DEV Community: Wanjiru Noreen

Feeling Lost Led Me to Game

Wanjiru Noreen — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 15:39:11 +0000

For the longest time, I felt like I was searching for something I couldn't quite name.

I'd explore a field, get excited, then eventually wonder if I was forcing myself into a path that wasn't really mine. It wasn't a lack of ambition. If anything, I had too many interests. Technology, business,
design,entrepreneurship... I wanted to do everything, which often left me feeling like I wasn't making meaningful progress in anything.

Watching other developers confidently share their projects and career milestones didn't help. It seemed like everyone had found their niche while I was still trying to figure mine out.

Then I started learning game development.

I'm still a beginner, but something feels different this time.

Game development isn't just programming. It's storytelling, art, design, mathematics, psychology, music, and problem-solving all working together to create an experience. Every new concept I learn feels like another piece of a much bigger puzzle.

Some days are frustrating. A single bug can steal hours of your time or an object existing everywhere except where you need it.

But there's something incredibly satisfying about solving those problems.

Every time I build a small interaction, I'm reminded why I started.

I'm not writing this because I've "made it."

I don't have a polished portfolio or years of industry experience. I'm still learning. I'm still making mistakes. I'm still asking questions that probably have obvious answers to experienced developers.

What has changed is my mindset.

I've stopped worrying so much about finding the perfect path and started focusing on building one.

If there's one lesson I've learned so far, it's this:

You don't always discover your place before you begin.

Sometimes you discover it because you begin.

This is the start of my game development journey. There will be bugs, failed ideas, redesigns, and moments where I question everything. But there will also be progress, one project at a time.

Why Game Development Has Caught My Attention

Wanjiru Noreen — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 16:13:31 +0000

Over the past few days, I've found myself becoming increasingly curious about game development.

Before I started learning more about it, I thought making games was mostly about writing code and creating graphics. The deeper I looked, the more I realised
that game development sits at the intersection of creativity and engineering.

A game isn't just code. It's a collection of systems working together to create an experience. From movement and physics to level design, sound, storytelling, and player interaction, every decision shapes how someone experiences the game.

As someone who enjoys solving problems, I'm excited by the idea of building something that people can interact with rather than simply use.

I've also started learning about game engines, particularly Godot. It's fascinating to see how much work a game engine handles behind the scenes, allowing developers to focus more on creating gameplay instead of building everything from scratch.

One thing I've learned already is that game development isn't about starting with your dream game. It's about learning the fundamentals, building small projects, making mistakes, and improving with every iteration.

That's exactly where I am.

I'm still a beginner, and I have a lot to learn. But that's part of what makes this journey exciting. Every new concept feels like another piece of a much bigger puzzle.

I'm looking forward to sharing what I learn, the challenges I face, and the small wins along the way.

Here's to learning, building, and enjoying the process.

My code didn’t fail — I just didn’t understand

Wanjiru Noreen — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 14:32:28 +0000

I used to think my code was broken.Turns out it wasn’t the code,it was me not understanding Git.
The beginning: confusion everywhere
When I first started using Git, it felt difficult.Typing commands in the terminal, seeing outputs I didn’t understand, and dealing with rules that felt like they were there just to complicate things.
I thought Git was supposed to help me build projects easily.Instead, it felt like something that slowed me down.

Where things went wrong
At some point, I messed things up and had to use commands like reflog and restore to fix my mistakes.
That’s when it hit me.Git wasn’t broken, I just didn’t understand what I was doing.
I was trying to use a system without understanding how it actually works.

What changed
I didn’t suddenly get smarter.I just practiced.
A month ago, things started clicking because I kept using Git, making mistakes, fixing them, and repeating the cycle.
Slowly, I stopped seeing it as confusing rules and started seeing it as history tracking.

Then came Go
I also started learning Go.
My first thought was simple:
“This is new, but I can learn it.”
I started small like printing output, working with runes, counting characters, basic stuff.
Nothing fancy.

What feels different about Go
Go feels very step-by-step.You don’t really guess your way through it.You solve problems one small piece at a time.
It’s structured, clear, direct.
Right now, I’m still learning it, but it doesn’t feel impossible, just new.

What I’ve learned so far
The biggest lesson isn’t Git or Go.
It’s this:
You can actually learn new things even if you have no background or experience.
But you have to start with two things:
1.Accept that you don’t know
2.Have the will to learn
Ask questions, make mistakes, do it scared and do it clueless.
Because waiting until you feel ready usually means never starting.