Thank you for the support you're showing by choosing to start this course in Early Access. With your trust, we're able to make the course we wished existed when we decided to become game developers.While Learn 2D Gamedev From Zero is a remake of its proven predecessor (Learn To Code From Zero With Godot 3), it is not just a port of it. We went back to the drawing board and created a new learning platform, new educational technology, and an improved curriculum. You can check out the Early Access Syllabus here.Throughout early access, you can expect many improvements and frequent releases. This is not only in the form of new content; we also have updates planned for the website and educational technology. You will see the user interface gradually improve.As you can imagine, polishing all of this is a lot of work for our small team.We will keep refining everything until the course is complete. For that, your feedback is essential to us. By sharing your thoughts, experiments, questions, and more, you help make this course and the next ones better for everyone. So please get in touch as often as you need: Use the contact form, write an email, join our Discord server, post lesson-related questions... whichever works best for you.Enjoy Learn 2D Gamedev with Godot 4. I'm looking forward to seeing what you create after completing the course.
Nathan
Founder and teacher at GDQuest
There's a common issue with most gamedev courses: Just like tutorials, they don't teach you what you need to know to become an independent game developer.Independence, in this case, means being able to take your ideas and translate them into computer code without constantly needing tutorials.To advance efficiently, there is a specific mindset all game developers must acquire sooner or later. It's what allows them to rely on techniques beyond step-by-step guides to reach their goals.If you've crossed paths with experienced devs, you may have noticed they solve problems by talking with peers, using a code reference, reading code, and, most of all, experimenting.The point of this course is to cut down on the amount of time and obstacles it normally takes to build those habits and get into the mindset of Thinking like a programmer
Thinking like a programmer
Thinking like a programmer is not exclusive to computer scientists or programmers by profession. It's a form of creative problem-solving that allows you to translate your ideas into things the computer can do.
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We tell the computer what to do using a precise code
The essence of programming is making the computer do what you want it to do. Game ideas become real when we translate them into code.It's not simple because computers are dumb rocks struck by lightning. You have to give them exact instructions using a programming language, which is very different from using a natural language.When it comes to coding, precision is key. You can't just tell a computer to 'draw a circle.' You must provide it with exact details: What size should the circle be? In what unit is this size? Where should the center of the circle be? What color is the circle? Should I draw only the circle's outline or fill the shape? To achieve this level of precision, we write code.Here's the code you could use in the Godot engine to draw a filled circle at position (0, 0) (the top-left of the game window), with a radius of 60 pixels and a cyan color:
draw_circle(Vector2(0,0),60, Color.CYAN)
Don't worry if you don't understand what each piece of the code does now. It's normal: You're here to learn this. For now, notice how the code is structured and precise.
Nathan
Founder and teacher at GDQuest
Computer code has a precise structure
The instruction to draw a circle is exactly draw_circle, in lowercase, with an underscore character (_) in the middle, followed by opening and closing parentheses (()). The numbers we provide for this instruction, in parentheses, come in a predefined order.None of it is magical or hidden: This order is specified by the developers of the tool you're using (in this case, the developers of the Godot engine). It's all defined in a technical manual called the code reference or reference for short.The reference is a sort of dictionary you can browse to look up how to use a specific code expression. Before you could make good use of the dictionary, you had to know how to read and understand a few basic words. The same goes for code documentation.So we will start by teaching you the most commonly used instructions in the Godot engine. They're the instructions that will be most useful for creating 2D games: drawing images, moving objects, playing sounds, and more.
By the end of the course, you will also have learned how to access and use the reference to look up and learn any other piece of code on your own.To get there, this course will teach you:
Over 100 general and game-specific programming concepts to read and understand how code works and why it is written in a specific way.
The skills to think like a programmer by creatively solving problems and translating your ideas into instructions for the computer.
The divide and conquer method to solve any programming challenge.
And more. Our goal is to make you an independent game developer.We don't pretend to turn you into a professional in a single course. Like any form of expertise, it takes time and practice to get there.Instead, we soften the learning curve and give you a push uphill on your first climb. Module after module, you grow the ability and the confidence to continue on your learning journey.The objective of this course is to give you the mindset and tools to:
Create simple games without relying solely on step-by-step tutorials.
Learn how to advance on your own, and make the most of the massive amount of learning resources out there.
Understand the code you read and write.
Enjoy experimenting with code and getting rewarding results.
Throughout the rest of the introduction, we will explain:
How this course is organized.
What learning to code is like.
Our approach to teaching you how to code.
Next, we will talk about how you can make the most of the course.
Remember to refer to the User Guide for helpful tips and instructions.The Glossary is also there if you need quick reminders for some technical words or concepts.
Use this space for questions related to what you're learning. For any other type of support (website, learning platform, payments, etc...) please get in touch using the contact form.
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Lesson Q&A
Use this space for questions related to what you're learning. For any other type of support (website, learning platform, payments, etc...) please get in touch using the contact form.