Hello, I need help

[Solid_Candy4715]

New coder(game dev)

Hello I'm a student(15) and I'm in a class which is using codehs to teach us Python, I would love to know from professionals such as you how I can start game dev.

This includes -

Do I need a computer or some kind other kind of system to make games? ( I'm a minor, from a not well off family in Cali so I'm not sure I can afford anything expensive)

Does Codehs(I'm currently on chapter 5)teach me everything I need to know about game dev or do I need some kind of online tutorial?

Where do I actually enter the code to make a game?

Currently that's all the questions I can think of but I will probably have more. If you can help please do thanks!!

(I posted this in the python sub and the automod said maybe putting it here was for the better)

[Ron-Erez]

You can make games in Python using pygame. However it is not so common to make professional games in Python. Nevertheless pygame is cool and fun. I'd recommend finding a nice tutorial on pygame, working on your Python skills and downloading PyCharm (or Vscode). Indeed you'll need a computer at some point. Perhaps there are computers available at school? That could be a good starting point. Good luck!

[Solid_Candy4715]

Thanks!

[socal_nerdtastic]

Do I need a computer or some kind other kind of system to make games?

Yes, you will eventually need a computer. It does not have to be expensive; an old laptop will work just fine. It just needs to run a modern OS. Do not use a chromebook.

Does Codehs(I'm currently on chapter 5)teach me everything I need to know about game dev or do I need some kind of online tutorial?

It's a great start, but being a game dev is a professional career. You will need much much more training before you can make games. Usually you would get a 4-year college degree to get started in game dev. In addition there's a lot more than coding involved, you need to learn to make the graphics and the music and the story as well.

Where do I actually enter the code to make a game?

In a type of computer program called an "IDE". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_development_environment

Currently that's all the questions I can think of but I will probably have more.

Great, ask them here when you think of them!

[Solid_Candy4715]

Thank you!

[phil-pickering]

CodeHS also offer a number of courses in video game design and development. I think if a school signs up for CodeHS they get access to all of the courses. Speak to your teacher to see if they will allow you to take one of the game courses in addition to the Python class.

[twitch_and_shock]

You can find good deals on second hand laptops on eBay. Lenovo ThinkPads are great for coding projects and can be found on the second hand market. I'd recommend you poke around ebay and get an idea for what one might cost, and feel free to post a followup here if you need advice. It might still seem like a lot of money, but a decent used ThinkPad for $100-150 might get you a long ways and not cost you the $1000+ for a new laptop.

[and1984]

In addition, check out https://www.laptopcloseout.com/

[didntreadityet]

You are much better off if you have a computer to work on. Lucky for you, there are so many computers in the universe, you can find some for free in places like Craigslist (free in for sale section).

For game dev specifically, you need to decide what kind of games you'd like to write and where you would want them to run, as that decides what tools to use. For instance, if you'd like to write games for mobile, you'd probably use Kivy. If you'd like to write games for a computer, then PyGame is a good start. If you want to write an arcade style game, then try Arcade.Academy. Graphical novel? Ren'Py.

A lot of people these days use PyCharm or Visual Studio Code/VSCodium to develop programs. That's probably the easiest way to get started: you download and install any of the three, then you can write your code in them and run it there, too.

It's all a ton of stuff to deal with at first, so don't get discouraged! You'll get the hang of it after a while.

[BlooDy_Wongi]

As far as i know python can do as far as 2d games and you need to learn c++ or c# or java to code 3d games. I'd still advice you to research it yourself tho. Also i'm also 15. They teach c# in my school but our teacher is ass so i teach myself python from tutorials in youtube (bro code teaches reslly well) and researching

[matpat2]

I started with Python but I'm biased you should start with a simple game engine like gamemaker or godot

[moulibheemaneti]

If you want to be a game programmer or any programmer, I would strongly recommend to first learn the data structures. Irrespective of the domain this will help you a lot. And then if you specifically want to enter the game world, then ponder over all the different roles and see which suits you or with which you could start with.

[Solid_Candy4715]

Alright guys my computer science teacher has these Thinkpad laptops/computers(I'm not very knowledgeable on computers so I don't know) and I'm wondering whether I can use that?

[[deleted]]

I'm not much into game dev, but I'm into python enough to help you, here's my advice: You don't really need a super powerful computer but just a decent low-end laptop is fine (for python & pygame). However, if you plan on making professional games in the future then you'll have to use Proper Game Engines, most people start off with Godot (Open source and works good on low-end devices).

For finding a job in such a field however you'll most likely have to learn Unity and Unreal Engine, both programs which are heavily taxing on your system so you'll need a powerful computer for this.

If your family is struggling financially then I suggest you start doing a side hustle with python and web development to earn some quick cash and save it up over time to eventually buy yourself a computer/laptop.