Best of Game Development — November 2025

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    Video
    Avatar of lowlevelgamedevLow Level Game Dev·24w

    How to learn C++

    A developer with 10 years of C++ experience shares learning advice: skip expensive courses for free tutorials, focus on building projects rather than just learning syntax, and write simple, practical code instead of using complex language features. The author advocates learning through progressively challenging projects, avoiding over-engineering with templates and OOP, and emphasizes that knowing the language isn't the same as knowing how to code effectively.

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    Article
    Avatar of game_designingGame Designing·27w

    The Future of Pixel Art in Games: Retro Style Meets Modern Tools

    Pixel art continues to thrive in modern game development, driven primarily by indie developers who leverage it for budget efficiency and nostalgic appeal. Modern tools now enable artists to enhance classic pixel aesthetics with advanced effects like high-resolution layering, lighting systems, and physics-based sprites. The pixel game market is projected to grow 11.5% until 2031, as developers balance retro visual style with contemporary technology to create accessible, less computer-intensive games that appeal to both mobile and traditional gaming audiences.

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    Video
    Avatar of galaxies_devSimon Grimm·23w

    I Built a Mobile Farming Game in 6 Days (with AI + Expo)

    A developer shares their experience building a mobile farming game in six days using React Native, Expo, and AI tools. The workflow involved using ChatGPT for planning, Cursor for coding, and various AI models for different tasks. Key learnings include leveraging Expo Application Services (EAS) for automated builds and deployments, the challenges of game design versus development, and the limitations of AI when debugging complex state management issues. The developer emphasizes that while AI dramatically accelerated development, understanding the underlying technology remains essential for solving critical bugs.

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    Video
    Avatar of blackthornprodBlackthornprod·25w

    5 DEVS Make SILKSONG without COMMUNICATING!

    Five game developers independently create a Hollow Knight-inspired game in seven days without communication. Each developer contributes their specialty: hand-drawn 2D art and animations for the character Sherma and boss enemies, Unity programming for player controls and physics, music composition and audio implementation, sound effects and level design. The project demonstrates collaborative game development workflow, covering character animation, boss mechanics, parallax environments, shader programming, particle systems, and audio integration using Unity's input system and Cinemachine.

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    Article
    Avatar of ghblogGitHub Blog·27w

    GitHub Game Off 2025 theme announcement

    GitHub's annual Game Off game jam returns for its 13th year with the theme 'WAVES'. Participants have until December 1, 2025 to create and submit games inspired by the theme using any programming language or game engine. Games must be stored in a public GitHub repository, and submissions will be evaluated across six categories including gameplay, graphics, and theme interpretation. Voting runs through January 8, 2026, with winners announced on January 10. The event welcomes developers of all skill levels, from beginners to veterans, working solo or in teams.

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    Article
    Avatar of 80lv80 LEVEL·26w

    How Coding Sim The Farmer Was Replaced Reached 39,000% Revenue Rise

    The Farmer Was Replaced, a programming farming simulator using a Python-like language, achieved a 39,000% revenue increase from early access to full release, selling over 400,000 copies and generating $1.65 million in the first 30 days. The success came from rebuilding the Steam page to emphasize programming aspects, adding 11 languages with full localization, improving game polish, and executing targeted marketing including influencer outreach to 10,000 creators, viral Reddit posts, and expansion into Chinese social media platforms like RedNote, which grew China's market share from 0.3% to 20%.

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    Video
    Avatar of jonastyrollerJonas Tyroller·25w

    This Young Solo Dev Built a Steam Hit in 4 Months

    Solo developer Zoro Arts shares how he built Pedal Pedal Pedal, a viral co-op game that sold 120,000+ units, in just 4 months while studying at university. Working only 3 hours daily, he created a demo in 2 weeks that gained massive social media traction. The conversation covers his journey from his first commercial game Maky's Adventure, learning Unity networking with Photon, dealing with feature creep, working with publisher Assemble Entertainment, and his philosophy of making fun games quickly rather than spending years on single projects. He emphasizes gameplay over graphics, rapid prototyping, and using social media feedback to validate ideas early.

