The Question
"How do I make a game?" I asked myself in 2021.
To answer this question there are many, many great resources online. A simple Google search reveals them quickly. However, answering this question for myself took a different path.
The GAME
I just started making a game. I gave no thought to theme, mechanisms, manufacturing, or audience. I took the first thought I had, wrote down a list of card names and descriptions, and then commissioned art.
It would be like Magic: The Gathering, but more accessible. It would make you laugh. It would be like nothing the world had ever seen before. It would be on Amazon, in Target, and in every household in America! There would probably be offers from Hasbro for the design - but I wouldn't give it to them. Nay! I would self-publish and become a deca-millionaire.
Making the game was exciting! One of my own ideas coming to life. My thoughts taking shape and turning to cardboard reality. I spent weeks mocking up and play-testing that game. Making tweaks on the design as I went.
It felt great!
The Outcome
"What happened to that game?" You ask dear Reader. "Is it nearing completion and ready for Kickstarter?"
The answer to those questions is, "No." That game is essentially unplayable - it will never be bought, sold, or played by the masses.
The game lacked focused mechanisms. It lacked the tension that engages players and drives them toward an exciting conclusion. It was tied to a theme that is a little too unique.
The Answer
So, "how do I make a game?"
The answer to this question ended up being, "As fast as I can and in no particular direction."
Anyone looking in from the outside could say, "that method seems very inefficient." I say to those people - you're right, it is.
But, somethings need to be learned inefficiently for ourselves. You can't read about, think about, and talk about doing something to do it. You just have to start doing it.
Now that I make games I have found fantastic resources (which I'll share at some point in an organized post). I have a much clearer idea of what makes a game fun and engaging.
But resources and ideas only get you so far.
To make games you must start making games. Start today and don't be afraid to go as fast as you can in no particular direction.