Level 1 - Game Design

[ahmedidris]

Tried working on a helicopter model today. I was adding colours to different parts and learning how each piece fits together. It was interesting to see it come together step by step. Still practising and getting better at using the tools.

[ahmedidris]

Today I worked on building a 3D scene and adding materials to the chair and background. I tried different angles and lighting to see what looks better. Still practising and learning new things

[ahmedidris]

Milestone 4: Development

Resources Looked into for assets:

turbosquid.com

Maya Free 3D Models - .ma .mb download - Page 2 - Free3D

Maya-3d-model 3D models - Sketchfab

Print Screen of me working on asset in Substance:

Print Screen of Finished Testured Item:

What I did:

[ahmedidris]

Video: Part 2

What I learned from this video:

[ahmedidris]

What I Learned from this video:

[ahmedidris]

Tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZieJcA5vf0

What I learned from this video:

What I learned from this video

This video helped me understand how Substance Painter is used to add textures and details to 3D models. I learned how materials and layers make models look more realistic and professional, especially in game design.

[ahmedidris]

Learning Maya – Milestone 2 (Tools & Skills)

Today I started learning Autodesk Maya as part of Milestone 2, focusing on understanding the core tools needed for 3D game asset creation. Since Unreal Engine isn’t available to use both in college and at home, Maya is the software I’ll be using instead.

The tutorial began by introducing the Maya interface, including the viewport, toolbars, outliner, and channel box. I learned how important it is to understand navigation early on, such as orbiting, panning, and zooming around the scene to work efficiently in 3D space.

I then learned about basic modelling tools, including creating primitive shapes like cubes, spheres, and cylinders. The tutorial explained how these simple shapes are the foundation of most 3D models. I also explored object mode vs component mode, allowing me to edit faces, edges, and vertices to change the shape of an object.

Another key skill I learned was transforming objects using move, rotate, and scale tools. These tools are essential for positioning assets correctly within a scene. The tutorial also introduced the grid and snapping tools, which help keep models aligned and accurate.

The video also covered an introduction to materials and lighting, showing how basic shaders and lights can dramatically improve how a model looks. This helped me understand how lighting affects mood and visibility in a 3D environment, which is important for game design.

Overall, this tutorial helped me build confidence using Maya and understand how its tools will support my future work in creating 3D assets for games. I can see how these skills link directly to the unit and will be useful in later milestones.

[ahmedidris]

Tumblr Post 3

Game Idea: “Echo Journal”

Concept:

A story-driven game where the player discovers diary entries left behind in different locations. Each entry changes the environment and reveals parts of the story.

Genre:

Narrative Adventure

Gameplay:

• Explore environments

• Collect diary entries

• Environmental changes based on story progress

• Choice-based outcomes

Why it’s interesting:

The player uncovers the story at their own pace, encouraging exploration and emotional engagement.

[ahmedidris]

Tumblr Post 2

Game Idea: “Paint the World”

Concept:

A platformer where the world starts colourless. As the player moves, jumps, and solves puzzles, colour spreads across the environment, unlocking new paths and abilities.

Genre:

Platformer / Puzzle

Gameplay:

• Movement creates colour

• Different colours unlock different mechanics

• Environmental puzzles

• Relaxing, creative gameplay

Why it’s interesting:

The game links player movement directly to world-building, making exploration feel rewarding and visually satisfying.

[ahmedidris]

Part 1: Three Tumblr Posts – Game Design Ideas

Tumblr Post 1

Game Idea: “Last Signal”

Concept:

A survival puzzle game where the player is the last radio operator in a flooded city. Using radio signals, the player communicates with survivors and guides them to safety without ever seeing them.

Genre:

Puzzle / Narrative

Gameplay:

• Communicate only through radio messages

• Interpret incomplete or unclear information

• Make time-based decisions

• Multiple endings depending on who you save

Why it’s interesting:

The game focuses on tension and imagination rather than visuals, making players emotionally involved through sound and choice.

[ahmedidris]

Game Design Document (First Version)

Game Name

Echoes of Tomorrow

Concept Summary

Echoes of Tomorrow is a single-player narrative adventure game where the player explores a broken future city and uncovers memories left behind by its former inhabitants. Through exploration, puzzle-solving, and light decision-making, the player pieces together what caused the world to collapse and how their choices affect the ending.

