12 Free Learning Resources for Game Developers

If you are starting out as a game developer, then you will need access to learning resources. And these can be quite expensive. As we all know, free stuff isn’t always good, and good stuff isn’t always free. That’s the way the world works. However, some awesome folks on the internet do like to share information freely with the world. So here we will be talking about some quality learning resources for game developers.

Now it can be hard(rather, impossible) to find a single platform containing all the information you need. This is especially the case if you are going the free route. So here we have created a list and sub-divided the websites into categories based on their expertise. So without further ado, let’s dive right into our curated collection of websites.

12 Free learning Resources for Game Developers

Resources For Good Story Telling

You can make your game compelling and have gamers emotionally attached with a proper storyline. Here are some free online resources which can help you doing so.

1. sevencamels.blogspot.in

This is a blog maintained by Mark Kennedy. He is the guy who worked on Disney’s Frozen, Raiponce and Tarzan. Through this blog, he has been sharing his knowledge on Visual Storytelling. Some key high light of the blog would be:

  • Posts filled with images broken down into small informative paragraphs.
  • Discussion on the fundamental concepts of design and staging.
  • Detailed analysis of scenes from popular movies.

Overall, the blog is ideal if you wish to create a compelling visual story for your game.

2. The Writer’s Journey

If you are dead serious about writing a compelling story for your game, then you should give this a read. Here Christopher Vogler has expanded on Joseph Campbell’s ‘The Hero With a Thousand Faces’ and showcases how most stories tend to have a similar broad structure. Give it a read!

Resources to Help With Digital Art

You should make sure that your game doesn’t lack luster. Make it good looking by engaging with the best practices in Digital Arts. These free resources would be beneficial in that context.

1. Ctrlpaint

If you search online or ask anybody for the BEST free resources on digital artistry, then they will point you to Ctrlpaint.com. The key features of  the site include:

  • Over 200 videos to learn from, provided absolutely for free.
  • Each video is short but packed with information.
  • Matt Kohr, the person behind Ctrlpaint, is a freelance concept artist working in the game industry. So you know that this guy knows stuff.
  • Matt Kohr mentorship, who by the way is an excellent teacher.

This is a good place to start learning how stuff is handled by people already working in the industry.

2. 2D Game Art Guru

Chris Hildenbrand has been using vector drawing software for the last 20 years. So when you come to his blog, and see that ‘life is too short to make bad art,’ you know that the guy means business. Here are some of the benefits you can reap from using the blog:

  • short and easy to follow tutorials created for programmers and non-artistic people in mind.
  • Topics covering animation, vector drawing, game asset modularity, etc.
  • Tutorials for the open source tool Inkscape.

Overall, if you are keen on programming but feel uninspired when it comes to arts, then the blog will be helpful.

Resources on Designing Games

Next up on this list are free online resources for game designing. Here you go:

1. GDCvault

You should be aquatinted with this fabulous website. Here you will get access to many talks from the Game Developers Conference. Here are some highlighting features about the site:

  • All content is in video format.
  • Insights from developers working within the gaming industry.
  • Thier YouTube channel also uploads a few videos per week. So this a good way to discover fresh talks.

All in all, you should bookmark this as the prime place for getting free intel on the gaming industry.

2. Three Hundred Mechanics

If you are searching for ideas and concepts for your next game, then you will love Three Hundred Mechanics. Here are the main advantages of using the site:

  • The site offers 300 game ideas developed by the site owner.
  • The concepts are complimented with some algorithms and design processes.
  • The ideas and concepts discussed spans multiple genres.
  • All the mechanics discussed here are pretty original.
  • There is also a procedural category. And it is seriously hard to come by such content even by paying money.

This is the best place to start generating fresh ideas for your next project. Or heck, you can just go with one of the mentioned concepts.

Resources on Game Development

1. Game Programming Patterns

This is not a website filled with free to read articles or content. In fact, this is a book! Which means, this will prove to be a much richer resource. And as any wise man will tell you, a Book is the most invaluable friend you will have. Here are some ways in which this will prove to be a good read:

  • It covers a variety of common programming models involving game development.
  • Detailed illustrations are provided to clarify why the models are worth knowing.
  • There are also outlines about the limits of each model and how they evolved.
  • A complimentary comments section is added to the right side of the page. Users can add points which the book missed to address. This further improves upon the scope of the book.

One of the problems of learning is that you don’t get to know why this work and that doesn’t. However, as you read, the book covers why each pattern is used. This is a book that will help you improve your conception.

Free References

Do you find yourself to be lacking in inspiration? Every one of us has these days, no need to worry. However, if your planning to do something about it, then these resources will surely be the best places to get references for your games.

1. The Reddit Swf Porn Network

Don’t blame me; I didn’t name it. Regardless, the site is nothing like as it comes off to be. In fact, RSPN (let’s use the acronym) posts beautiful pictures… of nature! (what did you think?). Here are some points highlighting the awesomeness of the website:

  • The place is an organized network of subreddits dedicated to sharing beautiful pictures on specific topics.
  • There are outstanding images to discover here like awesome new places, unique animal species, and other design ideas.

Overall, a good place concentrating of only some of the best images to help you brainstorm on your games design style, images, and scenery.

2. Creative Uncut

This is another website from where you can gather some inspirations related to artwork. Here are its highlighting factors:

  • The website collects a wide variety of images from games from all type of consoles.
  • None of the pictures have any Watermarks.
  • Artwork about upcoming game titles is also categorized here.

This site will help the graphic designer in you create those fantastic fictional characters and scenarios.

In Conclusion:

Creating a game can be riveting to think of, but extremely hard to execute. Extensive knowledge is required on the side of the game developer. In this regard, all these content discussed here should help you learn the different facets of game development. So start learning and do come back to tell us how this helped you.

Also if you know some other free learning resources for game developers then do mention them in the comments section below. Your fellow readers will love your generosity and will also give them a few more options to choose from.

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