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    Article
    Avatar of collectionsCollections·24w

    Megabonk Developer Withdraws from The Game Awards Over Indie Qualification Concerns

    Vedinad withdrew Megabonk from The Game Awards' Best Debut Indie Game category after clarification that it wasn't their first game, having previously released titles under different studio names. The withdrawal highlights ongoing industry debates about what qualifies as an 'indie' game, with similar controversies involving nominees like Dave the Diver (developed by a Nexon subsidiary). The Game Awards organizer Geoff Keighley acknowledged the withdrawal and the need for clearer guidelines on indie game qualifications in award frameworks.

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    Article
    Avatar of codropsCodrops·25w

    Blood Sugar Battler: Building a Real Game as a Designer using AI

    A designer shares their three-month journey building Blood Sugar Battler, a diabetes education game, using AI tools like Lovable.dev to handle coding while maintaining creative control. The article details the complete process: designing pixel art in Aseprite, implementing game mechanics (combo systems, power-ups, blood sugar tracking), solving mobile browser audio challenges, and optimizing performance with sprite sheets. Key lessons include the importance of clear AI prompts, GitHub integration from the start, mobile viewport handling, and understanding that AI translates intent into code but cannot make creative decisions or replace critical thinking.

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    Article
    Avatar of gamedeveloperGame Developer·25w

    Take Two CEO: Rockstar chasing 'perfection' with GTA VI

    Grand Theft Auto VI has been delayed to November 2026, marking a 13-year gap since GTA V. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick attributes the delay to Rockstar's pursuit of perfection, emphasizing the studio's culture of performance and excellence. The announcement came alongside strong Q2 financial results, with Take-Two recording $1.96 billion in net bookings. GTA V continues to perform well with over 220 million lifetime sales, and the company expects GTA VI to deliver record-breaking results when it launches.

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    Article
    Avatar of game_designingGame Designing·23w

    What is Min Maxing in Games: The Virtues of a Game Strategy

    Min-maxing is a game strategy where players minimize weaknesses and maximize strengths by optimizing character stats, builds, and abilities. Originating from tabletop RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons, this approach has evolved across video game genres including RPGs, MOBAs, and shooters. Players use spreadsheets, calculators, and community forums to find optimal builds, creating an ongoing dynamic between developers who balance systems and players who find new optimization strategies. While some view it as obsessive number-crunching, others see it as strategic mastery and deep engagement with game mechanics.

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    Article
    Avatar of twostopbitsTwo Stop Bits·24w

    The '80s and '90s PC games unbelievably still being updated today

    A curated list of PC games from the 1980s and 1990s that continue to receive active development updates decades after their initial release. Featured titles include Klondike (1984), NetHack (1987), GemStone IV (1988), Kingdom of Drakkar (1989), Genesis (1989), UnReal World (1992), Meridian 59 (1996), Furcadia (1996), Ultima Online (1997), Utopia (1998), and Age of Empires 2 (1999). Many are text-based MUDs or early MMORPGs maintained by original creators or dedicated volunteer communities, with some transitioning from text to graphics over time. Several remain subscription-based or have active player communities, demonstrating remarkable longevity through continuous updates, new content, and platform migrations including Steam releases and mobile versions.

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    Article
    Avatar of godotGodot·25w

    Dev snapshot: Godot 3.7 dev 1 – Godot Engine

    Godot 3.7 dev 1 snapshot introduces significant improvements including rewritten 3D physics interpolation, blob shadows for mobile optimization, mutable audio drivers to reduce CPU usage, and core optimizations for faster object casting and data structures. The release includes 130 fixes from 44 contributors, with features like glow map effects, improved TileSet visibility, and better Xbox controller support on Android.

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    Article
    Avatar of 80lv80 LEVEL·26w

    Waterworld Meets Frostpunk In This City-Building Survival Sim

    Drownlight is an upcoming city-building survival game where players manage a settlement around a lighthouse in a flooded post-apocalyptic world. The game features resource management, difficult moral choices, and the challenge of keeping the lighthouse operational as the last beacon of civilization. Players must balance expansion with survival while welcoming drifters and uncovering secrets in the surrounding waters.