Target Audience

• Age: 13–25

• Players who enjoy story-driven games

• Fans of exploration, puzzles, and emotional narratives

• Casual to mid-core gamers

⸻

Genre and Gameplay Features

Genre:

• Narrative Adventure

• Puzzle / Exploration

Gameplay Features:

• First-person exploration

• Environmental puzzles

• Collectable memory fragments (audio/text logs)

• Choice-based dialogue that affects the story ending

• No combat (focus on story and atmosphere)

Mood Board, Mind Map, and Storyboard

Mood Board (description):

• Abandoned futuristic cities

• Soft neon lights and fog

• Calm but emotional atmosphere

• Themes of loneliness, hope, and discovery

Mind Map (description):

• Core idea: Memory and consequences

• Branches: Environment, Story, Player Choices, Visual Style

• Connections between player actions and story outcomes

Storyboard (description):

1. Player wakes up in an abandoned city

2. Finds the first memory fragment

3. Solves puzzles to access new areas

4. Learns about the past through memories

5. Final choice determines the ending

Platform(s)

• PC (Windows)

• Potential future release on consoles (PlayStation / Xbox)

Visual Style and Inspiration

• Semi-realistic 3D visuals

• Muted colour palette with neon highlights

• Inspired by games such as Firewatch, Life is Strange, and The Stanley Parable

• Cinematic lighting and minimal HUD

Justification of Design Choices

• Narrative focus allows players to emotionally connect with the story

• No combat keeps the experience accessible and story-driven

• Puzzle-based gameplay encourages exploration and critical thinking

• Visual style supports the mood and theme of memory and loss

• PC platform is suitable for indie development and student projects

[ahmedidris]

Tutorial Completed

■ Picture of Tutorial

■ Title of Tutorial / Resource Used

■ Link to Tutorial

https://example.com/tutorial-link

■ Why I Completed This Tutorial

I chose to do this tutorial because I wanted to deepen my skills and try something new. It seemed approachable, useful, and relevant to what I’m currently learning, so it felt like the perfect next step.

■ What I Learned From It

This tutorial taught me new techniques, gave me clearer insight into the workflow, and helped strengthen my understanding of the overall process. I walked away feeling more confident and equipped to apply these skills in future projects.

[ahmedidris]

Tumblr Post 2: Blender

Name of Tool: Blender

What It's Used For: Blender is a free and open-source 3D creation suite. It supports the entirety of the 3D pipeline—modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing and motion tracking, even video editing and game creation.

Example of How It's Used:

• Creating 3D models and environments

• Animating characters and objects

• Rendering scenes for promotional materials

• Simulating physics and effects

Screenshot: [ of the Blender interface, showcasing a 3D model]

Game That Likely Used This Tool: Many indie games use Blender for 3D modeling and animation due to its accessibility and powerful features.

Why I'd Like to Use It: It's free and incredibly powerful. The sculpting tools are top-notch, and the fact that it can handle everything from modeling to rendering is a huge plus.

3: Aseprite

Name of Tool: Aseprite

What It's Used For: Aseprite is a pixel art editor used for creating animated sprites, tiles, and other 2D graphics for games.

Example of How It's Used:

• Designing character sprites

• Creating environment tilesets

• Animating game elements

• Exporting sprite sheets

Game That Likely Used This Tool: Undertale, Celeste

Why I'd Like to Use It: Aseprite is perfect for pixel art. Its animation tools are intuitive, and it’s designed specifically for the kind of work you do in retro-style game development.

[ahmedidris]

Post 1: Unity

Name of Tool: Unity

What It's Used For: Unity is a versatile game engine used for creating 2D and 3D games, simulations, and other interactive experiences.

Example of How It's Used:

• Creating game environments

• Scripting game logic

• Designing user interfaces

• Implementing physics and animations.

Game That Likely Used This Tool: Pokémon GO, Hollow Knight, Among Us

Why I'd Like to Use It: Unity is great because it’s super flexible and has a massive asset store. Plus, the community support is incredible, which is a lifesaver when you’re stuck on a problem!

[ahmedidris]

Game Dev Journey: Picking My First Engine! 🎮✨

Hey everyone! 👋 Been diving deep into some research lately, trying to figure out which game development tool I want to learn first for my game-making adventures. It's a big decision, so I looked into three popular options: Unreal Engine, Pygame, and GameMaker. Here's what I found and where I'm leaning!

1. Unreal Engine:

• What it is: A powerhouse, industry-standard engine known for stunning 3D graphics and realistic visuals. Think AAA games!

• Pros: Incredibly powerful, visual scripting (Blueprint) makes it accessible without constant coding, massive community, free to start.

• Cons: Super steep learning curve, very resource-intensive on your computer, feels a bit like bringing a bazooka to a knife fight for a simple first game. Best for complex 3D projects.

2. Pygame:

• What it is: A set of Python modules designed for writing video games. It's more of a library than a full engine.

