Designing A Video Game As A Hobby
With laptops and computers fast proliferating in the world, video games are picking up speed. The best news is that mega studios no longer control all video games; newcomers and niche designers can now use online software to design and release their own video games. If you’re thinking of making a video game for a hobby then you can follow the following steps to help you get started on the long process that is video game designing:
Know Your Concept and Your Story
The best video games are not the ones with the best visuals and sounds (although they help); they’re the ones with the best narrative or storyline. While most players don’t realize it, every video game has a narrative, whether it’s as simple as Candy Crush or as complex as the Elder Scrolls narrative. So take the time to really research the common story tropes out there and think through a narrative you think will fit the genre of game you want to design. Then, get together with your team and start concept work, which involves making lots of notes and simple 2D drawings of landscapes, game scenarios, characters etc. It also involves figuring out the difficulty level of the game, the playability, the challenges etc.
Designing the Visuals and Programme the Game
Your next step is writing the code that will programme the game to function the way you decided in the conceptualization phase (above) and designing the visuals. When designing visuals, many graphic artists find it helpful to start with the basics; some even do it with paper and paints. The simple drawings can then be turned into fully fledged models that will eventually turn into 2D frames through 3D rendering.
Through 3D rendering, you can spot flaws in the design that might not have been apparent during the designing phase and then fix them before the programmer takes over and marries the visuals and the coding to make a playable game.
Final Editing and Debugging
The final editing process will take you through adding sound, background sounds, voices, soundtracks etc. and making sure that all the parts fit properly. The best way to do this is to have someone play it that is not associated with the actual production. In debugging you will come across any bugs, plot holes, choices that cannot be made or the player is forced into making etc. that will take away from the power of the story. Make sure that the game is tested again and again until you feel it is perfect before releasing it to anyone.
