Game programming is the process of writing the code that composes any video game or feature. Programmers create the foundational code that other designers and creatives build on top of.
Aspiring game programmers have many options to learn to write code for video games. Numerous books and edX courses cover the fundamental knowledge every programmer needs. Online platforms and tutorials offer a wealth of practical experience with coding specific games and features. Tweaking a feature based on players’ feedback is one of the fastest ways for beginner programmers to learn to iterate on their own work.
Explore free online tutorials and courses designed for beginners like Coursera and Udemy, learn the 7-step process for starting out in video game programming, when to use C++ vs. C# vs. Lua vs. Javascript, and the reason that a language like scratch is ideal for beginner programmers, and choose from a collection of books for learning to code specifically for video games.
What is game programming?
Game programming is a subset of game development defined by writing complex computer programming code. Game designers create imaginative worlds using formulaic strings of code, so coding a video game is a mixture of art and science. Game programming is a skill that’s built up gradually, ideally using a wide range of game development software.
Programming is the act of telling a computing device the exact steps to follow and rules to enforce. Learning to code specifically for video games is really about mastering a set of smaller related proficiencies: gameplay logic; input processing; visual communication, such as rendering; specialized forms of these, such as networking, navigation, combat logic—the list goes on and on.
If it’s difficult to picture what this actually looks like, the finished product will look a lot like the prototype in-game code below.
There are many ways for beginner programmers to hone their coding skills. Game programming courses and online platforms tailored to specific languages are excellent for learning the basics. Gaining practice coding in multiple programming languages is the fastest way to learn each language’s advantages, limits and ideal use cases.
How to learn video game programming?
To learn video game programming, first choose a programming language to focus on. C++ is the industry standard, used by most studios for the widest range of projects. Javascript is ideal for developing web-based games. Lua is perfect for quickly iterating on features within a game engine. Comparing each language’s strengths and weaknesses makes it easier to pick the most fitting option for a particular project.
After picking a language, start exploring the wide world of free online tutorials. YouTube has a wealth of informative and fun series that serve as many people’s first introduction to each programming language. When in doubt, start at Brackey’s channel, since it’s full of helpful videos covering multiple languages—here’s his intro to coding in Godot.
Work on mastering the fundamentals after gaining enough skill to “become dangerous” (able to do a few things with minimal understanding of their inner workings). Avoid the trap of overconfidently skipping ahead—the far more complex problems down the road demand a solid foundation of programming knowledge. Figure out the reasoning behind specific coding processes, the way computer hardware works, and the differences between functions, objects and data. Learn to differentiate between event-based vs. polling setups. Make sure to cover the intricacies of developing multiplayer games. This video explains how to handle the unique challenge of getting online multiplayer just right.
Next, it’s time to actually start coding simple features. Find a small and achievable initial project, like creating a tic-tac-toe game. Focusing on one small feature at a time helps to consistently refresh programmers’ motivation and build confidence with each completed project.
Ask another person to make adjustments to the system once the first prototype is ready. Watch the kind of decisions they make and consider how to make the system mesh more closely with their instinctive behavior. Any direct feedback they have to offer is especially useful. The discussion between former Sony/Blizzard game test lead Rian Trost and myself below goes over some of our experiences working directly with QA testers.
Research how other programmers tend to respond to these roadblocks, too. Chances are that whatever is vexing a newer programmer, their peers already had to solve that problem long ago. Most programming communities (like the Funsmith Club Discord) are happy to offer advice and guidance to beginners.
Taking each perspective into account, adjust the feature to make it more intuitive, fun, and/or responsive. Look how different the same place in Ori and the Will of the Wisps looks in the rough prototype vs. the final game.
Finally, repeat the whole process with a new feature concept. Taking several projects from start to finish tends to highlight any significant gaps in programming knowledge. Work up to increasingly complex features as a sort of self-imposed trial by fire. Learning to code in multiple languages is another way for beginner programmers to become more flexible and capable of working on a wider range of games and features.
Long story short: learn the basics through guides and more experienced programmers, then practice implementing them with different features until it becomes second nature.
What are effective ways to learn game programming online?
Effective ways to learn game programming online are found throughout the vast library of free learning resources available on the internet. Online game development courses from e-learning sites like Coursera, edX, and Udemy cover the core principles in programming, design, art, and animation. Platforms like Codecademy offer more hands-on, interactive lectures with practical exercises.
Below are the most effective ways to learn game programming. Feel free to mix and match these strategies to find the most useful combination.
- Practice with interactive online platforms: Codecademy, Khan Academy and freeCodeCamp each offer a range of basic coding lessons. Each platform emphasizes practical exercises to help solidify new concepts through experience.
- Complete online tutorials: There are numerous free resources about game engines available online. Use tutorials to gain practical experience while following a guide, ensuring nothing important is missed. Unity Learn offers a series of tutorials and courses focused on 3D game dev topics, and Unreal Sensei’s channel is a very straightforward introduction to Unreal Engine 5.
- Take online game development courses: Game dev courses on e-learning sites offer a more structured approach to learning to write codes for games. Check whether local colleges or universities offer an intro to game development course.
- Read books on game programming: Study game programming books to learn C and other programming languages prior to actually writing code. Search online for free resources about game engines to review the same information from a different perspective.
- Learn game design: Master the foundational principles of designing games to understand more about what game programming can accomplish. Learning to see from a game designer’s perspective helps programmers envision the final product that their code pieces together.
