My Journey into Game Development: A Dream 40 Years in the Making

After 40 years of playing video games and a career in software development, I’ve decided to embark on an exciting new adventure: creating my very own game. This isn’t about chasing commercial success or accolades; it’s about crafting something personal—a project I can proudly say, I made this.

The Big Decisions Ahead

The road to game development is paved with countless decisions, and I’m diving headfirst into them:

• Which genre? Should it be action-packed, story-driven, or maybe something experimental?
• How big? A bite-sized indie gem or a sprawling epic?
• Art style? Pixel art, hand-drawn visuals, or something entirely unique?
• Platform? PC, console, mobile—or all of the above?
• Engine? Godot, Unity, Unreal Engine… the possibilities are endless.

One thing is set in stone: every asset in this game will be created by me. No prebuilt assets, no shortcuts. References are fair game, but every texture, sound effect, and model will be crafted from scratch.

Learning the Basics

Every great journey starts with preparation. To build a solid foundation for my project, I’ve been fortunate to discover an incredible tutorial series on YouTube: Make a 2D Action & Adventure RPG in Godot 4 by Michael Games. This series is hands-down the most approachable and well-taught tutorial I’ve come across online. It’s free but packed with immense value—seriously, it feels like a masterclass in game development!

At the time of writing, there are around 60 videos in the series, each requiring about two hours to complete. This means my first two months will be dedicated to learning the ropes through these tutorials.

Conceptualizing My First Game

While mastering the basics with Godot 4 tutorials, I’ll also be brainstorming ideas for my debut game. What kind of story do I want to tell? What mechanics will make it fun and engaging? These early stages are where creativity flows freely—and where dreams start taking shape.

I plan to document every step of this journey—from zero to version 1.0—and share insights along the way. Whether you're a fellow developer or just curious about what goes into making a game from scratch, I hope you’ll join me on this adventure. Let’s see where this path leads!

-teomurgi