LLsampleswap.orgL ,ample ,wap is a !antastic website !or !inding recorded sound e!!ects !or you to use in your game. 2eed the sound o! water splash6 9ow about brea#ing boards" an explosion" or maybe a door opening6 ,ample ,wap is the place to go. 5ou can search !or speci!ic terms or )ust browse until you !ind what you need. &s with all the other sites that o!!er !ree content" be sure to chec# the attribution licenses so that you are !ollowing the rules set by the creators.

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Price- 1ree %in#- http-LLwww.b!xr.netL This is a really !un" maybe even G!unnyH sound program that you can use to create your own e!!ects. 5ou can mix and match di!!erent synthesi@ed sounds to ma#e a lot o! classic e!!ects that you need in games" such as )ump" dieLta#e damage" power up" and grabbing coins. 5ou can even clic# buttons to have them be randomly generated" which * thin# is pretty cool. 5ou can mix and match and then export the sounds.

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*t's interesting that our concepts o! what something li#e Gpic#ing up a coin in a gameH should sound li#e are so well de!ined that someone could create a computer to ma#e the sounds.

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Price- 1ree %in#- http-LLaudacity.source!orge.netL &udacity is open source so!tware that is per!ect !or mixing and editing sounds. *t allows you to open sound !iles and edit them" such as cutting or shrin#ing" changing pitch" or adding e!!ects such as echo. =sed in con)unction with ,ample ,wap" &udacity is per!ect !or helping you get to the per!ect sound e!!ects !or your game. 5ou can download an audio !ile !rom sample swap and then twea# it to get it )ust right. %ove that sound o! !alling roc#s you !ound" but it )ust goes on too long6 Pop it into &udacity and cut it down to your heart's content. 2ote that !or some legal reason" the mp? license does not come with the core &udacity pac#age. ,o i! you want to edit or ma#e mp?'s !rom audacity" you'll need to search around a bit to !ind the license to download and install.

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2ow that you #now where to go and how to do it" how does one go about deciding what sounds and music are right !or their game6 &t some point in your game development process" you'll want to start thin#ing about sound and music" and my suggestion to answer this Duestion is to thin# about how you want your game to !eel. Do you want it to be relaxing6 Terri!ying6 ,ound li#e the spring bree@e on a cool day6 ,ound li#e an old A<'s A.bit cartridge title6 Pic#ing the !eeling that you are trying to evo#e is the !irst step in getting your sounds and music together. 0nce you do that" then there are a plethora o! resources available to you to help you !ind or create your own sounds and music to put into your game. 0verall you should strive to be consistent. *! the !eeling that you want is a peace!ul calm bree@e" then your sound e!!ects should be peace!ul" such as a slight wind" birds chirping" so!t piano or harp. *! you want your game to !eel tense and action pac#ed" then go with some grunge metal" lots o! drums" sounds o! crowds or punches with high impact. Ma#ing a consistent experience and having all the sounds !eel li#e they match each other goes a long way to ma#ing the world o! a game come to li!e. ,o listen closely" because your players will be$

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*2D*E G&ME ,P0T%*G9T- M*2EC7&1T

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&s the most success!ul indie game o! all time" Minecra!t has become a cultural phenomenon in only a !ew years. (ith millions o! copies purchased" its own annual MineCon convention" and !ans all over the world" Minecra!t is a source o! inspiration !or many game ma#ers" big and small. The game was created by Mar#us G2otchH Perrson" a )ava programmer who had made games !or several years !or game company Bing be!ore deciding to stri#e it out on his own. *nspired by other indie titles li#e *n!iniminer and Dwar! 1ortress" 2otch sought to create a world that was as customi@able as it was immersive. The result was the world o! Minecra!t that extends on !orever and allows players to build anything they can imagine !rom castles to la#es" mountain villages to tree houses and underground caverns. But don't let its huge success !ool you . Minecra!t was built in Java" a !ree programming language that anyone can pic# up !rom their home computer. *t was distributed on 2otch's own website using paypal !or payments" and was only much later released on other plat!orms such as Qbox ?K< and iPad. ,o who #nows6 5our next title could be the next cultural phenomenon to hit the mar#et$

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,ECT*02 8- G*8E T9E PE0P%E (9&T T9E5 (&2T

