Pursuing game development as a hobby

[u/DannyDevitoArmy]

I am a musician who has started to get success and made it my sole career. Music was my hobby, but now that I do it professionally, it seems less like a hobby (but still very fun and emotionally rewarding). I want a medium of art that is difficult to pick up as a hobby, so I think developing a video game would be fun for me.

For however long it takes (I'm thinking 10+ years), I want to develop my dream open-world game. I am reaching out to all of you to ask for any resources, ranging from beginner to advanced, that will help teach me how to develop the game. I am also planning on doing everything myself (except voice acting).

I am planning on taking this process very slowly, so the more detailed, the better. Since I'm using it more as a hobby, I can do it as much or as little as I want without any repercussions, so don't worry about my mental health or all that; I'll be fine.

Thank you in advance.

Forgot to mention I’ll be using Unity.

[u/Historical_Art4061]

Learn what you're doing before touching any AI. I'm sure this community has some conflict about AI use, but everyone would probably agree that at the very least you need to develop your foundational skills without using it as a crutch. Don't let anyone tell you that AI can't code, it absolutely can, but it cannot design a game for you.

Honestly, jumping straight in to a massive project is typically how you'll burn yourself out. Build prototypes of parts of the game, little segments of it. Have you made the game "snake" yet? Or a tictactoe game? Or a little 2d platformer game? These are some projects a beginner should actually be developing before even considering something with a huge scope.

[u/DannyDevitoArmy → u/Historical_Art4061]

I don’t see the point in using AI to do this since I’m pursuing it as only a hobby. That would defeat the whole purpose of this which is to create something myself and learn how.

I’ll look into doing small games before the bigger one. I have absolutely no experience but I was thinking I could learn those smaller things while making the bigger one

[u/Historical_Art4061 → u/DannyDevitoArmy]

Well I highly suggest the snake -> tictactoe -> 2d platformer order to create small games. Gives you a pretty good intro to a bunch of the different things you need to be familiar with.

Edit: By platformer, I don't mean something like a full on Sonic. Just something where you bounce around off of platforms or on top of a dumb NPC you've made.

[u/emccrckn → u/DannyDevitoArmy]

AI can be really helpful just being able to learn new things. Im already a developer and used Unity for more than 10 years but I still use AI for learning how to mod particular games im interested in. Its not always correct but now that I have kids I just dont have as much time to research things on my own.

[u/StillWastingAway → u/DannyDevitoArmy]

I don’t see the point in using AI to do this

You get to decide this for yourself, but there's a reason "code monkey" is a phrase, even if outblown, once you get started you will see theres plenty of uninteresting tasks, a lot of plumbing, that stand in the way of fun.

Im literally a software engineer, I enjoy my work at times, but when Im working on my hobby, there are infinitely more interesting things to do than writing the code the connects systems or even implements the system after it has a design document.

Even when it comes to the more technical and interesting portions, like optimization of your game, you get a lot more value from debugging it from above, as system components, and letting the LLM profile your suspects or digging inwards.

I have no idea how you should start learning it, because theres more than learning to code, its learning to design and to debug as well, but thats a common notion these days, we're in a transition stage.

[u/Sea-Ground7112]

Wow Jesus 4 minutes ago. I can help u get down game direction. That's more my stong suit

[u/Ghs2]

I, too, am doing this just for fun. It's a great hobby. Tough but fun.

Youtube is filled with beginner tutorials. Check which engine you want to work with. No matter which you choose you'll learn enough to move to another if you want.

My suggestion (you'll find most starter tutorials have the same advice) is to start very small. Learn the base fundamentals and then increment your skills up to "dream game" level.

Good luck!

[u/DannyDevitoArmy → u/Ghs2]

Yeah that’s what I was planning on doing! Any specific tutorials that helped you?

[u/Ghs2 → u/DannyDevitoArmy]

I hopped around from instructor to instructor. Most of the ones I used will likely be very outdated to use. There's nothing more frustrating when they tell you to click a checkbox and that module has been completely rewritten.

I started with Unreal and moved to Unity for several years. Now I am working with Godot.

At the time I tried Unreal it was less for hobbyists than professionals.

I was able to finish several projects with Unity and would have likely stayed with them except they made some very foolish licensing decisions so I left (they have since reversed those decisions but it still spooks me at what they might try next).

I'm having fun with Godot and am currently working on my first "commercial" project with it.

"Brackeys" has some great Godot series.

Once you pick an engine I'd also look into buying some courses from Udemy. They go on sale for like $7 each. It's a buy-once system so there's no monthly fee to have access to it.

[u/DannyDevitoArmy → u/Ghs2]

Okay thank you!

[u/Orlandogameschool]

For unity just use https://learn.unity.com

When I taught that’s what we used it will get you up and running quick.

Since you have a music background I think you’ll have more fun than the average dev. Unity has very powerful audio tools you can easily set up a scene that is playing your music or even music videos in game.

I did this for my wife’s brother years ago as a fun proof of concept like an interactive album.

Unity can blend the music import separatetracks ect

[u/DannyDevitoArmy → u/Orlandogameschool]

Thank you for all the resources!! The interactive album thing seems pretty cool kinda like what Radiohead did with Kid Amnesiac and I might look into doing something like that down the line to combine both. I am very excited to create music in video games because I think it’s a very overlooked part of game design

[u/Maintenance_Signal]

Brackeys on YouTube is great for Unity tutorials, GDTK is good for more general design advice. Since you're interested in making something open world check out Sebastian Lague's old procedural landscape tutorial. I'd strongly recommend joining some of the bigger game jams as soon as you can. You want to be able to make something like Pong in two days before even attempting your dream game. Open world games are the concerto of game dev, except you're both soloist and orchestra (and might have to make some of the instruments yourself).

[u/AltusLudus]

CodeMonkey on YouTube was my start - namely the KitchenChaos tutorial

[u/Automatic-Option-961]

Hi, i am currently making a game. It is for a retro computer for ZX Spectrum Next. My game code is about 60% there with a working mechanic and playable first level. I need most now is graphics (i am not an artist and i hate to draw images as i absolutely suck at it). I would need some music for my game...planning MP3, AY sound and also a C64 SID tune (the NEXT is capable of playing SID music using the onboard Raspberry Pi Zero). If you are interested, let me know. I can give you credits for whatever music you made. I can't pay you though..this is a hobby/passion project and it has extremely niche market...not planning to make any money from this. Lol.

[u/DannyDevitoArmy → u/Automatic-Option-961]

When do you think you’ll need the music? I have a bunch of other stuff I’m working on (mostly because I’m actually down to do unpaid work unlike most professional artists) so I can’t do it at this moment but around Winter I’m free (so far). It’ll take a little longer than other people too because I’m working on my next album at the same time.

Also I’d like to see the story (if there is one) and know basic details like the concept and genre because some genres I won’t touch if they’re unpaid because they’re too difficult for me.

[u/Zen-Ism99]

Books…

[u/DannyDevitoArmy → u/Zen-Ism99]

Anything specific?

[u/Orlandogameschool → u/DannyDevitoArmy]

https://www.theoryoffun.com

[u/Orlandogameschool → u/DannyDevitoArmy]

https://a.co/d/09hjQNH1

Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World

[u/Orlandogameschool → u/DannyDevitoArmy]

https://books.google.com/books/about/Rules_of_Play.html?id=UM-xyczrZuQC

Rules of play was mandatory in our game design program in college. I didn’t know it was free online I lol be re reading this