- Download a game engine: Choose a game engine and practice writing simple programs or games. For 2D games, use Gamemaker. The guide from AskGameDev below covers everything a pioneering game maker in Gamemaker needs to know.
What platforms provide game programming courses?
The following platforms provide game programming courses for all skill levels, and many are completely free.
- Coursera, edX, Udemy, Pluralsight, and GameDev.tv courses each dive deeper into a specific aspect of game programming.
- Boot.dev has a series of practical courses dedicated to teaching Python more through actual coding than by reviewing the background theory.
- MIT’s OpenCourseWare offers many completely free courses teaching different program languages, like “Introduction to Computer Science and Programming in Python”.
- Harvard offers free online courses for several game programming languages, ranging from language-specific options like CS50’s Introduction to Programming with Python to more wide-reaching, generalist courses like Introduction to Computer Science.
How to start in video game programming as a beginner?
To start in video game programming as a beginner, follow the steps below.
- Choose a basic game engine: Game development is a massive field with numerous engines to choose from. Pick one engine to become consistent with to avoid complicating the coding process as a beginner.
- Acquire experience through practice: Learn to code while becoming more familiar with the engine. Explore its limits and get more comfortable being creative. The point of playing with anything is to learn through subjective experience, so play around until the tools become intuitive.
- Complete online tutorials: Tutorials offer a more guided experience that complements the free-form knowledge gained through practice. Game programming tutorials teach both basic skills for beginners and more specific, advanced processes that build onto the initial coding skill set. Watch other creators’ videos for further guidance and inspiration.
- Create a feature prototype: Complete an early playable version of one little fleshed-out piece of a game. Use this proof of concept to showcase what makes the feature fun or intuitive.
- Network with fellow devs at gaming events: Connect with other programmers in person at game jams and other large dev gatherings, like itchi.io/jams. Participate in the larger game dev community to share ideas, meet potential future friends or coworkers and get expert advice firsthand. Networking events are full of opportunities to get feedback on feature prototypes from many different perspectives.
- Work with other programmers: Collaborate with peers on their projects whenever possible. Learn from each other and contribute more to both games by involving multiple skill sets and perspectives.
- Iterate on the feature repeatedly: Choose where to make changes based on all the collected feedback. Look for overlapping points to zero in on the game’s biggest issues and most successful features. Review, iterate, rinse, repeat.
What are the most popular video game programming languages?
The most popular video game programming languages are C++ for Unreal/Blueprints, C# for Unity/Godot, Python, HTML5, and JavaScript for web-based games, and Lua for cases requiring flexibility or quick prototyping. Make use of programming libraries’ pre-written code to help optimize performance further.
The following list outlines 6 of the top programming languages used in game development.
- C++: The most popular language for coding games. Object-oriented, highly customizable, swift and efficient due to being statically typed and compiled. Huge online community. Relatively complex and hard to learn, but obviously worth the effort. The coding language for Unreal.
- C#: Deeply integrated with and mainly used with Unity. Considered an easier alternative to C++ but still quite powerful and versatile.
- Javascript: Most useful option for developing web-based/browser games, usually packaged into HTML5 with HTML and CSS. Large support community, including the WebGL graphics library and Phaser, an HTML game framework.
- Java: The main language used to write Android games, but usable with basically any other platform through JVM. Great for learning to code since Java projects are able to reach the testing and prototyping phases so quickly.
- Lua: Versatile, lightweight scripting language that’s embeddable within a game engine. Flexible and easy to integrate with many other applications. The language used with Roblox.
- Python: Easy to write in and useful for quick iteration and prototyping. Large support community, including the free, cross-platform Pygame game dev library. Not ideal for resource-intensive projects requiring high performance; use C++ in that case.
What game programming language is recommended for beginners?
The game programming language recommended for beginners is a visual coding language like scratch. Learn scratch first to understand the key concepts without needing to write everything down.
Next, try re-creating the scratch examples in Python or Lua. Pygame has tons of Python tutorials and modules that are suitable for beginner devs. Finally, step into learning the language of the chosen engine. Use Javascript to develop web games. For Unity or Godot projects, consider C#. Code Unreal Engine games in C++.
What books are most effective at teaching game programming?
The most effective books for teaching game programming vary based on each student’s skill level. Any of the introductory books below is a solid jumping off point for novice game programmers.
- Game Programming Patterns by Robert Nystrom
- Game Programming in C++ by Sanjay Madhav
- Unity from Zero to Proficiency by Patrick Felicia
- Learn Visual Basic 6 in 3 Weeks by Greg Perry
- Beginning Game Programming by Jonathan S. Harbour
- Beginning C++ Through Game Programming by Michael Dawson
- 3D Math Primer for Graphics and Game Development by Fletcher Dunn
- Coding Roblox Games Made Easy by Zander Brumbaugh
- Level Up! The Guide to Great Video Game Design by Scott Rogers
- A Playful Production Process by Richard Lemarchand
- Masters of Doom by David Kushner
- Dragonfly – Program a Game Engine from Scratch by Mark Claypool
These more advanced books are filled with helpful lessons from experienced game devs.
- Game Engine Architecture by Jason Gregory (lead programmer at Naughty Dog)
- Game Mechanics: Advanced Game Design by Ernest Adams
- Multiplayer Game Programming by Josh Glazer and Sanjay Madhav
- Killer Game Programming in Java by Andrew Davison
- Unity in Action: Multiplatform Game Development in C# by Joe Hocking and Joseph Hocking
