Want to Design Your Own Indie Game? Check Out These Programming Languages!

Check Out These Programming Languages for Game Development Featured Image

Online games were once all the rage–and for many, they still are. Previously, ‘Why I No Longer Enjoy Online Gaming’ covered a personal decision to veer away from online games like the game Overwatch. Without speaking for everyone, online gaming can be an exhausting pursuit, especially when you’ve dedicated the majority of your time to it and feel like your world revolves around it. While you can make friends, the online community can be extremely toxic, exclusive, and arbitrary.

Perhaps it may be time to consider going back to basics with single-player games, or even indie games by smaller developers or individuals. Many of the problems of online games stem from their development by huge corporations. Researchers at the University of York found how big developers include problematic elements like microtransactionsOpens in a new tab. and income-generating loot boxes in their games in an effort to make more money. This is what makes supporting up-and-coming games so refreshing, as most of them have been created for the sole intent of user enjoyment, you rarely see things done just for the sake of making money. A clever analogy in an HP article about the ‘13 Best Indie Games for PC’Opens in a new tab. describes this genre as the “garage bands” of programming due to their more off-beat mechanics and somewhat more compelling gameplay. These titles are programmed with pure passion, talents, and ideas, which makes them unique tokens created for likeminded individuals to enjoy.

If you’re interested in designing your own indie game, here are some programming languages to check out.

Table of Contents

C++

While C++ may be difficult to learn, it is one of the most commonly used languages as it lets you have more control over the hardware and graphical processes that are essential in video game design. As it uses object-oriented language, internal structures are used to organize code into reusable blocks. Many consider this the language to learn since many others stem from it. The action-adventure game Starbound was developed with C++.

Java

The dynamism of the Java language makes it a preference for a lot of game programmers as it supports multithreading which uses less memory and maximizes CPU. Since it runs on a virtual machine, your game can be distributed easily as it’s compatible with different devices. Minecraft–one of the best-selling video games of all time–was originally created using Java by developer Markus PerssonOpens in a new tab. before selling it to Microsoft.

HTML5

HTML5 allows you to modify the appearance of webpagesOpens in a new tab., structure, and present web content. Multimedia content can even be added without Flash or a third-party plug-in, and websites can be accessed without the Internet, making it a considerable option for game developers. It’s also meant to work across platforms. The classic game Bejeweled is written with HTML5.

JavaScript

JavaScript is one of the most popular scripting and programming languages in the world. It allows the creation of dynamically updated content, animation, and other multimedia properties. When used in tandem with Application Programming Interfaces, it lets developers implement difficult programs. The popular Angry Birds game runs on JavaScript.

Your choice of programming language rests heavily on your game design interests. Assess your options before you get started and create an indie game you can call your own!

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