Best of Game DevelopmentJanuary 2025

  1. 1
    Article
    Avatar of game_developersGame Developers·1y

    my dream *game*

    An individual shares their progress on developing a sci-fi 4X game that emphasizes economy influenced by Factorio, multiplayer modes, diplomacy, and customizable combat units. The project started in 2022, inspired by the board game Eclipse, and is 80% complete. The developer plans to refine and test the game, adding sound effects, icons, and balancing gameplay.

  2. 2
    Video
    Avatar of awegoAwesome Go·1y

    Make an MMO with Godot 4 + Golang: Database setup for persistent game world

    Learn how to set up a SQLite database for a Godot 4 MMO using Golang. This guide covers establishing a connection, handling user registration and login, and writing SQL queries without using an ORM. Follow along to implement a secure and persistent game world. By the end of this tutorial, you'll have a functioning login system and the groundwork for more complex game logic.

  3. 3
    Video
    Avatar of thevimeagenTheVimeagen·1y

    how can he be so good?

    John Carmack, praised for his groundbreaking approach to coding, wrote every function from scratch for game engines like Doom. This approach reflected his deep understanding and control over the coding process, contrasting the modern trend of using libraries. While Carmack's methods may seem extreme, they underline the importance of skill, control, and efficiency in software development. Additionally, improving typing speed can significantly enhance a programmer's productivity and mental focus.

  4. 4
    Video
    Avatar of lowlevelgamedevLow Level Game Dev·1y

    Making Minecraft but the server is Optimized!

    The post outlines the process of optimizing a voxel game server to outperform Minecraft. It details steps including implementing server commands, measuring server performance with a profiler, handling network conditions, chunk management, and parallelizing tasks using multithreading. The author also compares server operations to operating systems and emphasizes data-oriented design over OOP for efficient performance. Upcoming plans include implementing LODs and optimizing the client-side chunk loading.

  5. 5
    Video
    Avatar of gamefromscratchGamefromscratch·1y

    C++ Game Engines in 2025

    This post provides an in-depth review of various C++ game engines available in 2025, including popular choices like Unreal Engine and lesser-known options like Flax and Wicked Engine. It includes both 2D and 3D engines and discusses their features, licensing, and suitability for different types of game development projects. The post also touches on upcoming updates and the history behind some engines.

  6. 6
    Article
    Avatar of hnHacker News·1y

    Dead Games

    When games fail and are discontinued, the assets like sounds, models, and animations often go unused. There are various reasons developers don't release these assets for free, such as time, storage, bandwidth, and permissions. Some assets might include textures or sounds from libraries that can't be redistributed. It's a shame these assets go to waste when they could be used in other projects.

  7. 7
    Video
    Avatar of communityCommunity Picks·1y

    Introduction to shaders: Learn the basics!

    This post is an introductory guide to writing shader programs, focusing on creating 2D art and effects using fragment shaders. It explains the basics, such as what shaders are, why they run on the GPU instead of the CPU, and introduces fundamental concepts of GLSL (OpenGL Shader Language). The guide includes a detailed walkthrough of setting up shaders using JavaScript and p5.js, covering concepts like vertex and fragment shaders, vectors, parallel computing, and some practical examples of applying shaders to create visual effects, gradients, and image manipulations.

  8. 8
    Video
    Avatar of codemonkeyunityCode Monkey·1y

    Do you want to learn how to make Multiplayer games?

    Learn how to build a simple multiplayer game using Unity's net code for game objects, designed for small-scale co-op games. This free course provides the fundamentals needed to create games like Among Us and Stardew Valley, which you can expand upon for more complex projects.

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    Video
    Avatar of webdevcodyWeb Dev Cody·1y

    If you don''t write tests, you're NGMI

    Writing tests is crucial in software development to ensure new changes don't break existing functionality. The post walks through the process of using the v-test framework to write a test for a game, fixing a bug related to ammo management. It highlights setting up tests, writing expect statements, and the importance of maintaining small, manageable tests. Practical steps are provided to demonstrate test driven development in a game server scenario.

  10. 10
    Article
    Avatar of godotGodot·1y

    Godot C# packages move to .NET 8

    Godot 4.4 will now target .NET 8, updating from .NET 6 which ends support in November 2024. Existing Godot projects will be automatically upgraded to target .NET 8 when opened with Godot 4.4. Users are encouraged to upgrade to the latest version of Godot to benefit from the latest fixes and improvements.

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    Video
    Avatar of awegoAwesome Go·1y

    I made an online PS1 game and connected it to a PS4

    An individual explains their project of connecting a PS1 to a PS4 using a Raspberry Pi. The process involves using the Raspberry Pi's serial and LAN ports to facilitate communication between the PS1 and the PS4. The project aims to develop and run games on the PS1, and later translate that data to be playable on a PS4, using a combination of pyq SDK, modchips, and web apps. Despite facing technical challenges, the project showcases the functionality of playing a game across different devices.

  12. 12
    Video
    Avatar of gamefromscratchGamefromscratch·1y

    Better Coding in Godot

    A powerful add-on called Script IDE has been recommended for enhancing the GD script development experience in the Godot game engine. The add-on provides features similar to those found in Visual Studio Code, including tab management, quick search, and configurable hotkeys. It offers a more streamlined, efficient workflow for developers, and is customizable to suit different preferences. Users interested should install it via the asset library and can configure its settings as needed.

  13. 13
    Article
    Avatar of godotdevelopersGodot Developers·1y

    Modeling a car in Blender for Godot full process

    Learn the full process of modeling a car in Blender, importing it into Godot, and setting it up with the vehicle control node through a detailed video tutorial.

