A Beginner’s Introduction to Game Development with PICO-8
Have you ever wanted to make a video game but didn’t know where to start?
What you’ll learn
- Understand what game development actually is (without jargon).
- Learn how games update, draw, and respond to player input.
- Create a playable retro video game from scratch.
- Move a player character and respond to keyboard input.
- Add simple challenges or enemies.
- Understand the basic game loop used in all games.
- Gain confidence to continue learning game development.
Course Content
- Introduction –> 2 lectures • 3min.
- Let’s Make Your First Game! –> 17 lectures • 1hr 45min.
Requirements
Have you ever wanted to make a video game but didn’t know where to start?
This course is designed for total beginners who want to try game development without complicated software, confusing setup, or prior coding experience.
In under an hour, you’ll create your first playable retro-style video game using Pico-8 , a beginner-friendly game creation tool that runs right in your browser.
No installs. No experience required. Just a fun, clear introduction to how games actually work.
By the end of this course, you’ll understand the core ideas behind game development, and you’ll leave with a real game you can play and share.
You’ll build a simple one-screen retro arcade game where:
- The player moves on screen
- The game responds to input
- The game tracks success or failure
- You can play it immediately
This is not a demo—it’s a finished, playable game. Not only that, but this game will unlock your brain with the big concepts of how games work, so you can immediately start on your own ideas.
This is the very best way to learn to create your own video games. We’ll keep it light, fun, and easy. Even if you’ve never touched a game engine before, you’ll get excited at all the possibilities as soon as we dive in. Let’s do this!