Tag: Game Dev Resources

About Game Dev Resources

You must be making a game. This section of my website is dedicated to writing, coding, art, and some assorted other topics.

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Why Are Indie Games Popular Now? – The Truth

Posted on by Dave Pizza
First of all, indie games are my favorite “genre.” I think this is an important cultural phenomenon–and also a fun one–but for argument, let’s scrutinize it. So, indie games usually have fewer details, less polished graphics, and are often focused on the simpler things, so why are indie games popular now? And additionally, I might even ask, are they? I’ve been playing and writing about indie games for a couple of years now and I have seen so many genres and concepts that make the games I used to play seem unnecessarily photorealistic and expensive. Knowing what goes into game… Read the rest

Some Resources For Using Copyright Music in a GameDev

Posted on by Dave Pizza
When I went to learn what was involved in making my visual novel, this surprisingly was not so simple. Do not get me wrong, I’m here to give you the goods, but when it comes to music, graphics, or anything really, the way copyright protection works is stern yet often confusing. So, let me get you going here. Don’t fret–or do! I’m here to tell you that things are not hopeless. More specifically: how to obtain copyright-free music. So, let me paint the picture: copyrights. Yes, “copyrights.” Copyright is the law that protects the intellectual property of artists, writers, and… Read the rest

The Truth About Writing Characters You Love

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Writing characters to seem real is essentially the sport of writing in a nutshell. Yet whether you are writing a book, engaging in some tabletop roleplaying, or creating a homunculus in your basement, there are some strategies. In fact, the title of this article was inspired by a very famous author I saw on television talking about how little time he spent developing story parts that it all actually sounded kind of–well–easy. The irony of character creation is most people have built into them everything needed to assess the realness of others in the real world. But what you might… Read the rest

The Ultimate Truth on World Building

Posted on by Dave Pizza
This article is a how-to on world building in writing. This article is equally accessible to creative writers, visual novel devs, and game devs. The devs are, of course, in the worldbuilding phase, but perhaps there is even another application I’ve overlooked, screenplay writing maybe. If you don’t even know what I’m talking about? Don’t worry! This is a general concept here. So, with that, let’s get you started. “Guys, where ARE we?” –Charlie, LOST When you start a new story, you need to write a little bit of it before you can figure out where it is or what… Read the rest

Making a Simple Platformer With Godot

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Let’s talk about Godot tilemaps. Have you ever played a 2D platformer or Metroidvania and wanted to know how it is made? Maybe you are already making one. I’m back for another insight into the cryptic, enigmatic, secretive, open-source world of indie game development. Tongue-in-cheek there. But I am reaching out to you devs out there to talk about some very useful primary knowledge in Godot TileMaps! Particularly beginners. Before You Start This how-to is specifically aimed at solo devs who are in the very beginning stages of learning Godot for a game project. Most Godot intro tutorials take you… Read the rest

Make Dialogue Sound Effects With Tyranobuilder

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Welcome back to another article in my how-to series for gamers and game makers. Today I’ll be talking about making a dialogue blip sound effect in Tyranobuilder free! Sometimes known as dialogue blip. You might be able to use this in Ren’Py or VN Maker, or even other dev projects. Tyranobuilder is where I’ve staked my claim though right now. The sound effect is universally compatible though, just change the part where you actually implement to the protocol for whatever tool you are using. Okay, let’s get started. I’ve mentioned previously how I recently began development on my own visual… Read the rest

Visual Novel Background Creation Can Be Easy and Free

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Welcome, inspired readers, writers, and ambitious game devs to a new tutorial to assist in your personal game dev projects and how to make free visual novel background images at no cost. This is a very simple method but creates some fantastic results, so I’m here to share it with you. I write about visual novels and also experiment with making them for fun in Tyranobuilder, which you can find elsewhere on this website. (Make sure to read my article on Make Dialogue Sound Effects With Tyranobuilder) I have taught myself how to try many different techniques in creating them… Read the rest

Why I Literally Want to Be James Halliday

Posted on by Dave Pizza
“James Halliday, he was like a god.” This is not a review, showcase, or anything, but it is a narrative I feel like rolling with. This topic entered my mind a long time ago when I first saw the film version of Ready Player One, and then later when I read the book. Then when I surrendered the dream in Ready Player Two (it’s an acquired taste, no dismissiveness or negativity here!) Ever since… well, ever… ever since I can even remember, I’ve been compulsively enamored with the idea of digital realities–virtual reality, cyberspace, the Matrix, the Oasis, the Grid,… Read the rest

The Character Creator is a Free Tool For World Building

Posted on by Dave Pizza
I talked earlier today about using character creators for game creation, particularly for a visual novel. I went on a hunt, first on Itch.IO, but then on Google. It took me less than a minute to find a free 2D character creator to work as a visual novel character maker. Here is a video of it in use. I trimmed the video so you didn’t have to do a click-play to a full Monty scenario. Check it out though, I was able to customize clothing, facial features, facial expressions, and body types. Here’s the video link: Character Creator, A Visual… Read the rest