Build your first game in 7 days.
One GameMaker project, built a day at a time.
The idea
Learn game development by making a game
Code Create Play teaches game-development and programming concepts as you need them while building a complete 2D game. Across seven days, you progress from setting up GameMaker and creating sprites to enemies, scoring, power-ups, a boss level, menus and final game refinement.
Build a complete 2D side-scrolling shooter
Stage one
Build the player
Sprites, movement, controls and shooting
Stage two
Build the game systems
Enemies, collisions, health, lives, scoring and progression
Stage three
Finish the game
Enemy waves, power-ups, boss level, menus, sound and polish
A game you can hand to a friend to play
Programming foundations
Learn the programming behind the game
Along the way, readers use these programming fundamentals:
- variables
- operators
- functions
- conditions
- arrays
- variable scope
- events
- debugging
- objects
- inheritance
The seven days
One sitting a day, start to finish
Each day builds on what came before. Work through the book over seven days, or take it at your own pace.
- DAY 01
Get Ready to Code Your First Game
- DAY 02
Player Mechanics and Controls
- DAY 03
Enemies, Lives & Sounds
- DAY 04
Scoring & Game Progression
- DAY 05
Enemy Waves and Power-Ups
- DAY 06
Boss Level, End Screen, Home Screen and Menu
- DAY 07
Home Screen, Menu and Game Refinement
Inside the book
Who it's for
Complete beginners
Readers taking their first steps in coding and game development.
Independent learners
Anyone who wants to work through a full project at their own pace.
Students and educators
A companion for learners studying game design, games development and introductory programming, including QQI Level 5 and UK Level 3 programmes.
Formal study
Useful alongside formal study in game design, games development and programming.
Code Create Play pairs a full game project with the programming fundamentals these courses assess: variables, conditions, functions, arrays, events, debugging, objects and inheritance.
Ireland
United Kingdom
Listed for reference only. Code Create Play is an independent book and is not endorsed by or affiliated with these awarding bodies.
For readers
Book resources
Download the sprites, sounds and supporting game assets used throughout the book so you can build the project alongside each chapter.
Articles
All articles →
The author
Tomás Brides
Tomás Brides is an educator, instructional designer and author with over 19 years of teaching experience. With a background in Computer Science and postgraduate qualifications in education and learning design, he has taught programming, computer game development, web design and a wide range of digital technologies. He specialises in making complex technical subjects accessible to beginners through clear explanations, practical examples and hands-on projects.