Eight Sage
Smash Lord
Intro:
I’ve seen your interest on making a game. Everyone wanted at least once in his life to create his own game. Well, here you’ll find the help that you need. It starts with knowledge on programming first.
Do you know a language? (don’t tell me “Yes, English!”, ‘cause I know ). I’m talking about coding language.
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, read this:
Now that you’ve read this, lets start!
What you need:
-a PC.
-Skills on programming (optional).
-The will to learn and BE PATIENT (the most important of all).
1) Now, just think what you want to do… an action game? a RPG game? a puzzle game? maybe an adventure game?
2) After that, figure out the story, characters, background, gameplay, etc.
3) Finally you have to choose the language to program what you have in mind.
You have programming skills?: then Python or C++ is your choice.
You don't have programming skills (or wanna try something easier?): then, here is a list of free of charge engines with a brief explanation of each one.
(Have in mind that some of them needs a little of programming knowledge, others don't. Choose the one that adapts better to your idea).
Free of charge engines:
• Adventure Game Studio - Mainly used to develop third-person pre-rendered adventure games, this engine is one of the most popular for developing amateur adventure games.
• Agar (engine) - A high-level graphical application framework used by 2D and 3D computer games.
• Allegro library - A free crossplatform C/C++ game programming library, provides functions for graphics, sounds, input, timers, fixed and floating point, 3d, compressed datafile and a GUI.
• Axiom Engine - A fork containing the core of the OGRE graphics engine.
• Baja Engine - Professional quality engine used for the game The Lost Mansion.
• Boom - A port of the Doom source code by TeamTNT.
• Build engine - A first-person shooter engine used to power Duke Nukem 3D.
• BYOND - Short for "Build Your Own Net Dream." Makes various genres of games, including MOGs.Coding, mapping,drawing and testing are all done in one program very simple to use.
• Catmother - A BSD-licensed engine from a company that open-sourced its code when it closed the business.
• CheapHack - An outdated TomazQuake derived engine.
• Crystal Entity Layer - An extension of the Crystal Space 3D Engine.
• Crystal Space - A general framework for developing 3D applications.
• Cube - Powers the computer game of the same name.
• DarkPlaces - One of the most advanced free software Quake engines.
• Daybreak motor - Flexible, object-oriented graphics rendering engine for .NET and XNA (XNA 3D Engine) http://www.daybreak.ru.
• Delta3d - Integrates other well-known free software projects into an easy-to-use API, originally developed by the U.S. Navy (WOW!).
• DGD - An object-oriented programmable MUD engine.
• Dim3 - although not well-known and developing is macintosh-only, games can be played on Mac, Windows and Linux.
• Doom engine - The now free software engine originally used for the hugely popular Doom and Doom II.
• DXFramework - A simple, pedagogical 2D/3D DirectX-based game engine for Visual Studio.
• DX Studio - Real-time professional 3D engine and editing suite produced by Worldweaver Ltd.
• Epee Engine - Is a 2D graphics engine with beginning programmers in mind.
• Eternity Engine - A source port of the Doom engine.
• Exult - A free software reimplementation of the Ultima VII game engine.
• FIFE - A free software 2D ISO engine supporting the assets of Fallout 1 & 2.
• Game Blender - A sub-application of Blender for creating games.
• Game Maker - Object-oriented game development software with drag-and-drop interface and its own scripting language.
• GQ - A Quake engine that adds features from TomazQuake and DarkPlaces.
• GZDoom - A source port of the Doom engine based on ZDoom.
• Genesis3D - A real-time 3D engine for Windows.
• GemRB - A free software implementation of the Infinity Engine.
• Horde3D - A lightweight next-generation graphics engine.
• id Tech 2 - Formerly known as the Quake II engine, the original open-source engine from id Software.
• id Tech 3 - Formerly known as the Quake III engine, the original open-source engine from id Software.
• Irrlicht Engine - A cross-platform and lightweight three dimensional graphics engine.
• jMonkeyEngine - An open-source, BSD licensed Java scenegraph engine.
• Joge - is a platform to develop 2D game in Java.
• Jogre - a Java based client/server game engine and API for online real time games such as chess, checkers, etc.
• KallistiOS - a free, BSD licensed development library for the Sega Dreamcast, by Dan Potter.
• KonsolScript - opensource scripting language primarily intended for writing desktop 2D games by Mj Mendoza IV.
• M.U.G.E.N - A 2D fighting game engine. A must if you want to create a fighting game.
• Multiverse Network - an MMOG platform, including server, client, and tools. (Free for development and use--revenue sharing upon commercial deployment).
