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TLDR I'm excited to announce the launch of CodeMade Games, a new website dedicated to fun, casual games that you can play in your browser 🎉
My game development journey
Since I started playing videogames in my childhood, I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of creating my own games. Building games takes a lot of time and effort, but it’s also incredibly rewarding.
I had somewhat of a failed start many, many years ago when I tried to build a platformer game in C++. While I did get some traction initially, with a nice prototype and some basic game mechanics, I eventually lost interest and moved on to other projects. One of the main reasons for this was that I have no artistic skills whatsoever, and the little art I could produce would take many long hours to create.
A new beginning
Fast forward to a few weeks ago, when I wanted a break from my usual backend development work and decided to play around with the :has CSS selector.
I ended up building a simple minesweeper clone - and had a lot of fun doing it!
After comprehensively testing the game on my couch, on my way to work, and during my lunch breaks, I decided that it was time to release it to the world. And so, CodeMade Games was born!
My core game development principles
It’s been almost 15 years since I last worked on a game, and I’ve learned a lot since then. Here are some of the core principles that I’m following with CodeMade Games:
- Do less: Like, way less. No fancy graphics, no complex mechanics. Art was always my biggest blocker, so I’m focusing on simple, available assets. Emojis are a great way to add some personality to the games without spending hours on art! 🔥
- Build for the web: I want my games to be accessible to everyone, so I’m building them to be played in the browser. Mobile is also a priority, mostly because I want to be able to play them on my phone!
- Respect the user: Games should be fun, not annoying. With most game companies trying to manipulate their users into spending more time and money, I want to take a different approach. No ads, no invasive tracking, no dark patterns. Have your 10 minutes of fun and then go back to your life!
- Learn something: Writing games is my way to relax and have fun, but I also want to learn new things. Whether it’s a new CSS trick, a new JavaScript feature, or a new game design pattern, I want to keep pushing myself to learn and improve.
What’s next?
I’m working on a few new games that I’m excited to share with you soon.
I’m also planning to write more about my game development journey, the tools I’m using, and the lessons I’m learning along the way.
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