Hello guys.

I recently completed my junior year in computer science and I've been meaning to do a project on my own. Something that I can call my own masterpiece you know, apart from all the grueling school projects.

Of course, I'm interested in game developing and I would like to develop my game no matter how good or bad. I also want to increase my proficiency in coding while doing this, so basically I want to do everything by myself, except maybe the (necessary?) artwork.

I know that the most popular small/browser games are developed with Flash or Unity but I don't have any experience with them. I'm better equipped in Java, C and C++.

I've made some games with Java in the past but especially the GUI looks so funny (like its made in Paint), it doesn't have the slightest professional feel. I wish to make something more serious and I'm willing to spend a lot of time on it.

It feels like there are so many options and I'm kinda lost. I have some ideas about the game I want to make but I don't feel myself that proficient to just start translating those ideas to code right away. Can any of you guys point me in the right direction?

Sorry that I'm a bit wordy lol, happens when I get excited about stuff. Also please forgive me if I had any errors in my sentences, English is not my native language.

Thank you,

Wolf.

Java, C and C++.

It is possible that those languages are all that you will ever need.

I recommend making simples game with a game engine right away, since you have coding experience.

List of Game Engines:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_game_engines

Find a game engine with an online community that has a lot of information and the people are helpful.

Until you finish school, just have fun with it but keep at it.

http://www.gamedev.net/page/resources/_/technical/game-programming/how-do-i-make-games-a-path-to-game-development-r892

When I was in college, one of the most important projects I ever did was a Tetris, in the vein of a project above. It was completely self-directed (not for a class or anything), and took me a few weeks/months. It was the kind of thing I could work on when I had some down-time - or needed to distract myself from schoolwork for a few hours, while still doing something productive.

It wasn't so much a coding challenge as it was a challenge to create, perfect, and integrate every part (every piece of artwork, music, high score list, demo mode, etc.). The end result wasn't a 3D game or even a complicated sidescroller, but it had so much polish, that I'm as proud of it as anything I've ever done.

A completely finished, polished game like that - no matter how simplistic - will not only teach you more, it'll be more impressive to people who matter than any half-completed, unpolished 3D shooter or other, more complicated game.

Challenge yourself to at least take yourself to the "Pac-Man" stage of the above article (as a student, your studies should be your top priority, so I think a finshed, polished sidescroller might be too much). Complete all the graphics. Integrate music and sound effects. Add a demo/attract mode. A high score list. An intro cinematic. A credits scroll.

http://www.gamedev.net/page/resources/_/technical/game-programming/how-do-i-make-games-a-path-to-game-development-r892

When I was in college, one of the most important projects I ever did was a Tetris, in the vein of a project above. It was completely self-directed (not for a class or anything), and took me a few weeks/months. It was the kind of thing I could work on when I had some down-time - or needed to distract myself from schoolwork for a few hours, while still doing something productive.

It wasn't so much a coding challenge as it was a challenge to create, perfect, and integrate every part (every piece of artwork, music, high score list, demo mode, etc.). The end result wasn't a 3D game or even a complicated sidescroller, but it had so much polish, that I'm as proud of it as anything I've ever done.

A completely finished, polished game like that - no matter how simplistic - will not only teach you more, it'll be more impressive to people who matter than any half-completed, unpolished 3D shooter or other, more complicated game.

Challenge yourself to at least take yourself to the "Pac-Man" stage of the above article (as a student, your studies should be your top priority, so I think a finshed, polished sidescroller might be too much). Complete all the graphics. Integrate music and sound effects. Add a demo/attract mode. A high score list. An intro cinematic. A credits scroll.

^^^ This.

Tetris is a really good game to start with, as the article explains. It contains very simple art (squares), the real game is available to study, and a working version contains user input, collision detection, win/loose checks, score, increasing difficulty (speed increase), sound effects, background music, high score saved to a file, and a whole bunch of other things I can't even remember.

You will be amazed how much you can learn from a single clone like this.

Thanks for the replies guys. Yeah I've made a hangman and a bubble-pop kinda game in the past but I didn't polish them at all, hence I end up hating how they play and look lol.

Maybe I should start from scratch and get into every tiny detail indeed.

I recommend making simples game with a game engine right away, since you have coding experience.

I'm kinda unsure about the game engine idea, Unity is also a game engine as far as I know but as I said I want to do everything by myself including all the physics stuff. I'm not currently looking for to make a game to release on market, I just wanna learn as much as I can and have fun while doing it. And I hope when I'm done I'll have fun playing it. :)

It would help to know what kind of game you would like to build.

That "polished" look often comes from high quality artwork, so you may need an art collaborator.

If you need a mentor, hit me up via email. (Davidj at gmail)

As stated, How do I make games? A Path to Game Development is a good start and read, but I would also say to add Your First Step to Game Development Starts Here as it supplies a decent list of games to make as a beginner. The Wikipedia: List of Game Engines is a nice list for finding engines after you make those games and don't want to write your own engine and just want to make games.

Thanks for all the answers and the links guys, I'll take a look at them.

...and don't want to write your own engine and just want to make games.

Do I need to write my own engine at some further point?

Do I need to write my own engine at some further point?

At some point, in the future, you may want to do something in a game that an existing engine doesn't do. At that point you will have to either modify an existing engine or write your own. Don't worry though, that is a long ways off.

Do I need to write my own engine at some further point?

Read this: "Write games not engines"

http://www.geometrian.com/programming/tutorials/write-games-not-engines/index.php