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2ow that you've gotten the rundown on how to program" animate" and add sound to your game" the !inal part is to actually release it$ This is the exciting part" the part where you !inally get to !ind out how you've done. 9ave you created the next independent game hit6 0r are there areas where you can still improve6 *n this section we'll cover methods o! releasing your game to the masses" sites and communities to get involved in" and how to best deal with post.launch press and !eedbac#. Depending on the technology that you pic#" certain avenues will be open or closed to you !or releasing your game. Di!!erent plat!orms cater to di!!erent types o! games and you should choose care!ully to plan your releases. That said" my advice is to always release on as many websites and plat!orms as you can so that you are getting your game in !ront o! as many !ans as possible$ 5ou've put a lot o! hard wor# into your game" don't let it go to waste by only putting it on one site$ 9ere are some o! the plat!orms o! choice-

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*! you are ma#ing a 1lash game" here are some great sites to ma#e sure you sign up !or-

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Bongregate is a great site to release 1lash games on" with a great rating system" wee#ly contests" and an &P* that you can hoo# into to add achievements to your game.

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2ewgrounds is another site that" li#e Bongregate" is !ull o! !ans and ma#ers o! games. & lot o! the same bene!its o! Bongregate in contests" ratings" and so on. *t has a little more alternativeLmature vibe than Bong" but a good site nonetheless.

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,ome developers choose to launch on their own website. 5ou can get a domain name !rom sites li#e GoDaddy or and and throw something together in minutes.

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,team is the PC gaming )uggernaut. (ith daily sales and thousands o! titles" ,team is the place to be !or independent PC games. 2ote however that this is !or pro!essional commercial titles only + not the place to share your wee#end hac#athon game.

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Qbox %ive *ndie games is where many students and starting indie developers put their games. Microso!t has done a great )ob o! courting independent game developers by setting up a mar#etplace to release indie games on. Everyone !rom students to enthusiasts can easily submit their games and immediately have them up to be played in the Qbox %ive *ndie games section. (ho doesn't dream o! playing games on their home console T8 li#e the games they grew up with6 Chec# out this 1&M i! you have Duestions on submitting.

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0uya will soon be another avenue !or players to release their indie games on. &s a console designed speci!ically !or indie games" it's li#ely to be a really !un experience. Be sure to chec# it out$

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&pple's &pp ,tore is another home !or many indies. ,mall indie groups li#e 2imbleBit" ma#ers o! Tiny Tower and 2imble Muest" have had lots o! success here. (hile there is very limited shel! space !rom the Top Charts" this is the place you'll go i! you develop a game !or iDevices.

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Google has done a !ine )ob o! pulling together a nice little app store !or the plethora o! &ndroid phone devices. 5ou can also release apps here written in 9TM%> !or play on the computer.

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C0MPET*T*02, &2D C02TE,T,

0nce you've !inished and released your game" there are a hand!ul o! competitions that you can submit your game to as well. This can be a lot o! !un + you'll get to meet lots o! other great indie game developers as well$

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This is the biggest !estival" typically !or more experienced game ma#ers. The awards show is held every year as part o! the Game Developers Con!erence in ,an 1rancisco. & lot o! really inspiring entries" even i! you don't ma#e it in.

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*ndieCae is another respectable indie game competition held each year down in %&. ,ince the whole event is around indie games" it has a !un grassroots !eel to it.

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%udum Dare is very di!!erent !rom the other competitions. & theme is released on 1riday" and you have 4A hours to ma#e a game around the theme. *t is a fantastic learning experience and is highly recommended. *t promises to be one the most !un wee#ends you'll have$

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&nother great thing about living in the time that we do is that there are many" many online !orums" communities" and publications around games. *t's a lot o! !un to release something and then see people tal#ing about it and get !eedbac# !rom your !ans. 1or that reason" it's a good idea to be !amiliar with some o! the publications that cover the types o! games you'll be ma#ing" and also to get involved with the !orums and communities around games. (e'll cover both in this section + you're probably already !amiliar with many o! them.

