How to Make a Video Game: Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

To make a video game, you choose a game engine, plan a tiny game and build it one small step at a time. Start with a free, beginner-friendly engine such as Godot, GameMaker or Unity. Build the main action first with simple shapes, then add art and sound, let real people play, fix what confuses them and publish it free on itch.io. This guide walks you through each step, with realistic times, costs and the mistakes beginners make most.

What you need to make a video game

Less than you think. You don't need to be great at maths or drawing, and you don't need to spend money. You need:

• A computer. Windows, Mac or Linux all work. Godot runs well even on older laptops. Unity needs a bit more power, and Unreal Engine wants a strong gaming PC with lots of free disk space. On a school Chromebook, you can start with Scratch in the browser.
• A game engine. A game engine is the program you build the game in. It handles graphics, sound, physics and controls, so you don't start from nothing.
• A few hours a week. Regular short sessions beat one huge weekend. Three evenings a week is plenty.
• Patience with bugs. A bug is a mistake that makes the game act wrong. Every developer fights bugs every day. Fixing them is how you learn.

Here is the whole journey for a first small game, with realistic times:

Step 1: Choose a game engine

All of these engines are free to start with. The prices and rules below are as of November 2026, so check each official site before you sell a game.

Scratch and Roblox Studio games are made to be played on their own website and app. If you want to release on Steam or phone stores later, pick one of the other four engines.

If you can't decide, pick Godot. It is small, free forever and quick to learn, and its official tutorials are excellent. Our Godot vs Unity vs Unreal Engine comparison goes deeper. Whatever you choose, stay with it for your whole first game.

Step 2: Pick a game idea you can actually finish

This is where most first games fail. Beginners start their dream game, a huge online world with a long story, and quit after a month. Big studios need years for games like that. Your first goal is smaller: finish something.

Good first games have one screen or one level, one main action and a clear way to win or lose. Classic examples are a Pong clone, a dodge game, a one-button flappy game, a brick breaker or a short platformer level. Write your idea in one sentence, such as "Jump between platforms to reach the flag before the lava rises."

Step 3: Learn the basics with an official tutorial

Before you build your own idea, follow one beginner tutorial from start to finish. It teaches you where everything is in the editor, and that saves hours of confusion later.

• Godot: Your first 2D game in the official docs builds a small dodge game in an afternoon or two.
• Unity: the free Unity Essentials pathway on Unity Learn takes about two weeks of short sessions.
• Unreal Engine: Epic's Your First Hour in Unreal Engine builds a small 3D platformer.

Type everything yourself instead of copying, and change small things to see what happens. When you finish, our engine guides help you build a first game of your own in Godot, Unity or Unreal Engine 5.

Step 4: Build a prototype of the core loop

A prototype is a rough, ugly first version that tests whether your idea works. Use coloured squares instead of art. Build only the core loop, the main action players repeat again and again, such as run, jump and collect.

Here is what a first script looks like in Godot 4. It moves a top-down character with the arrow keys. In a new scene, add a CharacterBody2D node. Give it two children: a Sprite2D (drag icon.svg into its Texture slot) and a CollisionShape2D (set its Shape to a new RectangleShape2D). Then right-click the CharacterBody2D, choose Attach Script and type this in:

extends CharacterBody2D

# How fast the player moves, in pixels per second.
@export var speed := 300.0

func _physics_process(_delta: float) -> void:
    # Read the arrow keys as a direction.
    var direction := Input.get_vector(
        "ui_left", "ui_right", "ui_up", "ui_down")
    # Set the speed, then move. Walls stop the player.
    velocity = direction * speed
    move_and_slide()

Save the scene and press F6 (Run Current Scene, Cmd+R on a Mac) to try it. Unity uses C# scripts and Unreal Engine uses Blueprints, but the idea is the same everywhere: read the input, move things, check what they touch. Run your game every few minutes. Small, frequent tests catch bugs while they are still easy to find.

When the prototype works, play it for five minutes. Is moving around already a little fun? If not, change the speed, the jump or the controls before you add anything else. Our guide to game design basics explains how to find the fun.

