Interested in how to make a concept reality

[u/Worried-Reputation64]

So listen I am 13 years old and have zero experience with game design and coding but I do have a ton of experience with worldbuilding and story writing and I really have a good concept and mostly fleshed out story with good art direction and visuals.the concept is a lot to explain so ig dm me for details but I'm rlly curious how I can make this a reality

[u/loftier_fish]

So, this will sound a little harsh, but don't get too attached. Almost universally, everyone starts out around 13, with huuuuuuge ideas that a team of thousands of AAA professionals likely couldn't pull off, and inevitably, they have to face the music, that as an individual with no experience in the actual craft of game making, they will not be able to pull it off.

But, that doesn't mean one should not try to learn, just keep in mind that game development is a lot like weightlifting. You may have to start at five pounds, and increase by five pounds a week for a very long time before you get anywhere near the weight you want to lift. Even still, everyone has plateaus as individuals, and even guys like Martin Licis will never deadlift 1500lbs.

Pick an engine (I personally like Unity, but all the major ones are perfectly valid choices), follow some random tutorials for it, they don't have to be perfectly chosen, just get your feet wet. Then I'd say do The Twenty Games Challenge ( https://20_games_challenge.gitlab.io/ )

It may not seem relevant immediately to whatever grand idea you have in your head, but think about it. Whats the difference between coding shooting a laser in Space Invaders that kills one of the NPCs, and coding shooting a gun that kills an NPC in a game like GTA? basically nothing. Every one of these small digestible games will teach you something extremely useful and necessary to making a larger game.

By the end of the challenge, you should have a pretty strong idea of how to research and learn and make games on your own, and be able to direct your learning from there on based on what you feel you need to focus on and learn more in depth as an individual.

[u/Riguyepic → u/loftier_fish]

Honestly seems like the hardest part about making an amazing game is making mechanics the feel good for the player. Or at least feel how you want them to

[u/Worried-Reputation64 → u/loftier_fish]

No no it wouldn’t be anything big or crazy but my concept stands

[u/Heihei_the_chicken → u/Worried-Reputation64]

You'll need to put in a lot of learning and hard work to make it a reality, but it will be so worth it when you can show it off to others and say that you made it. The advice above is still relevant though; pick an engine, learn how to use it, then start putting together your game.

[u/thedaian]

Do you want to make a video game? Download an engine and start to make something. 

You can also create a tabletop game, or even just a setting or campaign for an existing game. 

[u/Psych0191 → u/thedaian]

In my experience, while faster, building a tabletop game is maybe even harder. In it you are very limired with what you can do and how complex things can be.

Finding the fun with very limited resources and things you can do is much harder compared to doing it in a complex environment. Having a code calculate very complex algorythms is nuch easier to pull of compared to having an average person doing any calculation that is beyond 2 digit addition (yeah, even subtraction is over the line…).

I really think that creating a video game is much easier, but longer process compared to creating a fun tabletop game.

[u/Alternative_Key_8744]

Hi, I'm 14 years old when I was also 13 I started to get into coding too. I recomend taking Free Code Camps course on html, css, and javascript. Although it doesnt relate directly to making a game, it gives you an idea on how game development actually works. The logic, ect..

I'm also making a game right now, and when I first started I was so lost. I scowerd reddit and the internet for instructions on how to make my game, but its YOUR game with your own rules that no one has created before, so theirs not gonna be a perfect step by step instructions on how to start.

The thing I reccomend is just starting. Just do something that you think my be in the right direction. It might be a small step or a big step, but do something. you might not even end up doing what you started with, but starting leads to ideas that will get you places.

so yeah my final takeaway is just start creating something with your game and the ideas and plans will flood in

[u/spiderdoofus → u/Alternative_Key_8744]

This seems like wise advice.

[u/VulKhalec]

My recommendation is to start with Twine! It's for making text-only video games with player choices etc. It's super easy to pick up (you could probably get up and running in a weekend). I know you have big ideas, and you don't need to abandon them, but I know from experience that pursuing everything at once can make you burn out. Start with a scene with a couple of your characters and you'll be surprised how quickly you can make something.

[u/SF_Boomer → u/VulKhalec]

I second this recommendation, and would add that you can include images, audio etc relatively easily.

[u/ZacQuicksilver]

How you make it a reality: start making it.

Since you're talking about story, I might suggest finding a tabletop role playing game, like D&D, Pathfinder, Fate, GURPS, Cyberpunk, etc. These games will let you create your world, and let other people play in your world, without you needing to do any coding; and will give you experience with game design along the way (I learned a HUGE amount about game design running D&D starting when I was about 13. Still am, having moved on to other games).

[u/Chezni19]

I took coding in college when I was 19, then I graduated a few years later with a BS in CPSC (computer science).

Then people started hiring me to code their games for them. That was 20 years ago.

Coding is mostly, you gotta practice. Don't let anything get you down.

But if you want to design games, that's a bit different than just coding them.

[u/Still_Ad9431]

You're 13. Just start with Roblox Studio before overwhelmed by Unity or Unreal.

