What are the best game programming tutorials for someone just starting out?

[GeorgeW]

I've been wanting to get into game development but I'm completely new to programming. I've seen so many game programming tutorials online but I'm not sure where to begin. Some focus on specific engines while others teach general concepts. What would you recommend for a complete beginner who wants to learn game programming from scratch? I'm particularly interested in understanding the fundamentals before jumping into any specific game engine tutorials.

[Ethan_R]

For someone completely new to programming, I'd actually recommend starting with something like Scratch or GameMaker Studio 2 before jumping into Unity or Unreal. These tools let you learn programming concepts through visual scripting, which is much less intimidating than writing code from day one. Once you understand basics like variables, loops, and conditionals, then you can transition to a proper game engine with actual coding.

[John.W]

I was in your position a year ago! What worked for me was starting with Brackeys' beginner Unity tutorials on YouTube. He explains things really clearly and starts from absolute basics. After going through his game programming tutorials, I felt confident enough to start modifying the code and trying my own things. The key is to actually type out all the code yourself instead of just watching - that's how you really learn.

[Abigail.A]

Don't overlook the official learning paths from Unity and Unreal. Unity Learn has structured pathways for complete beginners that take you from zero to building simple games. They're free and cover both programming concepts and engine-specific knowledge. The advantage over random YouTube tutorials is that they're organized in a logical progression that builds on previous lessons.

[Steven.J]

I'd suggest learning basic programming first through something like Codecademy's Python course before touching any game engine. Understanding fundamental programming concepts will make game development tutorials much easier to follow. Trying to learn programming AND game development simultaneously can be overwhelming. Get comfortable with variables, functions, loops, and conditionals in a simpler environment first.

[GeorgeW]

All good advice here. I'll add that when you do start with game programming tutorials, focus on understanding the 'why' behind the code, not just the 'how'. Ask yourself questions like: Why are we using a list instead of an array here? Why is this function structured this way? That critical thinking is what separates tutorial followers from actual developers.