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    Article
    Avatar of 80lv80 LEVEL·26w

    Unty Launched Web-Based No-Code 3D Editor

    Unity Studio is a new web-based, no-code 3D editor that enables teams to create and share interactive 3D projects without coding or software installation. It supports importing 3D assets and CAD files, with use cases including training applications, HMIs, animations, and product configurators. Currently in free beta, it will integrate with the Unity ecosystem upon full release.

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    Article
    Avatar of 80lv80 LEVEL·26w

    Tiny Glade-Like 3D Diorama Builder Is Out

    Outside the Blocks, a modular 3D diorama builder by former Dying Light artist Michał Kubas, has been released on Steam. The tool allows users to create 3D architectural scenes without traditional 3D modeling software knowledge, featuring an autobuild system, animated characters, customizable materials, and an advanced layer system. Users can add finishing touches like epoxy resin water effects and display creations under glass domes.

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    Article
    Avatar of jetbrainsJetBrains·25w

    Rider 2025.3: Day-One Support for .NET 10 and C# 14, a New Default UI, and Faster Startup

    Rider 2025.3 launches with same-day support for .NET 10 SDK and complete C# 14 implementation, including extension members, extension operators, and user-defined compound assignment operators. The release introduces the Islands theme as the new default UI, delivers up to 20% faster startup times for Unreal Engine projects, and integrates ASP.NET and database monitoring into a unified tool window. Game developers gain enhanced debugging capabilities for Unity IL code, Unreal Engine Android builds with constexpr debugging, and improved Godot integration with scene-specific debugging and GDExtension templates. Additional improvements include Perforce MCP server support and syntax highlighting for inactive preprocessor branches.

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    Article
    Avatar of 80lv80 LEVEL·26w

    Magical Balatro-Like Card Effects & Animation Made with Blender

    Mingwei 'CMZW' Lim created Balatro-inspired 3D playing cards with holographic effects and destruction/conjuration animations using Blender. The project showcases advanced shader work and visual effects, with the card shaders available for free on the creator's Ko-Fi page. The work demonstrates Blender's capabilities for creating game-style visual effects and continues the artist's collection of creative 3D card effects.

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    Article
    Avatar of game_designingGame Designing·25w

    Toby Fox and the Making of ‘Undertale’

    Toby Fox created Undertale, a critically acclaimed indie RPG inspired by Earthbound, largely by himself. Starting with RPG Maker 2000 as a kid, Fox developed a unique battle system where players can spare or kill enemies. After raising over $50,000 on Kickstarter in 2013, he handled writing, design, and music composition, though the project exceeded its summer 2014 deadline. Released in September 2015, Undertale achieved 96% positive Steam reviews, sold over 6 million units, and grossed roughly $30 million, becoming one of the most influential indie games.

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    Article
    Avatar of 80lv80 LEVEL·23w

    Schedule I Could've Been a Farming Sim If Steam Refused to Platform It

    Schedule I, 2025's second-most played indie game, nearly became a farming simulator. Developer Tyler had a backup plan to strip all drug-related content and pivot to farming if Steam rejected the game. The platform approved it, though Australia temporarily blocked it due to missing age ratings. Despite commercial success, the game received no nominations at The Game Awards 2025.

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    Article
    Avatar of 80lv80 LEVEL·26w

    Low Morale, Falling Stocks, GTA VI Delay: What's Going On at Rockstar?

    Rockstar Games faces controversy after laying off 30-40 employees, allegedly for unionization efforts, though the company claims it was for leaking confidential information. The Independent Workers' Union disputes this, stating the private Discord group only discussed working conditions. GTA VI's delay to November 2026 and an 18% stock drop followed the layoffs. An anonymous Rockstar developer revealed that fired workers included veterans across multiple roles, all union members, many from organizing committees. The developer reports morale is at rock bottom, with remaining union members working in fear of similar termination.

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