Defold game dev - cognitive load

Questions
#1

Hello there!

I’ve always wanted to make videogames since I was a kid. That wish has made me going through software development (desktop, backend, and mobile lately).

I don´t know about you but I’m struggling to learning the basics to create a very simple game like a idle clicker game (like Cookie Clicker and Doge Miner).

I know that there’re tons of good content but I haven’t found a tutorial or a book that makes me walk on by myself.

Can anyone relate? Or is it just me? How to start creating games with Defold (very simple games) and making some real progress?

#2

the way i learn is by using the tutorial templates in the defold launcher i finish one and make some edit on the code to learn more after finishing all the templates i just start making games when i am stuck i ask in discord or forum or just look for an example or in the documentation:

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#3

You mention cognitive load in the post subject, but don’t expand on it in the body. I suspect if we link you to any tutorials the issue may be the same, if we don’t understand why the current tutorials you’re using aren’t helping.

Don’t know if this is helpful, but for me personally I rarely find tutorials useful. I set a goal (“make something like Cookie Clicker”) and then get started. Inevitably I run into blockers, at which point I search for solutions to those very specific problems.

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#4

Have you seen the Defold codepad? It allows you to play around with a game object at a very basic level and begin to understand how they work. Game objects are one of the building blocks used in Defold.

https://defold.com/codepad/

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#5

That’s a good way of learning. I feel that I’ve gone through most of examples but I haven’t really got them. I meant, I understood them in isolation but it is difficult to me to put them all together.

#6

That’s a good way of make progress. I’ll take this path and I’ll try baby steps into very small goals.

About cognitive load, I meant there are so may new concepts and things to learn. It will take some time to make sense of it all (at least the pieces that I need to use).

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#7

Thank you @benjames171 - it new to me and it’s very helpful.

#8

Thanks for all good replies.

And to finish, it would be so nice to have a book about Defold - for aspiring game devs.

#9

https://read.bookofdefold.com/ this is a book but it’s not finished i don’t know who made it but it has some good explanation for certain things

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#10

I found the TactxStudios tutorials to be extremely helpful in learning the ropes – https://www.tactxstudios.com – the author treats it like a class lesson with an intro/what are we trying to do, then a full walk-through of the game, the editor, and any config settings needed for the project. Super helpful!

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