Hi *,

My daughter is 14 and wants to get into developing games. What's your go-to framework/engine to recommend? I feel like she's old enough to start with something "real" and not a game engine specifically targeted towards kids. Still, it should be fun and easy to approach. I was thinking gbstudio, godot or even some javascript/html based engine.

She likes Stardew Valley and Minecraft, so I guess we'll go for something pixel artsy. I can be there to support, but I don't want her to be blocked by waiting for me to solve a problem.

What language(s) do you use?

I’ve dabbled with a few game engines myself, but I feel like Unity and Unreal Engine have too many features, which actually makes them less beginner-friendly. It’s hard to know where to even start.

For pixel art games, I personally recommend GameMaker. It specializes in 2D, and since hits like Undertale were built with it, you can definitely create "serious" games. GML (GameMaker Language) is also quite easy to write, so I think it’s great for learning algorithms.

Everyone is going to recommend their favorite framework. I'll throw my hat in for Godot, but really any framework will do.

Although I think it depends on whether she wants to learn to make games, or to be a programmer. If you're using a framework, what you're really learning is the framework. You might also look at Python and Pygame.

Have you considered Pulp?

https://play.date/dev/

You don't say if she can code.

I recommend Unity.

Unity is not that difficult if you clearly understand the Template Method pattern. The difficult part is that students often struggle at a different point than expected.

That said, if not Unity, GameMaker is also a good option.