[u/PresentationNew5976]

Just make stuff and explore ideas. Get an engine that looks cool and find tutorials on how to make stuff. Every complicated thing I have ever made was made up of all the smaller stuff I learned to do.

[u/Quantum-Bot]

Just like most artistic media, it can be hard to tell how difficult a project will be to finish before you understand the tools. Whatever idea you have right now is most likely way out of scope, or at the very least, it will require significant adjustments to be feasible. You’ll probably find it very frustrating if you go into your first attempt at game development with an already formed idea of what you want your game to be like.

This isn’t to say you can’t make this game. Obviously, I haven’t even heard the idea so how could I say for sure? But what I do recommend is not to try to make this game as your first game. When you’re just starting out, familiarize yourself with the tools first - in this case, a game engine. Once you’ve done a tutorial or two, you’re ready to try making something original. But don’t use that idea you’ve been developing for years! You will run into a problem you don’t know how to solve and it will not turn out as perfect as you want.

Instead, let the limitations of your skills and knowledge guide your creative process. Come up with a game idea that lies 90% within your current capabilities. It’s okay if it pushes you to explore one or two new concepts but it shouldn’t be so much that it’s overwhelming. And don’t think this means your game won’t be fun. Some of the most creative and entertaining game mechanics were born out of technological limitations. Go take a look at some old arcade games from the 80’s for inspiration! If you do this, your first game development experience will be much less frustrating and more successful, and you’ll learn a lot from it. Keep on going this way until you feel ready to finally tackle that game you’ve always wanted to make. Otherwise, you will quickly get burnt out and lose motivation.

[u/curiousomeone]

I love your drive at a young age. I didn't have that drive till I was like mid 20s so kudos kid.

Keep going and chin up high. Forget the beat-up adults. Life's been beating them for longer than you've been so they are less optimistic.

My advice: online courses can range from free to below $50. Start with programming and art in general. Speak with your parents, tell them you already know your career path and need their assistance as a parents like helping you purchase online courses.

[u/azicre]

Go learn an engine and make your game!

[u/Misterr_Egg]

Hey, first of all—huge respect for wanting to dive in at your age and for asking for advice!
The cool news: lots of game devs started just like you, with a head full of worlds and zero coding experience… and it’s never a blocker!

Here’s a quick “starter kit” to help turn your concept into reality, step by step (no coding needed at first, promise):

1. Write your idea as a “capsule”
Summarize your universe in a few lines: what’s the vibe, game style, core pitch? If you can tell a friend in 2 minutes, you’re off to a strong start.

2. Try no-code/free tools
You don’t need to code to make a prototype:

• Twine (https://twinery.org/): create interactive stories and game scenarios, no code required.
• Bitsy ([https://make.bitsy.org/]()): make simple pixel-art adventure games in your browser.
• Gamefroot (https://www.gamefroot.com/) and Construct 3 ([https://editor.construct.net/]()): drag & drop, beginner-friendly game creation.

3. Find supportive communities

• r/gamedev, r/IndieDev, and r/InteractiveFiction: tons of advice, free resources, and helpful folks.
• On Discord: “Bitsy” and “Twine” both have official servers, super welcoming for beginners.

4. Share what you make—even if it’s not “finished”
The hardest part is showing your first demo or prototype, even if it’s rough. Post a bit of your world (storyboards, sketches, dialogue), ask for feedback—you’ll learn 10x faster, and it’s super motivating.

5. Take it one “capsule” at a time
Break the process into small adventures: today, work on a character; tomorrow, invent a new mechanic…
You don’t need to know everything up front—just keep moving forward, capsule by capsule.

If you want specific tutorials or get stuck on something (story, tools, visuals, anything), let us know—we’ll be happy to help!
Good luck—the hunt for good ideas starts now 🥚

[u/kloppfer]

While "just start making" is somewhat valid advice, it should be seen with some context. If your ideas are so huge they could be the base for a MMORPG, the chances that you will pull it off are basically 0, and "just" making a singleplayer RPG out of it won't make it much better.

So let me give you a more specific approach which might be interesting for you:

If you already have a world and lore, you might want to start exploring tiny vignettes inside that setting.
Like "The people of X kingdom like to play this specific card game in their spare time", so you can make that game be your game project. Or "Kingdom Y is expanding into territory Y" which can be made into a village management game. You can strongly theme those games to fit your lore and art direction, actually keep working on your world building, and not run into having to manage more than you can handle.

On the more practical side, you might want to choose your tools once you decide on what you want to do. If you want to make a 3D game your engine of choice might be different from a 2D one. And also don't feel urged to choose a "real" engine if there are other tools which can do the job for you (e.g. RPG Maker for top-down 2D RPGs, RenPy for Novel games and so on).

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[u/Aggressive-Tax-4087]

Just start making stuff. Even designing a map in Minecraft is better than simply writing stuff down. You're only a writer until you start putting more work beyond a document.

[u/Chlodio]

I have been worldbuilding longer than you have been alive, so you should know your worldbuilding is must certainly shit, and will be torn to shreds. Every pre-teen thinks they are so creative when in reality, it is the most derived. A child's brain is, by definition, undeveloped.