• Pros: Uses Python, which is a fantastic language for beginners to learn programming. Great for simple 2D games, educational, and open-source.

• Cons: You're building a lot from scratch with code, primarily 2D, and it lacks the built-in tools and visual editors that dedicated engines offer. It's more about coding game logic than visual design.

3. GameMaker (specifically GameMaker Studio):

• What it is: A complete 2D game development environment, famous for indie hits.

• Pros: Super user-friendly interface, excellent for 2D games, offers both drag-and-drop (GML Visual) and its own scripting language (GML). Fast prototyping, and many successful indie games started here. It's designed to get you making games quickly.

• Cons: Primarily focused on 2D (though it has some limited 3D capabilities), and the full version requires a paid license. GML is unique, so skills aren't directly transferable to other languages.

My Decision!

After weighing everything up, I've decided to start my game development journey with GameMaker Studio! 🎉

Here's why:

• Beginner-Friendly: The blend of visual scripting and GML seems like the perfect way to ease into game logic without getting overwhelmed by complex coding or 3D rendering right away.

• Focus on 2D: My initial game ideas are all 2D pixel art or top-down adventures, and GameMaker shines in this area.

• Fast Prototyping: I want to get something playable relatively quickly to stay motivated, and GameMaker's workflow seems ideal for that.

Unreal Engine is definitely on my radar for the future when I feel more confident, and Pygame is awesome for pure coding practice, but for actually making my first game, GameMaker feels like the right fit for now.

[ahmedidris]

Quick Game Engine Guide

Posted October 13, 2025 • #gamedev #indiedev

[Image: Logos of Unity, Unreal, Godot, CryEngine, GameMaker]

⸻

Unity

• Language: C# | Best for: Cross-platform 2D/3D

• Pros: Huge community, flexible

• Cons: Graphics not as advanced, licensing costs

Unreal Engine image

• Language: C++ / Blueprint | Best for: High-end 3D

• Pros: Stunning visuals, free until revenue threshold

• Cons: Steep learning curve

Godot image

• Language: GDScript / C# | Best for: Indie 2D/3D

• Pros: Free, lightweight, open-source

• Cons: Smaller asset library

CryEngine

• Language: C++ | Best for: Realistic environments

• Pros: Advanced graphics

• Cons: Complex workflow

GameMaker Studio

• Language: GML | Best for: 2D games

• Pros: Easy prototyping

• Cons: Limited 3D features

✨ Tip:

• AAA-quality visuals → Unreal

• Indie 2D/3D → Unity/Godot

• Pixel/art games → GameMaker.

[ahmedidris]

1. Unreal Engine

Image:

🧩 Name of Game Engine: Unreal Engine

🎮 My Favourite Game Made with It: Fortnite

✅ Pros:

• High-quality, AAA-level graphics

• Blueprint visual scripting system (great for non-coders)

• Strong community and documentation

• Free until your game earns significant revenue

Cons:

• Steep learning curve for beginners

• Heavy system requirements

• Large file sizes for projects

2. Unity

Image:

Name of Game Engine: Unity

My Favourite Game Made with It: Hollow Knight

✅ Pros:

• Extremely versatile (2D, 3D, VR, AR support)

• Huge asset store and community

• Great for mobile and indie developers

• Easy-to-learn scripting with C#

Cons:

• Licensing and pricing controversies

• Performance optimization can be tricky

• Graphics not as realistic as Unreal.

3. Game Maker Studio

Image:

🧩 Name of Game Engine: GameMaker Studio

🎮 My Favourite Game Made with It: Undertale

✅ Pros:

• Beginner-friendly drag-and-drop interface

• GML (GameMaker Language) is simple yet powerful

• Perfect for 2D pixel-art games

• Quick prototyping and iteration

Cons:

• Limited 3D support

• Paid export options for different platforms

• Not ideal for complex physics-heavy games

4. Godot Engine

Image:

Name of Game Engine: Godot Engine

🎮 My Favourite Game Made with It: Cassette Beasts

✅ Pros:

• Completely free and open-source

• Lightweight and runs on modest hardware

• Great for both 2D and 3D

• Easy scripting with GDScript (similar to Python)

Cons:

• Smaller community compared to Unity/Unreal

• Fewer ready-made assets

• Some 3D features still under development.

5. P ygame

Image:

Name of Game Engine: Pygame

My Favourite Game Made with It: Frets on Fire

✅ Pros:

• Simple and great for learning game development

• Uses Python — beginner-friendly and powerful

• Lightweight and flexible

• Excellent for teaching and hobby projects

Cons:

• Not ideal for commercial or large-scale games

• No built-in editor (code-only)

• Manual handling of many systems (physics, UI, etc.).