Hi! i am a teen of 13 about to be 14 in a couple of days that does not matter…

I learnt html css and javascript a year ago, but i didn't know what to do after that, so i started on react, in the end, i realized you cannot make games with react and it is very very bad and i hadn't got any ideas for apps too.

I wanted to create apps and stuff like that when i grow to start my company and so on…

But now i want to create games, over the time, i didn't revised these three but i have still basic knowledgeof html i mean the semantic, the tags basic like div, basic methods like id placeholder, forms… you know stuff like that. I have a basic just the basic knowledge of css too.

Im telling this cuz this is important. As for javascript, i still know about the variables, scoping, if else, functions, objects, arrays, classes and… idk. Alright i lack a lot knowledge of javascript Dom. And when i see other codes that includes dom in other tutorials, i get scared. And in my course which i have done ( Imma a poor little kiddo jk :D). I couldn't afford neither my parents paid courses. My javascript knowledge is slack mainly because of DOM.

Now the main talk -

I want to do game development with app development too. I heard javascript is not much too good for game dev, but i heard about java. So, i am currently thinking of these two things.

Javascript and phaser

Java and libgdx.

I know i could create apps too with java. I have a basic knowledge of js. And idk what to do now. I couldn't make a decision. Can you guys help me?

I would thank the person infintely.

??

hi vkg123,

You know, every next step is ok and brings you to becoming more experienced which give you a better understanding of the possibilities of the language and of yourself…

But to be a bit more concrete Java is not a bad choice to start….javascript is not a (complete) programming language (no flame intended) you use it mainly front-end (on the computer of the player) html is not at all a programming language..it is a way to present data again front-end…my advise is always to start with a language which looks a lot like C because it is the mother of most languages and makes it easier to switch to a different language later (for example if you learned Java it is not rocket science to switch to C# for example (of course there are differences) …Python is getting more and more popular as well although that syntax is further away from C ..

Last advise it doesn't matter what you do as long as you do it and try to finish it!

good luck in your adventures and happy coding !

“If you only know about hammers, the entire world is a nail that needs a bash on the head.”

It may look a bit weird, but think about it.

You now know Javascript, some css, and some html. That is great!! (I learned html and css much much later than you, and haven't even tried javascript yet.) Your knowledge is the hammer. Since that is all you currently know, you try to solve all problems you run into, by using those tools. (Bash the problem with javascript on the head until it is done.)

However, there are also problems in the world that don't need a hammer. Maybe you need a saw or a screwdriver, or use some nifty shaped wood https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodworking_joints​ to get the job done.

To become a great programmer, you should expand the set of tools that you know. Don't stick with only the hammer, you don't want to bash nails with javascript your entire life. Learn about the computer versions of sawing and wood-working. The more techniques you have seen and tried, the bigger your toolbox, and the better you understand when not to use a hammer but use a saw and a screwdriver instead. The world is a big place, with lots of interesting and useful computer things, try them all!

In your life, you will encounter such problems I am sure. I started programming BASIC at the age of 15. Now, 40 years later, I still run into problems that need a solution that I have never done before where I don't even know what tool to use.

So while I don't know the answer of your question, my advice is to try everything you can get your hands on. If you stick with javascript, you get better in 1 tool. If you try Java, you expand to 2 tools, and more importantly, you will learn where Javascript shines, but also where it fails and Java will work better.

The more different things you try, the better you understand strong and weak points of tools, the better you can make a choice how to solve a problem, and what tools are appropriate. That can only help you in your future.

Even if you find that Java is not the good choice, you gain personal experience with it, which is a lot better than hear-say about it from others.

vkg123 said:
Hi! i am a teen of 13 about to be 14 in a couple of days that does not matter…

This is useful. At your age, don't focus on making something amazing. Focus on making anything as you learn.

vkg123 said:
I want to do game development with app development too. I heard javascript is not much too good for game dev, but i heard about java. So, i am currently thinking of these two things. Javascript and phaser Java and libgdx. I know i could create apps too with java. I have a basic knowledge of js. And idk what to do now. I couldn't make a decision. Can you guys help me?

Many games use JavaScript, especially web-based games. Some games use it for UI. Flash is now dead, but the programming language inside it was an early form of JavaScript, and there were tons of popular flash games spanning over a decade.

Java is another great language, it is frequently used for backend work these days but has been used for many games over the years.

Both are good choices. At your age, learn whichever interests you more. If one holds your interests some days and another holds your interest on other days, use them both on the days you prefer.

Beware that the two have little in common except four letters in their name. You'll learn general programming concepts with either one.

Albreth described it as having tools, and that's a common description. At your age don't focus on the large projects. Make whatever simple things you can figure out. If you can't figure it out don't worry about it, you may not have the overall background to handle it yet. Some concepts will require college-level mathematics, college-level algorithms, and other things you simply haven't been exposed to.

For now get comfortable with whatever tools you can find, figure out whatever you can, do whatever holds your interest, and move on when you think of something else that you enjoy.

If you want to make games in JavaScript, go for it. If you want to make games in Java, go for it. If you want to use both, use both. If you want to try a few things in C#, or C++, or Python, or Go, or some other language, go for it. The only wrong choice is to be paralyzed with fear.

I wish I had had this much insight/self-awareness at your age.

While I agree with Mr. frob in that you should not be focusing on a single thing, I do think you can start guiding yourself in a direction that will help you down the line right now. You mention a bunch of languages and frankly they sound like a blurb. You also mention apps, which sounds generic. This all seems like stuff you've sort of picked up along the way, which is great. But it's also possibly limiting the way you look at things (this is what Alberth is talking about with his hammers and nails). Which suggests a different approach - instead of asking “What is it that I should do?”…

… look at what you like with a critical look.

No one can (or at least should) tell you what you should do, but here are two things that I think are relevant to anyone at your age with your ambition:

1. figure out what games you like. Like, REALLY like. Then ask “WHICH aspect of that game am I (MOST) interested in?”. And then ask: “How do I do that?". All questions related to engine, language, form, platform, etc. will follow from that, and they'll probably make a lot more sense in that context, even if your ambition is to make whole games from scratch!
2. you're 14. By the time you finish university things will have changed quite a bit. First, it takes a LOT of catching up with what is already there, but everything also depends on changes in technology and whether this is going to be your continued passion throughout the years. Now, assuming this is your true passion, if you couldn't really answer question 1, then it actually becomes really simple: try everything. Every language you see, every engine you come across and every suggestion you encounter. Because at the end of it you'll want two things: to know what your options are and have your own opinion of each of them. No one can truly give you either of those other than yourself.

And finally, read books.

I started programming in college, if you're starting now then you'll probably be leagues ahead of your classmates by the time you get to college if you stay at it consistently.

I just wanted to point out that the three.js library is very popular for javascript game making. https://threejs.org/examples/#webgl_animation_keyframes

IIRC