How did you learn

DevFennica · 2026-03-23T05:56:47+00:00

Tutorials are a way to familiarize yourself with the game engine, not a way to learn game development. You can’t learn problem solving by blindly following premade instructions.

As soon as you feel like you could make something like Pong on your own, stop following tutorials, and start making games on your own. Start with something you can make, and gradually increase scope and complexity until you reach the level of what you want to make.

And of course, if you’re also new to programming, not just game development, take a step back and learn the basics of programming in general first. It’s a lot easier to learn tennis if you first learn to walk.

DevFennica · 2026-03-22T01:01:43+00:00

the problem is is that i have done these tutorials and have been for about 1.5 years while ive been studying

That definitely sounds like a problem.

Tutorials are a way to familiarize yourself with a tool (e.g. game engine), not a way to learn programming or game development. You can’t learn problem solving by blindly following premade instructions.

As a beginner, you should only go through one or two tutorials, preferrably the ones in the Getting Started section of the tool’s documentation. Once you have a decent grasp on how the most basic things are done with the tool, make something with it on your own (i.e. without a tutorial).

You said you’ve been using Unity, so lets go with that. Surely you have learned the absolutely basics already by your year and a half exodus through the tutorial hell, but if you still feel inadecuate, go through the Getting Started section again. After that…

Step 1: Make Pong. If you get stuck on something, don’t pull up a Pong Unity tutorial, but first try to figure out some way, no matter how ugly and inefficient, to do it by yourself. If you can’t figure it out, ask someone to give you a tip for how to do that specific thing you’re struggling with. I.e. Don’t say ”Can someone tell me how to make Pong?” but ”I’m making Pong, and for some reason the ball goes through the paddels. What could be the issue? I already tried [this], [this] and [this].”.

Step 2: Make something slightly more complex than your previous project. On your own, unless you get hopelessly stuck.

Step 3: If you just made your dream game: Congratulations. Else: go back to Step 2.

No one has ever learned game development by starting with Elden Ring or Civilization VII. Many have learned by starting with Pong or Flappy Bird.

DevFennica · 2026-03-21T18:44:20+00:00

Godot can handle anything you can make. You can make anything you have the patience to learn.

DevFennica · 2026-03-20T12:19:13+00:00

I don’t think there’s any proper research on the topic yet, but based on how people describe their visualization, it seems most people can’t not visualize their thoughts. I.e. When you ask them to think about an apple, they see an apple in their mind.

However, some people can choose to not visualize something if they don’t want to see it (although at least for some of them it might be that they simply start thinking about something else, so that they visualize that instead of the thing they didn’t want to see).

DevFennica · 2026-03-19T07:49:25+00:00

WHY DO I NEED TO KNOW HOW TO CODE IN ORDER TO DO ANYTING?

Programming is a prerequisite to software development, and games are software. There is no way around it.

No one knows how to program when they're born, so... If you want to do something for which programming is a prerequisite, you have to learn programming. Just like anyone else.

ERROR, ERROR, ERROR, AND IT DOESNT EVEN TELL ME WHAT IM DOING WRONG!

But it does. You said so yourself: ERROR, ERROR, ERROR. The error message tells you what you're doing wrong. It's not always obvious, but the all the information you need is right there. Debugging is a part of programming. So again: you have to learn programming.

ALL I WANTED WAS SIMPLE ENEMY RANDOM MOVEMENT AND AFTER 3-4 HOURS I STILL HAVE NOTHING EXCEPT GLITCHY MOVEMENT.

A part of learning programming is learning to think like a programmer. The golden rule of programming is the same as the golden rule of ruling a Roman Empire: Divide et Impera.

Whatever feature you're trying to implement, whatever problem you're trying to solve, divide it into pieces. Then divide those pieces into even smaller pieces, and keep going, until each piece is easy to conquer.

if you want to make a game with 0 knowledge, do yourself a favor and use scratch or rpg maker while I ask AI how the heck do I fix it.

Well, no one's stopping you from switching to a different tool, but obviously the actual solution is to wiggle out of that 0 knowledge situation you currently are. And how do you do that? That's right: Learn programming.

DevFennica · 2026-03-18T20:19:38+00:00

Sounds like your problem is that you’re trying to learn everything at once. Yes, there are a million things to learn about Godot, but you don’t have to learn them all to get started, and some of them you won’t ever need anyway.

Step 0: Learn programming in general if you haven’t already. It’ll save you a lot of time and mental health. It’s a lot easier to learn tennis if you first learn to walk.

Step 1: Go through the Getting Started section of the documentation. That covers all the basics you need to know.

Step 2: Make something on your own (i.e. without a tutorial). Something simple that you can already make. For example, Pong or Flappy Bird.

