Head-Scratchers Guide To Game Developing And Freeware

Just like how some food connoisseurs become great chefs, avid gamers can become game developers too. If you are a gamer looking for a quick guide to game making, this is it. Starting out your game-making hobby alone is not impossible. There are plenty of solo game-makers out there like ZUN who created the Touhou series, earning himself legions of fans. As a budding game developer, you can find many free game-making tools to experiment with.

Granted, most of us will not have top notch expertise, facilities and manpower. So it will take ages (give or take a decade) to create games with mind-blowing CG cut scenes and realistic animation on our own. However, game enthusiasts CAN make their own basic games with some coding skills and basic free software.

Brace Yourself!
Before you go on making swashbuckling adventures, you have to equip yourself with the necessary software to create your game.

These are the three types of software you will need:
1) Game developing programs:
Makes the game playable on gaming platforms - in this case, the traditional computer.

Freeware:
- GameMaker is an entry-level game developing software with plenty of pdf tutorials for a variety of genres
- RPG Maker is an entry-level software for creating role-playing games for those with no coding experience.
- Python is a professional-level programming language that stresses on readability of code.

2) Art:
For visually appealing worlds and characters, you need good artwork. Image manipulating is a widely used technique to avoid drawing from scratch.

Freeware:
- Gimp is an image manipulating software.
- Mayang is an online library of free-to-use textures, perfect for creating dungeons, towns and mini maps.
- morgueFile is a site with free stock images. There are several other sites that provide free stock images.

Tip: Your digital camera will allow you to capture the best, free-to-use photographs in the highest resolution. Just manipulate the image to suit the game.

3) Sound:
No game is complete without sound to set the mood for comedy, tragedy and horror.

Freeware:
- Audacity is a free software for sound editing and recording.
- Search online for free stock music and sound effects.
Tip: Your microphone is a good way to record free sound effects like moving trains or door slams. It saves you time from searching for mundane sound effects.

So how do I become a pro Game Developer?
Professionals work in teams. A team of about 200 people are needed to make popular games like Halo 2 or The Sims. Each of them specializing in their own field - there will be Game Designers, Scenario Writers, Animators and Creative Directors.

A good way to start your journey as a professional game developer will be to take up a degree course in games design. It is available in many schools around the world such as Raffles Design Institutes, the largest education provider in Asia Pacific with presence in 14 countries and 38 major cities such as Singapore, Sydney in Singapore, Mumbai and Delhi in India.