• Nebula Device - A realtime 3D game engine developed by German game studio Radon Labs.
• OctLight - A Java game engine that uses scene-graph and renders on top of Lightweight Java Game Library (LWJGL) using OpenGL.
• Open Game Engine - is an open source library combining the components used to make games.
• OGRE Engine - A very popular object-oriented graphics rendering engine. Also called OGRE3D.
• Panda3d - A relatively easy to use python-driven game engine.
• Pentagram - A project to create a game engine that is capable of running Ultima VIII: Pagan.
• PLIB - A game engine - includes 3D, Audio, Music, GUI, Window manager and is portable Linux/Windows/MacOSX.
• ProQuake - A modified Quake engine.
• RealmForge - An open-source game engine for the Microsoft .NET Framework, predecessor to Visual3D.NET.
• Retribution Engine - A game engine to make first person shooter games.
• Sauerbraten - A upgraded engine forked from the Cube engine.
• Sploder - A Free Web-Based Flash Game Maker (in Beta).
• Stratagus - A cross-platform real time strategy game engine.
• Telejano - a modified Quake engine.
• Tenebrae - One of many Quake engine clones.
• vbGORE - Open source MMORPG engine in Visual Basic 6.
• World Builder - A pre-MacOS X game engine.
• XtremeWorlds - a simple, and widely used 2D Online RPG Engine for Windows only.
• Wintermute Engine - A runtime and development tools for creating 2D and 2.5D point'n'click adventure games.
Wanna create a monkey island-like game? then Wintermute Engine is for you.
M.U.G.E.N. With customizable characters, backgrounds, attacks sounds, music, etc.
is well known as one of the best engines for a fighting game.
A shooter game? Then the Doom engine is for you. Also, discover how this game
was created. A must.
Closing comments:
Making a game takes time. It will take you days, months... even years! But there's nothing to wait for. Just pick one of the engines stated above, follow the instructions on how to use it (Here you can find it) and let your game come true!
If you have any questions, just ask!
Edit: Fixed spelling! and Programming tutorials suggested by snoblo.
I’ve seen your interest on making a game. Everyone wanted at least once in his life to create his own game. Well, here you’ll find the help that you need. It starts with knowledge on programming first.
Do you know a language? (don’t tell me “Yes, English!”, ‘cause I know ). I’m talking about coding language.
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, read this:
Programming isn’t essential to make your game, but it makes things easier for sure.Our good friend Wikipedia said:Computer programming (often shortened to programming or coding) is the process of writing, testing, and maintaining the source code of computer programs. The source code is written in a programming language. This code may be a modification of existing source or something completely new, the purpose being to create a program that exhibits the desired behavior. The process of writing source code requires expertise in many different subjects, including knowledge of the application domain, specialized algorithms, and formal logic.
Now that you’ve read this, lets start!
What you need:
-a PC.
-Skills on programming (optional).
-The will to learn and BE PATIENT (the most important of all).
1) Now, just think what you want to do… an action game? a RPG game? a puzzle game? maybe an adventure game?
2) After that, figure out the story, characters, background, gameplay, etc.
3) Finally you have to choose the language to program what you have in mind.
You have programming skills?: then Python or C++ is your choice.
You don't have programming skills (or wanna try something easier?): then, here is a list of free of charge engines with a brief explanation of each one.
(Have in mind that some of them needs a little of programming knowledge, others don't. Choose the one that adapts better to your idea).
Free of charge engines:
• Adventure Game Studio - Mainly used to develop third-person pre-rendered adventure games, this engine is one of the most popular for developing amateur adventure games.
• Agar (engine) - A high-level graphical application framework used by 2D and 3D computer games.
• Allegro library - A free crossplatform C/C++ game programming library, provides functions for graphics, sounds, input, timers, fixed and floating point, 3d, compressed datafile and a GUI.
• Axiom Engine - A fork containing the core of the OGRE graphics engine.
• Baja Engine - Professional quality engine used for the game The Lost Mansion.
• Boom - A port of the Doom source code by TeamTNT.
• Build engine - A first-person shooter engine used to power Duke Nukem 3D.
• BYOND - Short for "Build Your Own Net Dream." Makes various genres of games, including MOGs.Coding, mapping,drawing and testing are all done in one program very simple to use.
• Catmother - A BSD-licensed engine from a company that open-sourced its code when it closed the business.
• CheapHack - An outdated TomazQuake derived engine.
• Crystal Entity Layer - An extension of the Crystal Space 3D Engine.
• Crystal Space - A general framework for developing 3D applications.
