In this post, I’ll be sharing some of my projects, and insights. I consider myself an avid gamer and technology enthusiast, I’ve had the opportunity to explore various genres, platforms, and even dabble in game development.
Projects
C#
C# was one of my first introductions to game development IIRC. This was a request from a professor in order to get us comfortable with C#
Unreal Engine
I started learing Unreal Engine in order to enter the “Mission to Minerva” challenge, made by KitBash3D. This challenge was made for the Unreal Engine Community, and it was a great opportunity to learn a bit about the engine and to improve my skills as a game developer.
While Unreal Engine is a powerful tool, it does come with some challenges. For large-scale projects, the engine’s complexity can be overwhelming, requiring significant time investment to master. Additionally, the hardware requirements for optimal performance can be demanding, especially for projects with high-fidelity graphics or large open worlds. However, these potential drawbacks are balanced by the engine’s robust features, excellent documentation, and a supportive community that provides numerous resources for developers at all skill levels.
Visual scripting was complicated as a beginner, but UnrealSensei,YouTube and tutorials, along with documentation and forums, were invaluable resources.
I ended up not submitting anything to the challenge, as I was not really satisfied with the end result, but I learned a lot about the engine and its capabilities.
Here are some draft projects that helped me understand the engine:
First project:
Second project:
And finally:
Unity
I started trying to learn Unity before Unreal, but I found the learning curve to be too steep at the time. I ended up entering “LEIVA 2023” with the Studio (a local government initiative), and I ended up learning a lot about the engine. For that project, I wasn’t on the roster, but for the next one, I was part of the dev team. Honestly, I don’t particularly dislike the engine (to me it seems somewhat unintuitive at times (and somewhat hard for a beginner), though I kinda get why the performance benefits overweigh this point), but after the recent debacle with the Licensing stuff, I will probably avoid it in the future.
After LEIVA, we entered an international game jam, and we created “Psicolomemes”, a game about treating patients by showing them memes they like (for now, just the colors matter though).
We uploaded the game to Itch.io, for a game jam, so you can play it here (it’s in Spanish): Psicolomemes
Godot
After exploring various game engines all along the way, I’ve found a special place in my heart for Godot, and I’m impressed by what it offers. Godot stands out for several reasons:
Open-Source Nature: As a fully open-source engine, Godot provides complete transparency and allows for community-driven improvements. This aligns well with my philosophy of supporting open software.
Lightweight and Efficient: The entire engine is remarkably small (under 100MB), making it quick to download and easy to work with, even on less powerful hardware.
Intuitive Node System: Godot’s scene and node system feels intuitive and flexible. It allows for a more visual and hierarchical approach to game design, which I find particularly appealing as someone who appreciates clear structure in development.
GDScript: While it supports multiple languages, Godot’s own GDScript is designed specifically for game development, striking a balance between ease of use and performance.
We recently participated in another game jam, only this time using Godot, which was an excellent opportunity to put these features to the test. Our team created a small puzzle game called “Oscura” for the “Jame Gam #33”. The experience was okay (due to still getting to know the engine), but Godot’s rapid development capabilities allowed us to prototype and iterate quickly within the jam’s time constraints. The fact it is tiny and portable is a huge plus.
You can play here (when I update it, as of now it is a very incomplete build): Oscura on itch.io
Working with Godot has been a refreshing experience, especially coming from larger, more complex engines. Its simplicity doesn’t compromise on power, making it an excellent choice for both beginners and experienced developers looking for an efficient, open-source solution.
As of now, I’m still on a volunteer basis for a game development studio, which has been a great experience. I’ve learned a lot about the game development process, and I’ve had the opportunity to work with a lot of talented people.