I don’t need to hire a private detective to tell me that you have a game on your smartphone. It’s just common knowledge. There is absolutely no age group in this era that doesn’t play games ranging from children to millennials, grandpas, and grannies. 

The gaming industry is booming as people can now access games (no matter how sophisticated) not only via gaming consoles but also on their smartphones, laptops, and even watches. 

Therefore, if you are planning to become a game developer, this is the best time to enter this profession from scratch.

How to Get Started with Game Development?

So, you made up your mind to start mastering the gaming field. Now you need a thorough plan for your further steps, which we’ve prepared for you:

Choose a programming language

If you are a newbie in web development and are only at the stage of choosing where to start, the first step should be picking the right programming language. It’s always good to start from a popular and universal one, such as Java. 

First of all, Java is widely used in game development. One of the best-selling games in the world, Minecraft, was written in Java. The popularity of the language in gaming is caused by its wide application in mobile games, since Java perfectly runs on Android devices.

Secondly, Java can be called a well-organized and straightforward language, so it will be easier to learn (compared to Python, C++, etc.) if you are just trying yourself in this field.

The last but not the least is that Java is not limited to game development. It is the number one choice for the creation of many web and mobile apps, so if you learn it, you will definitely have a competitive advantage over other developers. 

A pro tip: If you have decided to learn Java, you need to have a good grasp of Java 8. 

Take time to practice specific Java 8 features like Concurrent accumulators, Stream API, and Lambda Expressions.  

Be grounded in the fundamentals (OOP, Data, Structures, and Algorithm)

The most important part of any building, structure, or tower is the foundation. If it’s faulty, the rest of the building is as good as non-existent. It’s only a matter of time before it collapses.

As a budding developer aiming at rapid growth, it is quite pertinent that you understand the basics of software development; variables, OOP, functions, conditions, structures, data, algorithm, and loops.

These fundamentals or core concepts could be daunting in your early coding days because, at this point, they are problems. But as you practice and run into problems, they become solutions.

There are numerous platforms to learn from, all you need is to choose a reputable one. Heard of CodeGym? This platform gives newbie developers lots of opportunities. You can learn Java on CodeGym and have access to both rich theory materials and wonderful gamified exercises for practicing. 

Develop a sound problem-solving capacity

These days problem solvers are highly sought after irrespective of their qualification. Becoming a senior developer is not about reading all the tech books or knowing all the programming languages. What matters to recruiting companies is how many problems you can solve.

Therefore, after taking time to understand a programming language, attempt to be proficient in it. Then, push yourself beyond your capacity, try projects above your grade. It’s going to be difficult at first, but you will be well-grounded in solving problems as time goes.

If you face problems or have any questions, a good idea will be to consult a CodeGym Java blog and find the answers to your queries in no time. 

Make an effort to work on design patterns

There are tons of standardized solutions to solving recurring problems. It is better to use existing design patterns than inventing a new one by thinking outside the box. It saves you time and energy and makes fellow developers understand your code in your absence.

Using APIs and Libraries

Programming is majorly a problem-solving venture, be it game development, web development, etc. 

Practicing using APIs and libraries wields you with an array of skills to solve problems in no time. It’s like having answers to questions even before they present themselves. The standard way to do this includes logging, parsing, and testing. 

Run your code through a test

In game development, like any other software development, it would be suicidal not to run your code through a test before reaching the production level. And this is where your knowledge of APIs will be put to the test. There are abundant Java APIs out there that have made testing easy. So feel free to play around.

Trust me, you will make a lot of errors as a beginner. However, don’t be deterred. Professionals with ten years of experience find it difficult to write extensive error-free code.

Take advantage of the Spring Framework

Exploiting the Spring framework will raise your career by miles beyond your imagination. However, the conventional ways of developing Java apps are still very much relevant. In modern-day Java programming, learning the Spring framework still gives you an edge.

Some of the Spring frameworks include Spring MVC, Spring Boot, and Spring Cloud. These Java skills are now heavily sought after by big organizations.

Now that you are aware of what you should know as a game developer, it’s high time to practice!  

Practice and Apply for a Job

As soon as you have decided on the programming language and acquired all the necessary skills, you can follow to the next steps. 

Create your first game 

First, you need to think of a plot and the main functionality. Then practice with the gaming engines like Phaser or Unity. You can also use such tools as Photoshop, Blender and Wwise for image editing, 3D animations and audio if needed. 

When you create a few games, it’s time to showcase them in your portfolio. 

A pro tip: make your first games simple, you don’t need anything sophisticated at this stage. It’s better to finish a simple game rather than give up a challenge that is too complicated. 

Apply for a job 

Now you are ready to start your journey as a game developer.

Create your CV, list all of your skills, and attach your portfolio examples. At this stage, opt for Junior positions and try to attend as many interviews as possible. Consider your first interviews as a training on what employees are looking for and improve your interview-passing skills each time until you find your first job in game dev. 

Wrap Up

It’s hard to incorporate all the tips into your game development practice right away. However, understanding all of the techniques included could be worthwhile if the practice is engaging. 

Game development is fun when you get a hang of it and at the same a serious business. Therefore, it is advisable you learn from platforms that can help you grow faster. One of the platforms, where you can both learn and put your experience into close-to-life situations is CodeGym. Don’t hesitate, go for it!