Game Dev Resources
While this book covers the technical aspects of programming games with Ruby, there is a lot more to making games than just coding. This bonus chapter includes resources and information to help you make your games your own.
Tools
Recommended tools for making games.
Audio
- jsfxr — generate sound effects
- ChipTone — another sound effect tool
- Audacity — audio editor
- 1BitDragon — intuitive music creation software
- LMMS — music creation tool
Graphics
- Aseprite — pixel art tool
- GIMP — open-source image editor
- Inkscape — open-source vector editor
- Krita — digital painting tool
- Piskel — free browser pixel tool
Assets
Making a game by yourself can seem like a lot when you need to design the game, code it, make the art, create music, and then release it. Luckily there are lots of generous game devs out there who share their assets, from music to sound effects to sprites to 3D models. Whether you're rapidly prototyping and will redo the art later or don't want to deal with it at all, you might be surprised at the great assets out there.
Books
I love reading books about making games. It's a great way to take a break from the computer but still learn about the hobby you love. Here are some of my favorites.
- Spelunky by Derek Yu — deep-dive into the game development process by the creator of the game himself
- How to Make a Video Game All By Yourself — an excellent book on being a solo game dev
- Code the Classics — a free book covering how to make classic games in PyGame, but if you instead used DragonRuby GTK?
- Indie Games: From Dream to Delivery — a book of questions and essays to get your brain churning about your game for when you're further along
Videos
A selection of the best videos about making games:
- "Juice it or lose it" presentation — how to polish games
- "The art of screenshake" presentation — a step-by-step guide on making a game feel good to play
- "Game a Week: Teaching Students to Prototype" presentation — two college instructors talk about their courses where students make a game a week