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What is a good program to start video game design/development?

I just received a personal computer that I will use when I attend college and I want to use it to practice in my future career field. I only learned how to program and create games on Scratch and Khan Academy but I want to dive into the 3d aspect of game design. I have never actually created a whole game yet so I want to find a program that is easy to pick up on and can create high quality games. What programs should I look into when creating my first game? #Spring26

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Fasi Uddin’s Answer

Hi Aiden,

Congrats on your new PC! It's awesome that you want to build skills before college. Moving from Scratch to 3D game development is a great next step.

To start, pick a beginner-friendly tool that can grow with you. Here are three popular options:

1. Unity: Easy for beginners, widely used, and has lots of tutorials and community support. Good for both 2D and 3D games.
2. Unreal Engine: Great for high-end 3D visuals and used in big studios. It can be complex, but visual scripting with Blueprints helps beginners.
3. Godot: Lightweight, free, and beginner-friendly. It's a good choice if you want something simple while learning the basics.

Focus on one engine and learn it well instead of trying all three. Switching too much can slow you down.

Here's a plan to get started:

1. Follow a beginner tutorial to learn the basics.
2. Create a small original project, like a 3D obstacle course or platformer.
3. Finish this project before moving on to a bigger one.

Finishing small games teaches more than starting large ones you never complete.

Remember, your first projects are for learning and building confidence, not perfection. Even pros start with simple prototypes when learning new tools.

You're already ahead by practicing now. Keep building small projects consistently, and you'll gain skills faster than many students who wait.

Fasi Uddin recommends the following next steps:

Follow one beginner tutorial to understand the basics
Then make a very small original project of your own (even something simple like a 3D obstacle course or platformer)
Finish that project before starting a bigger one
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Liam’s Answer

Try to find open source tools and use them to get started. You likely will outgrow them but if you can get creative with them to start (and the are free) you can start to get your ideas out there. I know people use godot, blender, krita, inkscape, and similar tools to start. Go that route and then build your tool set from there.

Liam recommends the following next steps:

https://www.blender.org/ - https://youtu.be/tdsQwuyS6DQ - Blender
https://godotengine.org/ - https://youtu.be/S8lMTwSRoRg - Godot
https://krita.org/en/ - https://www.youtube.com/@KritaOrgPainting - Krita
https://inkscape.org/ - https://inkscape-manuals.readthedocs.io/en/latest/ - Inkscape
List of similar software - https://gamefromscratch.com/the-best-open-source-game-tools/ (I also recommend learning something like LMMS for music as well!)
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