Game Development for Kids

” The UK consumer spend on games was valued at a record £5.7bn in 2018, up 10.0% from 2017 “
UKIE

Creative thinking, problem-solving, tech knowledge: developing a video game needs a balance of all three. Video games make more money than music and movies combined, and the opportunities in the industry are growing by the second. Building worlds, telling stories, bringing joy into people’s lives: it’s all in a day’s work for video game developers.

With the industry booming, it’s difficult to know where to start if you’re interested in creating your own games. These are the most popular gaming languages, split for different ages – so you can get your child started on their journey.

The most popular gaming languages for kids & teens

Blockly

Perfect for beginners aged from seven to eleven, Blockly is a visual programming platform that lets you build simple games, mazes and animated characters. Get started with the MicroBit or Ozobots.

Construct 2

Construct 2 is perfect for kids aged nine to twelve that have some coding knowledge. This game design platform lets you work with program character development, animations and sound effects, and gives you access to an impressive library of behaviours and attributes.

Greenfoot – Part of Java

Perfect for teens aged 12 and over, Greenfoot is an integrated development environment that uses Java and teaches kids iteration, variables, Boolean logic and more. It’s developed and maintained at King's College – where many of our code-loving teachers work and study.

Pygame – Part of Python

Pygame is recommended for teens aged 14 and over that want to get to grips with coding. An open-source Python programming language used for making multimedia games, you’ll need some basic Python knowledge before you can get started.

C# – part of Unity 3D group

Ready to become the chief game designer at Take Two? You better get started with C#, the language behind Unity, the world's leading real-time engine used to create half of the world's games. One of the fastest growing job opportunities in the world, learning the skills you need to become a Unity Developer will set the foundations for a successful future.

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Ria's Fire Tech Journey

Before Fire Tech

Ria didn't know video games could be created by anyone and had no idea what Construct 2 was.

After Fire Tech

Now Ria wants to continue building on her skills and learn Java and Python. She dreams of launching her own world-class game that teaches young people how to code.

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Meet Sean

Sean studies Design Engineering at Imperial College London but you'll often find him buzzing around camp teaching our Video Game Design courses. He loves seeing campers push through challenges and publish a game to show their friends and family.

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