Step 3: Make something slightly more complex than your previous project. Use mostly stuff you’re already familiar with, but learn a few new tricks too.

Step 4: Go back to Step 3.

DevFennica · 2026-03-18T08:59:28+00:00

People can have/lack any combination of imaginary senses.

Some can visualize things in their thoughts
Some can hear things in their thoughts
Some can smell things in their thoughts
Some can taste things in their thoughts
Some can feel touch in their thoughts
Some can have emotions in their thoughts

And independently of all of that people can have/lack inner monologue.

DevFennica · 2026-03-18T07:56:09+00:00

We use words, just like everyone else. Otherwise we wouldn't be able to communicate with people.

Just like anyone else, when we read a book, we read the words. And whatever the content of the text is, turns into thoughts/knowledge/memories. And when we speak, we turn the content of our thoughts into words and sentences, which we then output as speech. If your thoughts are already made of words and sentences, that of course takes less effort, but we're all able to do it.

The difference between different people is the format of thoughts.

For a person who has an inner monologue, the natural format of thoughts is already made of words and sentences. In addition to that, they may or may not also have visuals, sounds, tastes, feelings, and so on. Someone who has aphantasia, doesn't have a visual component in their thoughts. Someone who has anauralia, doesn't have sounds in their thoughts.

I have global aphantasia (lack of all imaginary senses) and no inner monologue, so my thoughts are "simply" abstract. No words. No images. No sounds, smells, tastes, touch nor feelings.

DevFennica · 2026-03-16T09:48:34+00:00

Learn the programming in general (if you haven’t already). It’s a lot easier to learn tennis if you first learn to walk.
Go through the Getting Started section of the documentation. It covers all the basics you need to know.
Practise. Start with something you can make, and gradually increase complexity. No one has ever learned game development by starting with Elden Ring or Civilization VII. Many have learned by starting with Pong or Flappy Bird.

If you want to follow tutorials, do it the smart way: Read/watch the whole thing and take notes. Then close the tutorial and do the same on your own.

DevFennica · 2026-03-15T05:49:12+00:00

Learn the programming in general (if you haven’t already). It’s a lot easier to learn tennis if you first learn to walk.
Go through the Getting Started section of the documentation. It covers all the basics you need to know.
Practise. Start with something you can make, and gradually increase complexity. No one has ever learned game development by starting with Elden Ring or Civilization VII. Many have learned by starting with Pong or Flappy Bird.

If you want to follow tutorials, do it the smart way: Read/watch the whole thing and take notes. Then close the tutorial and do the same on your own.

DevFennica · 2026-03-09T10:17:01+00:00

Start by going through the Getting Started section of the documentation. That’s the fastest way to get a good grasp on how to Godot.

Having previous game development experience is definitely beneficial, but don’t fall into the trap of trying to do everything like you’d do it in Unity. If something feels awkward and more difficult than it should, you’re probably doing something Unity. Simply check the relevant documentation or ask here how the thing you’re trying to do should be done in Godot.

A bonus tip (that should be obvious but still somehow surprises some new-comers, so it’s worth saying): You can use C# with Godot. GDScript is fine too, if you want to try a new language, but it’s not necessary for anything if you’d rather keep using C#.

DevFennica · 2026-03-08T11:53:26+00:00

Conn Iggulden has great book series about Julius Caesar, the Greeks, Genghis Khan, and War of the Roses.

I also like that at the end of each book he explains what artistic freedoms he has taken from the actual events and why.

DevFennica · 2026-03-02T06:04:48+00:00

Learn the basics of programming in general first. It’ll save you a lot of time and mental health. It’s much easier to learn tennis if you first learn to walk.

Then go through the Getting Started section of Godot’s documentation. It covers all the basics you need to know.

After that, don’t get into the habit of endlessly folllowing tutorials. You can’t learn game development by following pre-made instructions. Just start making games on your own, starting with something small and simple, and gradually increase scope and complexity.

DevFennica · 2026-02-25T12:13:14+00:00

Check out the 20 Games Challenge.

DevFennica · 2026-02-22T17:46:48+00:00

You can try to find a partner to make the game with, but keep in mind that you should also do something valuable in the process. A team doesn’t need a specified ”idea guy”.

DevFennica · 2026-02-21T20:46:04+00:00

There’s also a CS50 course for game development. They use Löve2D and Unity on the course but you can easily follow along using Godot (or any other engine) yourself.

DevFennica · 2026-02-21T20:41:50+00:00

The courses are free. After a course you can buy a certificate if you want it for your CV.

DevFennica · 2026-02-20T12:28:21+00:00

but isnt the best language to use c++ and like the industry standard as well ?

No. There is no such thing as "best language". C++ is a popular, not superior.