  14. 14
    Video
    Avatar of joshuamoronyJoshua Morony·1y

    This is why PROFILING is critical for high performance JavaScript

    The post details how the author used browser profiling tools to identify and fix performance issues in a JavaScript game. Techniques discussed include identifying slow frames, spotting memory leaks, and using flame graphs to trace problematic code. By spreading update actions over multiple frames and cleaning up particle emitter references, significant performance improvements were achieved.

  15. 15
    Video
    Avatar of stefanmischookStefan Mischook·1y

    Java vs C# in 2025 - Which One Would I Choose?

    The author prefers C# over Java due to its versatility. C# is seen as more flexible, especially in game development with Unity, web development using ASP.NET Core, and desktop applications on Windows. Java is strong in enterprise-level server-side applications but lacks the same level of versatility as C#, particularly in modern development scenarios. The author encourages developers to be language agnostic and choose the best tool for the task at hand.

  16. 16
    Article
    Avatar of game_developersGame Developers·1y

    Programming a game

    Inviting individuals to join in coding a game together. Collaboration spirit and interest in game development are encouraged.

  17. 17
    Video
    Avatar of threatinteractiveThreat Interactive·1y

    When Sony Made Optimized Realistic Graphics By Fixing UE4 | An Urgent Frame Analysis.

    The post explores Sony's technical approach to optimizing realistic graphics by modifying Unreal Engine 4, particularly focusing on 'Days Gone'. It analyzes the game's performance, use of global illumination, shader illusions, and unique handling of foliage rendering. The discussion includes how certain graphical techniques could potentially be improved upon using newer hardware and more efficient rendering processes. The goal is to highlight the overlooked advancements in 'Days Gone' and push for a broader industry adoption of similar optimization techniques.

  18. 18
    Video
    Avatar of thecodingslothThe Coding Sloth·1y

    Using "My" Programming Skills To Beat An Infinite Game

    The author attempts to use their programming skills and AI to automate a game called Infinite Craft, aiming to disprove its claim of being an infinite game. Despite various challenges and setbacks, including issues with debugging and optimizing the automation process, the author persists. They eventually create a working program but ultimately conclude that the game may indeed be infinite.

  19. 19
    Article
    Avatar of newstackThe New Stack·1y

    Introduction to Rust Programming Language

    Rust is a programming language known for its safety, speed, and concurrency. It uses a compile-time ownership system to ensure memory safety without a garbage collector. Critical features include zero-cost abstractions, fearless concurrency, and helpful error messages. Major tech companies like Microsoft and Meta use Rust to enhance performance and security. Rust's ecosystem includes tools like Cargo for package management and a rich community. It's widely used in web development, system programming, cryptography, and game development.

  20. 20
    Article
    Avatar of godotGodot·1y

    Dev snapshot: Godot 4.4 beta 1

    Godot 4.4 beta 1 marks the start of the feature freeze for the 4.4 release cycle, focused on fixing bugs and improving performance. New features include game window embedding, Apple Game Controller improvements, support for MetalFX upscaling on macOS and iOS, and enhanced shader and animation tools. The release also brings breaking changes in key areas like UID support and string handling. Developers are encouraged to test and report bugs to ensure a timely final release.

  21. 21
    Article
    Avatar of lobstersLobsters·1y

    Game dev in Rust, a year later

    A year after the initial insights on game development in Rust, several major projects have abandoned Rust due to restrictive ownership and compile times. The Rend3 graphics stack was also abandoned and is now maintained as rend3-hp. Performance issues persist with the current graphics stack, which struggles to utilize more than 25% GPU load with an NVidia 3070. Maintaining 3D rendering in Rust requires significant effort, coping with rapid crate updates and a lack of spatial computation in rendering. Bevy offers an alternative but sacrifices Rust ownership for a dynamic ECS system.

  22. 22
    Video
    Avatar of lowlevelgamedevLow Level Game Dev·1y

    5 things I wish I knew before starting C++ Game Dev!

    Learn valuable tips for starting game development with C++, including searching for good teachers on YouTube, keeping things simple by avoiding complex C++ features, and using libraries like Raylib or SFML to help with graphical development. Understand the importance of seeking harder projects to grow your skills and get recommended resources to make your first C++ game.

  23. 23
    Video
    Avatar of webdevcodyWeb Dev Cody·1y

    The most interesting data structure I've learned

    Spatial grids are used in games to divide a map into smaller cells, allowing efficient collision detection. Recently, the author refactored their spatial grid to a quad tree, which partitions objects more efficiently in 2D space. A quad tree splits a region into four quadrants once a capacity limit is reached, improving performance by only checking relevant cells for collisions. This data structure is particularly useful for efficiently querying large sets of objects in games, databases, and more.

  24. 24
    Video
    Avatar of thevimeagenTheVimeagen·1y

    Building A Project With Devin

    The post discusses the development of a platformer game called Caleb, which utilizes Vim for its primary controls. The author highlights difficulties in developing a level editor and fixing bugs. To address these issues, the author collaborates with an AI assistant named Devon, racing to see if AI can reliably fix bugs while the author focuses on developing new features. The post explores the potential of using AI to improve software development workflows.

  25. 25
    Article
    Avatar of awelixAwesome Elixir·1y

    Building a World of Warcraft server in Elixir: 2024 Update

    Thistle Tea is a World of Warcraft private server project developed in Elixir, documenting its progress since June 2024. Key advancements include pathfinding with namigator, mob behaviors, combat mechanics, optimizations using spatial hashing, and a web interface with Phoenix. Future plans focus on expanding functionality and refining existing implementations. Contributors are welcome to join the project via Discord.