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T*G,ource is" in many ways" the heart o! the English.spea#ing indie game scene. The !orums are very active and a great place to meet other game developers. They even have a section where you can post games that you've made !or !eedbac#. Just ma#e sure that you are being polite + don't spam all over the place to get people to play your game. Ma#e !riends and they will come$

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*ndieGames.com is owned by the same people who host the *ndependent Games 1estival each year. That being said" it's a great source o! coverage o! the independent games scene with updates daily. ?<

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7oc# Paper ,hotgun is one o! the !avorite indie game sites on the web that !ocuses mainly on PC gaming. There are wee#ly rundowns o! releases as well as reviews o! top independent as well as &&& titles.

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Jay*sGames has been around !or a looooong time covering Gcasual gamesH !or years. 2ow that independent gaming has blown up" it covers all #inds o! 1lash and casual titles with well.written reviews. *! you ma#e a popular !lash or a nice downloadable casual game" expect it to show up here$

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Pro game developers are always learning. (henever anything is released" then they listen !or !eedbac#. Many sites and portals allow !or great player and customer interaction + you can read reviews o! your game" see .> star ratings that people give" and notice how many plays" downloads" or purchases the game has. The #ey is to remember that i! people don't li#e your game !or some reason" then it's not something to get upset about" it's an opportunity to learn. %isten to your players and what they are saying to you. Then" you can try to incorporate their !eedbac#" or you can ta#e it as a lesson and apply it to your next game. (hen * was ma#ing some my !irst games" then * thought that the designs were impeccable. * was so pleased with how well the systems wor#ed that * thought the game would be ran#ed very highly in the contest * entered. 9owever when the results came in" * didn't score very well at all. The reason6 My artwor# and overall presentation were not very good. ,o while * was a little upset !or a day or so" eventually * got over it and too# that !eedbac# to heart. 1or my next pro)ect" then * decided to really put by bac# into the artwor# to ma#e it sing. &nd guess what6 *t was by !ar my most success!ul game. * recommend you do the same. &s you start to release your games" listen to your players" read the reviews" read what people write in !orums" and then view it as an opportunity to learn and get even better !or next time. This is the absolute best way to get better at ma#ing games.

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(i@orb is a !antastic little twist on the old paddle genre" gams where you have a paddle that bounces balls around a screen. By layering on some great pixel art" old !ashioned game mechanics" and a twist on 7PG gameplay" (i@orb came together as a great title. *t was made by a small group o! !riends who !ormed a company called Tribute Games" and written in Q2&" which is !reely downloadable online.

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2ow you truly have everything you need to ma#e your own games" all that's le!t is to get started$ But what can you do a!ter you've made a game6 *t's a great s#ill to have with lots o! experience to give" and you de!initely set yoursel! up !or a bright !uture. 9ere are some options3

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0! course" a!ter ma#ing your !irst game" you can continue and start on another one$ (hat did you want to do in your last title that you never got around to6 Did you want to try ma#ing an action title that involves lots o! physics6 9ow about a title with auto.generated levels on the !ly6 * personally have a list o! games that *'d li#e to ma#e that * #eep" and as * come up with ideas * slowly wor# through the list. &nd i! you are continually ma#ing progress" it really does !eel li#e your dreams coming true$ 9ow about new technologies would you li#e to learn + Java6 Maybe try something in 1lash or something that uses server code6 The possibilities are endless. &ctually using s#ills as you learn them is the best way to gain mastery. By having a goal in mind such as learning a new techniDue o! language" you can view your game pro)ects as !un lessons !or yoursel!.

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(hile ma#ing a game by yoursel! is a huge accomplishment" it's also lots o! !un to wor# together with a team. *! you have !riends or classmates who are interested in ma#ing games" then consider getting them to wor# on some o! the parts o! your next game$ (ho #nows" you might turn into the next hit indie studio$

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*! you're a student and are unsure what you'd li#e to do !or a living one day" you now have a small taste o! what it's li#e to ma#e games !or a living$ This is what thousands o! people" !rom 2intendo to Bli@@ard to Tynga" mysel! included" do every day. There are many schools that provide degrees and opportunities !or careers in games and lots o! resources to get you there. *! you're interested in learning more about becoming a pro game developer" *'d li#e to invite you to chec# out my boo# on &ma@on- Game Development 9ero + Ma#e Games" Get Job 0!!ers" and 1ind 5our (ay in the Games *ndustry. Best o! luc#$

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