WHAT EVEN IS A GAME?
Welcome to the second chapter of this course — and honestly, congratulations.
You already did more than most people: you started.
In this chapter, we answer a very simple but extremely important question:
👉 What even is a game?
Before we talk about game engines, code, or graphics, we need to understand this first.
Because games are not magic.
They are systems — and systems can be understood.
So… What Is a Game?
At its core, a game is not just graphics, characters, physics, or cool animations.
A game is built from four core elements:
1) Rules
Rules define how the game world works.
| Rule Type | Example |
|---|---|
| What you can do | You can move left/right. You can jump. |
| What you cannot do | You cannot walk through walls. You cannot attack while jumping. |
| What happens when you act | You lose if health = 0. You gain points when collecting coins. |
Without rules, there is no structure.
No rules = no game. Just chaos.
2) Goals
Every game gives the player a reason to play.
Common goals include:
- Reaching the end
- Getting the highest score
- Surviving as long as possible
- Defeating enemies or bosses
You always have something you are trying to achieve.
What is an NPC?
You’ll hear this term a lot, so let’s clear it up now.
NPC stands for Non-Player Character.
These are characters you do not control.Shopkeepers, enemies, guards, villagers — they are all NPCs.
They are controlled by the game, not by the player.
3) Feedback
Games constantly respond to what the player does.
Examples of feedback:
- Sounds
- Animations
- Score updates
- Health decreasing
- A “Game Over” screen
Feedback tells the player:
“Your action mattered.”
This is where something called Game Juice comes in.
What is Game Juice?
Game Juice refers to small visual and audio effects that make actions feel satisfying and fun.
Examples:
- Camera shake on impact
- Screen flashes when taking damage
- Sound effects when collecting items
These details make games feel alive and enjoyable.
4) Challenge
If a game is too easy → it becomes boring.
If a game is too hard → it becomes frustrating.
Challenge is what keeps players engaged and motivated.
So… is a game just:
Rules + Goals + Feedback + Challenge?
We’re very close — but there are a few more important concepts we need to understand.
The Game Loop (The Heart of Every Game)
Every game — from Snake to GTA — runs using something called a game loop.
A game loop repeats the same steps again and again:
- Take player input
- Update the game state
- Show the result on screen
- Repeat (many times per second)
That’s it.
No scary math.
No complex theory.
Just:
Input → Update → Render → Repeat
This usually happens about 60 times per second.
Once you understand this, game engines stop feeling magical.
In upcoming chapters, we’ll use a beginner-friendly game engine called Mini Micro and explore the game loop in practice.
(Don’t worry — we’ll introduce it slowly.)
Assets vs Code vs Logic
Many beginners think:
“Games are just code.”
That’s not true.
Games are built using three major parts.
Assets
Assets are the things you can see or hear:
- Images (sprites)
- 3D models
- Sounds
- Music
- Animations
Assets do nothing on their own.
Code
Code tells the computer what to do:
- Move the player
- Detect collisions
- Play sounds
- Switch scenes
Code is just instructions.
Logic
Logic decides how the game behaves:
- If the player touches an enemy → lose health
- If the score reaches 10 → win
- If health is 0 → game over
Logic connects assets and code into actual gameplay.
👉 A beautiful game with no logic is just a slideshow
👉 Logic without assets is an invisible game
You need all three to make a real game.
2D Games vs 3D Games
🟦 2D Games (2D = Two-Dimensional)
- Flat world
- Movement: left, right, up, down
- Easier to learn
- Faster to build
- Perfect for beginners
Examples:
- Mario
- Flappy Bird
- Top-down shooters
🧊 3D Games
- Depth (forward and backward movement)
- Camera control
- More math and complexity
- Takes longer to learn
Examples:
- Minecraft
- GTA
- Valorant
👉 We start with 2D games because fundamentals matter more than fancy graphics.
Later in this course, we’ll also build a simple 3D game.
IMPORTANT
If you’re coming from Scratch or have no coding background, remember this:
Games are not built by:
- Guessing
- Copying blindly
- Magic
Games are built by:
- Understanding systems
- Breaking problems into small parts
- Building step by step
That’s exactly what this course is designed to teach you.
Outro
Now that you understand what a game really is, we’re ready to move forward.
In the next chapter, we’ll answer:
👉 How do people actually make games?
👉 What are game engines, and why do we use them?
Make sure to check out the video version of Episode 1 here:
Watch Episode 1
Connect With Me
- YouTube: DatonedevYT
- Discord: Join our development discussions
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