Giving back: Advice for young aspiring game designers

Hi there good folks. My name is Eagan.

At age 15 I realized that crafting interactive experiences was something that I loved & wanted to do. Now at age 16 all that's changed is that I've kept on improving with each experience I craft. I am young. I am aspiring. And I know I'm not the only one. I would like nothing more than to learn from those of you who have already aspired in this industry.
What would you have wanted to know at age 16? Maybe you can't go back & tell yourself what you would have wanted to know, but you can tell it to others now.

So if you'd like to give back to the gaming community & spread a little bit of that priceless industry wisdom, that would be much appreciated. Anything that you have found helpful on your journey. Any tips & tricks that seemed to work for you. Share the love...

Stay safe and happy lovin'

Comments

  • I'd suggest something that's pretty obvious, but still worth saying:

    Find out what motivates you, and try build those circumstances around you. Motivation is the most precious resource we have (and if we're not motivated to make games, yet we desire to make games, then we need to look at our circumstances and figure out what is stopping us. It might be in our environment, or in the game we're trying to make).

    I get particularly motivated building new games and game jamming. So for me it's especially useful to attend a lot of game jams and be in spaces where I'm encouraged to make new things to show. Communities like this do that a bit (in offering a platform to display work), and I've spent time organizing game jams just so I can be around rad people who are also making games.
  • @EvanGreenwood Thank you for your comment

    I understand what you're saying about motivation. I've been in that place where the motivation is down and the creativity just doesn't seem to flow. One particular time was when I was creating a shoot 'em up game. I spent a lot of time building on features into it, but those features didn't matter because the core mechanics game itself were not fun to engage with. That game really brought my spirits down because I didn't know how to fix it. So I just decided to learn all I can from that game, and move on. I think that links with what you said about looking at your circumstances when demotivated. In this case it was the game that I was working on.
    I also understand when you say building new games motivates you. There have been many a times when it seemed like I had a case of creators block. In those moments I would look through my idea book and try to flesh out those ideas. I also watch tutorials. For me it's a way to get the gears turning again and often I learn something that is the exact solution to a problem in a game I'm "stuck" on.
    I haven't been to a game jam yet but I could definitely see how that could help motivate someone. Being around a bunch of brilliant people who are committed to crafting enjoyable experiences, that's bound to inspire. And that just speaks volumes to the power community.

    Thanks again, I love what you said.
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