Making a Game – Part One: The Itch

Growing up in the early '90s, while others got Nintendos, my dad and uncles were convinced the Sega Master system was the better home console. It did have its perks, but design flaws left us scratching our heads. Who thought it was a good idea to put the pause button, on the system, next to the reset button? Eventually, we hopped on the Nintendo train and have been hooked since.

You have no idea how many times as a kid I hit the reset button or the game cartridge (which would crash the game) with my foot when I was too lazy to get up to push the pause button.

When I had to pick a major in college, computer science seemed like the right path to turn my love of games into a career. Back then, there wasn't a specific "Game development" education path; you just learned "computers" and hoped to land in your desired field.

After college, my journey into web development began. It took almost five years to snag my first job as a true web developer, but I've loved the daily puzzle-solving that comes with it. Despite being content, that itch to be a part of the gaming world still lingers.

“Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

Many of my friends work in the games industry, and while I met them in college while we all worked at EB Games (now Gamestop) over 20 years ago, my career took a different path. Though not directly working in the industry, I stay closely connected, knowing more about some companies than even my friends who work there.

The tumultuous layoffs in tech, including the games industry, in 2023 hit hard, even though I was fortunate enough to be unaffected. Witnessing the challenges faced by my friends and colleagues made me reflect on my own aspirations. Yes, I was glad to be in the field I was in, but could I create a game that people would play and, more importantly, complete?

I've dabbled in game development before, starting numerous projects that all hit roadblocks. "Foggy Golf", a Reactjs "One a Day" Wordle-like game combining Chess and Golf, came close to completion, but few knew about it. I made minimal effort to promote it, expecting it to find its audience in the sea of more vocal indie game developers.

Despite that, the itch to make a game persisted, and my excitement peaked when I stumbled upon the Winter React Jam on the Web development subreddit. A chance to participate in a two-week game jam using a familiar language presented itself. This was my opportunity to create a game, have it seen and played by others, and accomplish a long-standing bucket list item.

What ensued became one of the most validating and rewarding experiences in my career, and we haven't even submitted our game yet.

Yes, I said "we" because I made this game with my 10-year-old daughter.

Check in next week for Part 2, where I'll share the trials and tribulations of game development and how each day brought surprising accomplishments that I once deemed impossible.