Homebrew Game Dev
Make the game you wish existed — no studio required
Build your own video games using beginner-friendly engines. Create anything from a simple puzzle game to a platformer to a narrative adventure. Game development combines programming, art, music, and storytelling into one mega-hobby. Start small, finish something, and feel the rush of seeing people play your creation.
How to start
- 1Download Godot (free, open source) or try Pico-8 for retro-style games
- 2Follow a 'make your first game in 1 hour' tutorial for your chosen engine
- 3Build the simplest possible game: a ball that bounces, a character that jumps
- 4Add one mechanic at a time — don't try to build your dream game first
- 5Participate in a game jam like Ludum Dare to force yourself to finish something small
What you'll need
- ComputerEssentialFree
- Godot Engine (free)EssentialFree
- Aseprite for pixel art (or free alternatives)Nice to have~$20
- Headphones for audio workNice to have~$20
Where to learn more
Plot twists
Ways to spice this up when the basics get boring.
- Join a 48-hour game jam and ship a complete game in a weekend
- Make a game about your daily life — mundane tasks become surprisingly fun as gameplay
- Build a game using only free assets from itch.io
- Create a game for a specific person as a gift
- Make a one-button game — the constraint forces creativity
Game jams are ADHD gold — a hard deadline, a tiny scope, and a community doing it with you. Pico-8's built-in constraints (128x128 pixels, 16 colors) prevent scope creep perfectly.
Stardew Valley was created entirely by one person, Eric Barone, who spent 4 years teaching himself programming, art, and music to build it. It has sold over 30 million copies.
Similar vibes
If this one didn't land, try one of these.