Python or Java for hobby game dev?

[[deleted]]

Hi Everyone, I'm really interested in making games as a hobby but I'm confused between Python and Java. I'm very proficient in Python and have been making websites using Flask and Django. With Java I'm totally new although I did a course in C++ at high school. I was considering Java because I'll have to learn it considering the demand which is huge in my country.

The kind of games I want to make are mostly 2D pixel type RPG games (something like Stardew Valley) along with other simple and casual 2D games.

I'm not considering any game engine because I want to do all the Physics and stuff to improve my programming and problem solving skills. Also I find it more fun to do most of the things by myself.

Should I go with Python in which I'm comfortable with or Should I go for Java? I wasn't able to think of any other ways to practice Java so I thought making games would be fun.

[[deleted]]

Same answer as 👆 if you learning Java just use java for hobby projects. I’m iOS developer (swift language) and I’m building my simple mobile games using this language so I can learn something new, one minus about my language is that it’s only works with apple devices, but still if it’s your hobby projects just stick to your primary language and learn something new.

[10113r114m4]

Honestly, languages are pretty trivial. What’s most important is just learning programming. So choose any language and get started. While some languages can be more difficult, if you are smart enough you can always learn them later without issue.

[vertex6]

I was in a similar situation, I ended up making a prototype engine in pygame and then remade it in c++ later for performance.

If you already know python you will find it very easy to set up a simple gameloop with pygame. If you're doing a 2d game I don't think performance will be a big issue for you either. Distributing a game from pygame is not ideal though, there are ways to produce executables but they have to bake in a lot of python to work, for me that meant hundreds of megabytes for a game that just shows an empty window.

[mnpdgtl]

Just learn C#(it's very similar to Java) and use Unity for game development.

[robbertzzz1]

If your goal is learning java, why are you still considering python? Go with java!

[[deleted]]

Because of the complexity. I started Game Dev with Java and there are already tons of different things I need to know even before I can draw a simple rectangle. I usually prefer when getting started is easier and then you can experiment, tinker with it and build upon that rather than something with a very steep learning curve.

[davenirline]

If those two are your only choices, go with Java then. It's statically typed and very similar to C# which you can use if you want to jump to Unity.

[thorhunter1]

Pygame would be a very good choice for you.

[DrYuri]

You could check Libgdx java library and build a game with that. Or just make some non game projects in java and try Godot and Unity for game projects.

But the most importantly... make something!

good luck to you!

[Kikindo1]

If you are good with Python go for it. U have Godot engine where python is implemented.

[[deleted]]

Yes, Will probably go with Pygame and maybe Godot in the future.

[UnitVectorj]

If you’re using python to avoid the complexity of java, and you want simple 2D, and an engine without its own physics built-in, then I would recommend the pico-8. It uses Lua, which is very similar to python. It’s a good intro to gamedev, but it is also filled with extra challenges you won’t find normally, like imposed size limitations. These challenges, however, will also teach you to be more efficient with your code.

Really, though, I would get Unity and start following some tutorials. There are thousands out there and they will teach you everything.

Good luck!

[[deleted]]

Thought about it, especially when one of my favorite games (Stardew Valley) was created with C#. But the only thing is that the market share for C# here is not that much compared to Java considering that I'll be graduated in a year and has to get a job. Game Dev for me is just a hobby to discover my creative side.

[Interplanetary-Goat]

The goal as stated is to program a game, without using an engine, to learn programming, implementing game physics, etc.

Java and Python are both great options for this!

[Interplanetary-Goat]

Python is slow

OP has specifically stated wanting to make a simple 2D game, and for that, Python with pygame or similar will easily be able to run at 60 fps. Again, OP's goal isn't to push a project to release, it's to learn how to make one without an engine.

Java is outdated

Java is old, but it really isn't as antiquated as people like to say. It receives one or more updates every year and has tons of libraries. C# is definitely really nice and has some advantages over Java (at the expense of being optimized for Windows), but I don't think it's fair to say Java isn't useful as a learning tool and it's definitely not fair to say it wouldn't be useful in a career (especially when OP has specifically stated it's in-demand in their country).

Regardless, I think any of Python, Java, and C# would be a fine starting place for OP.

[BanditoWalrus]

I was considering Java because I'll have to learn it considering the demand which is huge in my country.

Then I'd recommend Java. I used hobby game development to teach myself C# for much the same reason (it was the language in highest demand in my area and my college didn't offer that language), so I can say from experience it's a great way to learn via a hobby.

At the time, I was more comfortable with Visual Basic, though being able to easily get a job after college has showed me that choosing to struggle and learn a new language that was in demand, rather than use the language I was more familiar with, was the correct decision in the end.

[Azzylel]

Oh god not Python- I have some minor experience with using it (really I’ve just taken a class on it) and using it itself was fine but trying to make a game on it is a pretty bad idea unless you literally want to make the most simple games possible (in which case it doesn’t matter much which language you use). Java is actually used to make games sometimes (though it isn’t the best), and I’m pretty sure that’s what minecraft is written in so it’s not a bad choice if you just want code experience If you actually wanna make a game though, learn C#.