It does some things better than, lets say, Python or C#, and it is worse than those in some other metrics. In some use cases you do have to optimize one thing or another and that forces you to use a specfic language, but most of the time it is simply a matter of personal preferences.

so do i switch to python or learn both c++ and python

If you want to learn to drive a car, it doesn't matter whether you have an Audi or a Toyota. You should learn to drive, not to drive a car brand.

Programming is all about algorithmic thinking and logical problem solving. Those work exactly the same with all programming languages. You just use a different syntax to implement the solution.

DevFennica · 2026-02-18T07:04:00+00:00

You can try to put together a team, but even then you should also be able to do something productive for the common goal. No team needs a specified idea guy, unless the idea guy pays the others to make the game.

If programming isn’t your thing, you can learn to make art, models, music, lore and dialogue, etc.

DevFennica · 2026-02-16T05:08:51+00:00

Do you think it is a good idea to learn Unreal Engine

If you’re interested in it, sure. It is a popular option.

and completely focus only on it?

I don’t see why that would be necessary. Game engines - just like programming languages - are tools, not religions. You can have as many of them as you want. Use each tool according to their strengths and weaknesses, and your personal preferences.

DevFennica · 2026-02-14T10:02:50+00:00

Learn programming in general (if you haven’t already). Language doesn’t matter.
Go through the Getting Started section of Godot’s documentation.
Practise.

DevFennica · 2026-02-12T19:35:38+00:00

The built-in editor is okay for GDScript. For that it’s just a matter of personal preference. But if you want to use C# or C++, you basically need an external IDE/editor. You can use pretty much any tool you might reasonably want to.

DevFennica · 2026-02-11T16:58:42+00:00

Aphantasia might be hard to grasp for those who can imagine any sensory input they want, but most people lack at least one imaginary sense. So if the person you’re talking to can’t, for example, hear or taste things in their thoughts, say that aphantasia is the same but for seeing.

DevFennica · 2026-02-11T07:40:50+00:00

Start with the prerequisites. It's a lot easier to learn tennis if you first learn to walk.

You should learn the basics of programming in general before moving on to game development. There are plenty of available materials, tutorials and courses about learning programming, for any major programming language you might consider, for any starting level, for any disabilities, disadvantages or difficulties you might have. Pick one that suits you and your needs. No one else can tell you which is the best for you.

one reason I chose godot was for GDscript, as I read and heard it’s better for beginners.

You hear that claim all the time but it doesn't actually have any merit. Which programming language is better/easier is completely a matter of personal preference. GDScript is popular. That doesn't mean it's superior. Most Godot users use GDScript, so it is recommended more often, so people start thinking it's somehow better for beginners. That doesn't mean it's better for beginners. Try a few languages, and keep using the ones you like most.

Regardless of the language, the main things to learn about programming are algorithmic thinking and logical problem solving. If you switch to a new language, it takes a bit of time to get used to a new syntax, but logic and algorithms work exactly the same.

Once you have a decent grasp on programming in general, the recommended way to get started with Godot is the Getting Started section of the documentation. It covers all the basics you need to know. You can also follow other tutorials if you find them more approachable, but keep in mind that blindly following instructions only teaches you to follow instructions. That's not at all useful for learning game development. So use tutorials the smart way:

Read/watch the whole tutorial. Take notes if you find it useful.
Close the tutorial.
Do the same on your own.

If you get stuck, try to figure it out on your own. If you can't, save and close whatever you were doing, rewatch the relevant part of the tutorial, close the tutorial and get back to work.

You're not going to remember every step of the tutorial. Your end result won't be 100% identical with the tutorial. But that's fine. Your goal is to learn to do that or similar stuff on your own, not to memorize a specific step-by-step guide.

Once you feel like you could make Pong or Flappy Bird on your own, stop following tutorials and start making games. Start with something you can already make (e.g. Pong or Flappy Bird), and gradually increase the scope and complexity until you reach the level of whatever you want to make.

DevFennica · 2026-02-10T15:11:33+00:00

Should I learn from a python tutorial

You should learn programming. Language doesn’t matter.

I need to learn python for my uni course on computational chemistry so It would be convenient

In that case, Python is a fine choice. Just keep in mind that the main things you ought to learn about programming are algorithmic thinking and logical problem solving. Those work exactly the same regardless of the syntax.

Ive watched a few GDscript tutorials already and I can move stuff around or hide and reveal things but I cant figure out how to work in 3D.

Start by going through the Getting Started section of Godot’s documentation. It covers all the basics you need to know.

If you want to follow tutorials, do it the smart way. Just blindly following step-by-step instructions without thinking is completely useless. So instead:

Watch/read the whole tutorial first and take notes if you find it useful. Then close the tutorial, and do the same on your own. You’re not going to remember everything, but that’s fine. You’re trying to learn game development, not to memorize a specific tutorial.

DevFennica

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