The Easiest Game Genres for Beginner Game Developers
As an avid gamer and fan of the game development scene, one of the most common questions I get asked is "What is the easiest game genre I can make as a complete beginner?" After researching and talking with many successful indie developers, the short answer is straightforward – classic 2D arcade-style games.
The most beginner-friendly game genres to start with are retro arcade games like Pong, Pac-Man, Super Mario Bros, and Space Invaders. These simple 2D games serve as the perfect starting point before moving onto more complex 3D games and genres. By mastering the basics here, you‘ll have a solid foundation under your belt.
Why Are Retro Arcade Games The Easiest to Make?
There are several key reasons these retro genres make ideal first game projects:
Simple and Clear Game Mechanics
In a basic game like Pong or Breakout, the entire core mechanic revolves around bouncing a ball off a paddle or blocks. Much easier to code than complex combat systems!
Easy and Fast to Prototype
With simple sprite-based 2D graphics and straightforward rules, you can build a playable arcade prototype in a week or two for proof-of-concept.
Teach Core Programming Fundamentals
Mastering basics like handling physics, input, data structures, and algorithms forms strong coding abilities to tackle more advanced games.
Abundance of Tutorials and Documentation
Given their popularity with beginners, there are unlimited tutorials on how to code arcade genres step-by-step.
When comparing my game dev journey with peers, those focusing on difficult 3D open-world RPGs or shooters as their first project faced much steeper challenges in finishing anything playable versus my pong variants!
Breaking Down The Easiest Genres for New Game Developers
Here is more detail on examples of starter 2D arcade genres and what makes them beginner-friendly:
Pong Clones
The granddaddy of all arcade games only consists of paddles, a ball, and scorekeeping. Super straightforward mechanic and math make Pong clones a staple beginner coding lesson in textbooks and courses. After getting past the initial learning curve, developers have lots of flexibility for creativity on new power-ups, cinematics upon scoring, particle effects, and more!
Difficulty – Very Easy
Fixed Screen Platformers
Tap into your inner Nintendo by recreating a side-scrolling level with platforms, collectible items and enemies like Goombas or ghosts. The fixed screen viewpoint significantly reduces complexity compared to scrolling worlds. Master topics like collision detection, tilemapping, simple AI, animating sprite sequences, and scene transitions.
Difficulty – Easy
Top-Down Adventure
Code classic top-down 2D games akin to Zelda or Final Fantasy‘s overworld. Learn about keyboard/gamepad input processing, tiled maps for world layouts, basic physics for moving characters around, AI pathfinding so enemies chase the player, attack systems, triggering scripted events/cutscenes and more!
Difficulty – Easy to Moderate
Maze Chasers
In the vein of PacMan, code a maze-based game focused on mastering key concepts like:
- Procedurally generating mazes
- Pathfinding algorithms for enemy AI
- Dynamic difficulty progression
Difficulty – Moderate
Vertical Shooters
Channel classics like Galaga and Space Invaders to make a basic 2D shooter. Code skills like:
- Spawning endless waves of enemies with increasing difficulty
- Bullet pooling for performance
- Boss fight staging
- Power-up items
Difficulty – Moderate
Recommended Steps for Coding Your First Game
Here is my recommended path for beginners to follow when starting out:
Start SUPER small in scope. Resist overcomplicating the design early on. Perfect that single core mechanic first before adding more.
Thoroughly analyze simple arcade game examples – fully deconstruct all the different elements that go into making it work at its core before diving into coding. Having this game design understanding will prove invaluable compared to just watching programming tutorials without context.
Follow a written coding tutorial EXACTLY first. Get your initial exposure by accurately studying and replicating concepts from a step-by-step coding guide/course without veering off-track into experimentation mode.
Analyze and tweak the tutorial result. After achieving a copied working result via tutorial, actively experiment with and break different components of the game to truly grasp them under the hood.
Gradually add incremental changes towards your original idea. Slowly build, playtest and gather feedback early & often. Stay adaptable to change course based on user input.
Final Advice
At the end of the day, persistence in learning and finishing that first small project matters far more than it being the next indie smash at launch. The journey of leveling up coding abilities via those early arcade game experiments will enable tackling far bigger ideas down the road.
Stay positive and fully engage your inner creativity – you got this future game dev! Let me know if any other questions come up around starting your coding journey!
