Hi Paul, I too have a daughter (Giselle) just about your daughter's age --as well as son almost three years older (Jean-Luc)-- who are interested in creating games. I'm including the age that Giselle started using the programs to give you a frame of reference on how accessible the various programs are.
*Game Maker:* While it does have some substantial limitations dealing with surfaces, I'd have to strongly recommend Game Maker; my daughter was making up her own games with it when she was 7. It is a complete all-in-one tool. There are also published books (specifically addressing Game Maker) available with CD content of each stage of development of many games. Game maker abstracts programming concepts nicely for the young programmer through parameter-populated iconic program blocks. Once she has mastered the logic, there are scripting icons that will allow her to do pure scripting. Spelunky was made using Game maker and the source project is available to learn from: http://spelunkyworld.com/original.html I have been helping my son work through these books an independent study course. On a side note, Jean-Luc has been using Game Maker's editor to design some clever puzzles as well as contributing to core game mechanics for an upcoming indie puzzle-platformer that a game designer/programmer friend, Steven Kiesewetter, and I are working on. (although we are looking to port it over to Unity due to the aforementioned performance limitations of Game Maker on lower end hardware.) *Kodu Game Lab:* Another great "engine/frameworks" that my daughter loved using around 5-6 years old was http://fuse.microsoft.com/projects/kodu This takes an even simpler approach to game creation by "coding" the behaviors and controls in picture "sentences" that live under each game object. Kodu does this through a rotary-branching menu system; Giselle would fly through the menus, faster than I could keep up with, creating behaviors for in game agents and player input. It enabled her to code all sorts of games and stories using just the Xbox controller. Its obvious hook is that is makes creating 3D games very easy. *Scratch:* MIT has created a fantastic way to introduce programming to children through a simple drag & drop interface http://scratch.mit.edu/ Giselle was into this pretty heavily when she was 8 although it never captured Jean-Luc's imagination. *Spore Galactic Adventures:* This is a straight up game with an editor, but it deserves a mention from the standpoint that it is very easy to create a variety of creature looks as well as create stories that can be shared. This has had a hold on Giselle for few week bursts over the last year. Depending on what your daughter wants to do with game creation this may be of interest to her. I hope sharing some of my family's personal experience was helpful for you. Cheers, -=Eric On Mon, Aug 26, 2013 at 8:14 AM, Doeke Wartena <[email protected]> wrote: > hammer for halflife 1 is quite easy. It would require the dad to set up to > make sure compiling works and textures are loaded. > After that you could create a block she can copy and paste and so on learn > here more and more. > > > 2013/8/26 Andres Stephens <[email protected]> > >> I wouldn't be into 3d if my dad didn't help me get off games and onto >> doing something "productive" when I was younger! I owe him one. >> >> My friend on another forum I use compiled a list of free game engines and >> classified them roughly on their ease of use. Very extensive, but a good >> way to start. >> >> www.united3dartists.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=3687&start=0 >> >> Hope you find the right program, or game..... Like little big planet. You >> can make mini games or custom levels in that. >> >> Keep being awesome. >> >> -Draise >> >> --- Original Message --- >> >> From: "Ognjen Vukovic" <[email protected]> >> Sent: August 26, 2013 8:01 AM >> To: "robw" <[email protected]>, "softimage" <[email protected] >> > >> Subject: Re: OT: my 10 year old wants to "make games" >> >> Rob that seems quite cool for young children to get into programing. >> >> >> On Mon, Aug 26, 2013 at 2:57 PM, Rob Wuijster <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> Hi Paul, >> >> I recently came across this: >> http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/kodu/ >> http://fuse.microsoft.com/projects/kodu >> >> Apparently from 8 and up.... >> >> Rob >> >> \/-------------\/----------------\/ >> >> On 26-8-2013 14:47, Paul Griswold wrote: >> >> >> My 10 year old daughter has expressed an interest in making her own >> games. As a typical 10 year old she doesn't have the patience to sit and >> type code out of a book to make a tic-tac-toe game. I think she's still at >> the age where she needs to see more immediate (and cool) results. >> >> So, does anyone know of any online, kid-friendly, game building apps >> that might at least teach her some basic concepts? >> >> The one I'm leaning towards is Scratch, but there are just hundreds of >> other options out there and I have no idea what's good and what sucks. >> >> Anyone have a favorite they'd recommend? >> >> Thanks, >> >> Paul >> >> P.S. if it makes any difference, her favorite game is Minecraft. >> >> No virus found in this message. >> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com >> Version: 2013.0.3392 / Virus Database: 3211/6607 - Release Date: 08/25/13 >> >> >> >> > -- -=T=-