Step 5: Turn the prototype into a real game

A toy becomes a game when it has a goal and a way to fail. Add these pieces one at a time and test after each:

• A goal: reach the flag, survive 60 seconds or beat a high score.
• A way to lose: lava, enemies, a timer or running out of lives.
• A score or progress bar so players can see how they are doing.
• A start screen, a game-over screen and a restart button. Without a quick restart, players stop after their first loss. In Godot, one line restarts the level: get_tree().reload_current_scene().
• A slow rise in difficulty, such as faster enemies over time.

Step 6: Add art and sound

Now swap the squares for real art. You don't have to draw it yourself. Many free asset packs exist, and Kenney's packs are a favourite because they are CC0. CC0 means public domain: you can use the files in any game, even one you sell, without asking.

• Free asset packs: Kenney, OpenGameArt and the many free packs on itch.io. Always read the licence. Some packs need you to credit the artist, and some don't allow selling.
• Draw your own: Krita and GIMP are free for any art. Pixelorama and LibreSprite are free for pixel art, and Aseprite is a popular paid option.
• Sound effects: jsfxr makes retro sounds in your browser. Audacity is free for recording and editing.
• AI tools: they can help, but the licence and store rules are tricky. Read how to make a video game with AI first.

Keep a simple text file that lists every asset, where it came from and its licence. You'll need it when you publish.

Step 7: Playtest and fix

A playtest is when someone else plays your game while you watch. It is the fastest way to improve it, because you know your game too well to see its problems.

1. Find three to five testers who haven't seen the game: friends, family or classmates.
2. Say nothing while they play. Don't explain the controls or help. Every time you want to help, write down why.
3. Watch, don't just ask. Note where they get stuck, die unfairly, get bored or smile.
4. Ask three questions afterwards: What was most fun? What was confusing? Would you play again?
5. Fix the biggest problem first, then test again with someone new.

If two testers trip over the same thing, it is a real problem, even if it seems obvious to you.

Step 8: Publish your game

First, export the game. Exporting turns your project into files other people can play. In Godot, download the export templates once through Editor > Manage Export Templates. Then open Project > Export, click Add to pick a platform such as Web or Windows, and click Export Project. In Unity 6, use File > Build Profiles. In Unreal Engine, use Platforms > Windows > Package Project.

Then share it on itch.io, the easiest place for a first game. It is free to upload and takes about an evening:

1. Create an itch.io account and choose to upload a new project.
2. Add a title, a short description, a cover image and three or more screenshots.
3. Upload your build. For a browser game, name the main page index.html when you export, put all exported files in one ZIP file and set the project type to HTML. The itch.io HTML5 guide explains the details.
4. Fill in the AI disclosure if any content was made with generative AI.
5. Save it as a draft, test the page, then make it public.

Bigger stores cost money. As of November 2026, Steam charges 100 US dollars per game, which you get back once the game earns 1,000 US dollars. Google Play charges a one-time 25 US dollars, and Apple charges 99 US dollars a year. Once your game is out, list it in the Mutop100 indie games directory so new players can find it and vote for it.

Beginner mistakes that stop people finishing

Almost every beginner hits the same walls. Knowing them in advance makes them much easier to get past.

• Polishing before it is fun. Beautiful art on a boring game is wasted work. Make the squares fun first.
• Feature creep. This means adding "just one more feature" until the game never ends. Write new ideas on a "later" list instead of building them now.
• Tutorial hell. Some people follow tutorial after tutorial and never build their own game. After one or two, start your own idea and look things up when you get stuck.
• Switching engines halfway. A new engine means starting again. Finish the game in the engine you picked, then try another one next time.
• No backups. A broken drive or a bad change can wipe weeks of work. Copy your project folder to a second place every week, or use Git.
• Hiding the game until it is perfect. Show it to people early. Their reactions will save you from building the wrong things.

What to learn next

• Make a second game that is slightly bigger. Add one new skill, such as a second level, a boss or a save system.
• Join a game jam. A game jam is an event where people make a game around a theme in a few days. itch.io lists many free online jams, and they are the fastest way to practise finishing.
• Learn version control. Git saves snapshots of your project, so you can undo mistakes and never lose your work.
• Share your progress. Short devlogs and clips help you find your first players. Our guide on promoting your indie game shows how.