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There are plenty of "game maker" software. Even open source ones. Check out Godot, which has tutorials for creating a game: https://docs.godotengine.org/en/sta

There are plenty of "game maker" software. Even open source ones. Check out Godot, which has tutorials for creating a game: https://docs.godotengine.org/en/stable/getting_started/first_2d_game/index.html https://docs.godotengine.org/en/stable/getting_started/first... There is also the Blender Game Engine, which got split from Blender, but has a visual logic editor: https://upbge.org/#/documentation/docs/latest/manual/manual/tutorials/introducing_logic_bricks/move_object.html https://upbge.org/#/documentation/docs/latest/manual/manual/...

watwut 5y ago
Most of that game maker software is not all that great for a small kid that is just learning that something like iteration exists.
ermir 5y ago
Most of these tools are too open-ended and pull the users in the minute details. I've been developing software for over 10 years now and I can handle it without any issue, but there are not many kids who could handle the extreme frustration that software developments sometimes causes. Kids tools should be far more limited, it's useful both for creativity and to stop most crazy ideas, since they would be impossible. Finally, it's a giant pain to get anyone to actually play what you make. How is a kid going to handle compilation, executable distribution, and much more. If you send an exe via email, the spam filters will catch it, if you find another way, the operating system will yell at you for starting an unsigned executable. If you want to make a web game, you'll have to figure out hosting, design, JavaScript, and all the rest. Sure, you could teach a kid this, but it would take months and any one impediment can stop the whole process cold. The fact that I was able to figure out most of this stuff on my own, much of it without internet, goes to show that the tools I used had the perfect balance of complexity and limitations for my age. Of course nowadays I've moved way past them, but I can clearly see there's a gap in the mid-level tools that sit somewhere between a full programming language and Scratch which is too simplistic. Interestingly enough, Arduino fills a bit of this niche. It's relatively easy but quite deep, perfect for a gifted child. The limitations of the electronic components also force you to push the limits of your capabilities in a way that a blank canvas just overwhelms you with possibilities.

watwut 5y ago

Most of that game maker software is not all that great for a small kid that is just learning that something like iteration exists.

ermir 5y ago

Most of these tools are too open-ended and pull the users in the minute details. I've been developing software for over 10 years now and I can handle it without any issue, but there are not many kids who could handle the extreme frustration that software developments sometimes causes. Kids tools should be far more limited, it's useful both for creativity and to stop most crazy ideas, since they would be impossible. Finally, it's a giant pain to get anyone to actually play what you make. How is a kid going to handle compilation, executable distribution, and much more. If you send an exe via email, the spam filters will catch it, if you find another way, the operating system will yell at you for starting an unsigned executable. If you want to make a web game, you'll have to figure out hosting, design, JavaScript, and all the rest. Sure, you could teach a kid this, but it would take months and any one impediment can stop the whole process cold. The fact that I was able to figure out most of this stuff on my own, much of it without internet, goes to show that the tools I used had the perfect balance of complexity and limitations for my age. Of course nowadays I've moved way past them, but I can clearly see there's a gap in the mid-level tools that sit somewhere between a full programming language and Scratch which is too simplistic. Interestingly enough, Arduino fills a bit of this niche. It's relatively easy but quite deep, perfect for a gifted child. The limitations of the electronic components also force you to push the limits of your capabilities in a way that a blank canvas just overwhelms you with possibilities.