Introduction

Hi there! 👋

I’m SylarAtomic - Welcome to my dev blog! I’ve been a developer professionally for 3+ years. Back in 2019, when I started my first job, I worked as a game developer creating HTML5 games using JavaScript and Pixi.js. This was my first introduction into the world of creating games. After working for that company for 2 years, I moved to my current company, which focuses more on 3D architecture. I’ve worked here as a developer creating 3D webpages to help our clients sell apartments and houses.

Back in the day

Ever since I got my first computer, I've been interested in finding out how things worked. This didn’t always please my parents when they came home to find that I had taken my first computer apart, but I always managed to put it all back together, and it still worked, so that was good news!

As I got older, I continued to be curious and when it came time to choose a degree to study, I went with a BSc Computing. I wouldn’t say a degree is completely necessary to develop games, but as I’ve found in the software field, it's one of those things that isn't needed until it's needed. When you have a degree, no one asks for it; when you don’t, everyone wants one. Ultimately, I am glad I got my degree first.

Full Game Dev Mode

At the beginning of 2022, I decided that I wanted to move my career back towards game development: this time towards PC / Mobile games. Since then, I have been using my free time and weekends to improve my craft and learn as much as possible about game dev. From Youtube, podcasts, books and even Udemy courses, I have been throwing myself into the world of game dev. My goal is to become a game developer. Some could argue that I am already a game developer, but until I’m getting paid to do this, I don’t consider my goal as completed.

I know I will achieve this goal, as I have the sheer determination to get what I set my mind on. It will be a lot of hard work and many late nights, sacrificing free time but ultimately, if I have to wake up and do something in order to pay the bills, I might as well do something I enjoy!

I want to create games that are fun and that people will remember for years to come. Any gamer can answer the question, "what was one of your all time favourite games?" I want one of the games I’ve worked on to be the answer to that question.

Game Engine

My game engine of choice is Unreal Engine. I chose Unreal because of my previous C++ experience from university. This blog will primarily be focused on Unreal Engine (sorry Unity Users). Nothing against Unity; I have used it previously but I had stronger skills with C++, so I ultimately decided against it.

You don’t need to know C++ to learn Unreal Engine. They have made it really easy to use without any C++ knowledge as you can use their visual script system called “Blueprint”.

For now, all I’ll say is that blueprints are fantastic and I have used them a bunch in the games I’ve created.

So far, I’ve created three games in Unreal Engine: one in Unreal 4, and two in Unreal 5. I even competed in my first game jam! (That was hectic).

The game jam was a great learning experience and I would highly recommend trying one out even if you are on your own. What you can do is choose a game jam, do it along with everyone else and only sign up if you completed a game. This way, you aren’t under any stress of getting it finished if other events pop up.

Getting Started

After choosing a game engine, my next step was to start learning. Off to Udemy I went! (You could also use YouTube tutorials). If you are looking to get into Unreal Engine and want to follow some courses on Udemy, I would highly recommend Game Dev Tv courses. Game Dev Tv has multiple courses that cover a wide range of game types and styles. What I especially like about these courses is that you are building games while you learn. They take you through the process of building your own game step by step. These are the courses that I have done:

• Unreal Engine Blueprint Game Developer (Good starting point)
• Unreal Engine 5 C++ Developer: Learn C++ & Make Video Games
• Unreal C++ Multiplayer Master: Intermediate Game Development (Optional)

Podcasts are another great medium to learn about game dev. I have mostly been following these podcasts:

• Game Dev Field Guide
• Game Dev Advice: The Game Developer’s Podcast

What has worked best for me so far has been consistency. I have found doing a little bit of game dev everyday has helped me to continue to move forward.

Ultimately, if you are on the fence about getting into game dev, the biggest mistake you can make right now is not starting.

I’ll be using this blog to share my journey as well as give advice and write guides to help others along. Stick around and let's learn new things together!