Games have always been my passion. Creativity and production have always been on my mind. I love talking about production and I hope you enjoy reading about how to make games. This book will give beginners a first-hand knowledge of how to make games in Construct 2. I made my first game in 1997 when I was attending university.
In this book, you will learn how to make several games and learn the secrets of game development. After reading this book, you should have several playable games to build a foundation and move forward. It is important that you actually make the games instead of just reading the book. Game development and entrepreneurship is not a spectator sport. The best developers actually release their games instead of just thinking about making games.
This book is laid out so that anybody can pick it up and make a game. It is also recommended that you go through the chapters in order. This book is best suited towards beginners and people who have never made a game before. Construct 2 is a visual programming language. This means that you don't have to hand code every single detail. Because of this, most of the logic is presented in images. The book is written this way because people who like visual programming languages love images.
Before we continue, let me introduce myself. My name is John Bura and I have been programming since 1997 and teaching since 2002. I have released several games for console and mobile platforms. You can check out my website at www.mammothinteractive.com. I hope you get a lot out of this book. This book is designed for beginners who have never programmed before. If you have done some programming, you will be amazed at how easy game development is in Construct 2.
Chapter 1, Getting Started with Construct 2, is an introduction to the book. You can learn about HTML5 games, Construct 2, and general game design in this chapter.
Chapter 2, Inputs and Controls, teaches you how to implement inputs and controls in Construct 2. Inputs and controls are the first and most important part of game design.
Chapter 3, Variables and Arrays, shows you how to store data in variables and arrays.
Chapter 4, Game Mechanics, covers the mechanics of a game, which are extremely important to learn and understand in order to make a great game. In this chapter, you will learn how to implement them.
Chapter 5, Making a Simple Shooter, covers shooters, which is one of the most popular game genres out there. You will learn the mechanics of making a simple shooter in this chapter.
Chapter 6, Making a Tower Defense Game, teaches you how to make one of the most popular and addictive game genres.
Chapter 7, Making a Puzzle Physics Game, teaches you how to incorporate physics and puzzle elements into a game in Construct 2.
Chapter 8, Exporting Your Game, covers how to export your game. People need to play your game. Construct 2 has many different areas to which you can export your game.
Appendix, Where to Go from Here, wraps up everything you have learned in the book. There are also tips on how to start your own game studio.