• Cube - Powers the computer game of the same name.
• DarkPlaces - One of the most advanced free software Quake engines.
• Daybreak motor - Flexible, object-oriented graphics rendering engine for .NET and XNA (XNA 3D Engine) http://www.daybreak.ru.
• Delta3d - Integrates other well-known free software projects into an easy-to-use API, originally developed by the U.S. Navy (WOW!).
• DGD - An object-oriented programmable MUD engine.
• Dim3 - although not well-known and developing is macintosh-only, games can be played on Mac, Windows and Linux.
• Doom engine - The now free software engine originally used for the hugely popular Doom and Doom II.
• DXFramework - A simple, pedagogical 2D/3D DirectX-based game engine for Visual Studio.
• DX Studio - Real-time professional 3D engine and editing suite produced by Worldweaver Ltd.
• Epee Engine - Is a 2D graphics engine with beginning programmers in mind.
• Eternity Engine - A source port of the Doom engine.
• Exult - A free software reimplementation of the Ultima VII game engine.
• FIFE - A free software 2D ISO engine supporting the assets of Fallout 1 & 2.
• Game Blender - A sub-application of Blender for creating games.
• Game Maker - Object-oriented game development software with drag-and-drop interface and its own scripting language.
• GQ - A Quake engine that adds features from TomazQuake and DarkPlaces.
• GZDoom - A source port of the Doom engine based on ZDoom.
• Genesis3D - A real-time 3D engine for Windows.
• GemRB - A free software implementation of the Infinity Engine.
• Horde3D - A lightweight next-generation graphics engine.
• id Tech 2 - Formerly known as the Quake II engine, the original open-source engine from id Software.
• id Tech 3 - Formerly known as the Quake III engine, the original open-source engine from id Software.
• Irrlicht Engine - A cross-platform and lightweight three dimensional graphics engine.
• jMonkeyEngine - An open-source, BSD licensed Java scenegraph engine.
• Joge - is a platform to develop 2D game in Java.
• Jogre - a Java based client/server game engine and API for online real time games such as chess, checkers, etc.
• KallistiOS - a free, BSD licensed development library for the Sega Dreamcast, by Dan Potter.
• KonsolScript - opensource scripting language primarily intended for writing desktop 2D games by Mj Mendoza IV.
• M.U.G.E.N - A 2D fighting game engine. A must if you want to create a fighting game.
• Multiverse Network - an MMOG platform, including server, client, and tools. (Free for development and use--revenue sharing upon commercial deployment).
• Nebula Device - A realtime 3D game engine developed by German game studio Radon Labs.
• OctLight - A Java game engine that uses scene-graph and renders on top of Lightweight Java Game Library (LWJGL) using OpenGL.
• Open Game Engine - is an open source library combining the components used to make games.
• OGRE Engine - A very popular object-oriented graphics rendering engine. Also called OGRE3D.
• Panda3d - A relatively easy to use python-driven game engine.
• Pentagram - A project to create a game engine that is capable of running Ultima VIII: Pagan.
• PLIB - A game engine - includes 3D, Audio, Music, GUI, Window manager and is portable Linux/Windows/MacOSX.
• ProQuake - A modified Quake engine.
• RealmForge - An open-source game engine for the Microsoft .NET Framework, predecessor to Visual3D.NET.
• Retribution Engine - A game engine to make first person shooter games.
• Sauerbraten - A upgraded engine forked from the Cube engine.
• Sploder - A Free Web-Based Flash Game Maker (in Beta).
• Stratagus - A cross-platform real time strategy game engine.
• Telejano - a modified Quake engine.
• Tenebrae - One of many Quake engine clones.
• vbGORE - Open source MMORPG engine in Visual Basic 6.
• World Builder - A pre-MacOS X game engine.
• XtremeWorlds - a simple, and widely used 2D Online RPG Engine for Windows only.
• Wintermute Engine - A runtime and development tools for creating 2D and 2.5D point'n'click adventure games.
Wanna create a monkey island-like game? then Wintermute Engine is for you.
M.U.G.E.N. With customizable characters, backgrounds, attacks sounds, music, etc.
is well known as one of the best engines for a fighting game.
A shooter game? Then the Doom engine is for you. Also, discover how this game
was created. A must.
Closing comments:
Making a game takes time. It will take you days, months... even years! But there's nothing to wait for. Just pick one of the engines stated above, follow the instructions on how to use it (Here you can find it) and let your game come true!
If you have any questions, just ask!
Edit: Fixed spelling! and Programming tutorials suggested by snoblo.