Building a video game with Python:? That’s awesome!
So, you want to build a game? Building a game is not for the faint of heart. The task of coding a game into reality is daunting. But, equally, awe-inspiring is seeing your works turn from code into wonderful works of art. If your serious then you should consider building a video game with Python.
Beginners in game development should also understand that to make quality work, they must have the right tool for the job. Having a drill to fix a leak would not get anybody anywhere fast. The same principle of having the right tools goes with video game development as well. Currently, there is a lot of options that are available to the public. Most video game development software only requires that you download the program itself.
The beauty of Python
With a variety of options, many developers may get overwhelmed. Some may even be mistaken to choose a much more complicated software. Fortunately, there is Python for those developers who would want to make their own games.
Python started out in the early 1980s as a replacement to the then general-purpose programming language ABC Language. Just like the ABC Language that it replaced; Python was created as a general-purpose programming language. Many developers credit Python to its simplicity and intuitive syntax and semantics. Being a general-purpose and intuitive programming language, Python is hard to beat especially with aspiring developers.
In the development world, Python is a straight to point software. Python was designed to allow developers more flexibility. Another core principle of Python is that it wants developers to be done with coding as soon as possible so that they may start working on the main project itself. For many, coding is the most tedious part of the job. Working with letters and numbers isn’t a fun prospect for many. The added simplicity of the programming language also ensures that coding wouldn’t be too demanding – something beginners may enjoy from.
Python is kind to beginners
Being a beginner-friendly language doesn’t mean that Python isn’t a high performer. Python is, in fact, a high-level programming language. Proof of Python’s capability is the games are the games World of Tanks and Battlefield. Raking in millions and millions of dollars, the games built using Python are a sight to behold.
Other users of Python are the giant company Google, the social media powerhouse Instagram, and even the scientists at NASA. For years, Python has been used for major web development and data analysis.
If you are still undecided on whether to use Python or not in your game then let’s lay out the pros cons. Python isn’t all angelic, there are still certain caveats to this programming language that might not fit in into your requirements. Although, we should always consider the reasons why Python is among the best.
Building a Video Game with Python: The Pros
- A Wide Variety of Tools. Python is a swiss army knife. This programming language has tons of built-in tools. If the built-ins aren’t enough, there are also a ton of third-party producers of tools. Also available are models for knowing database access and statistics. The entire programming language is supported by a strong community that ensures support and development for existing tools and for more. The tools in Python lessens the time developers have to perform the coding.
- Easy to Read and Simple Syntax. Compared to the more common programming languages such as C and Java, Python is way more readable. Python was built to be read from the ground up. You can imagine that there would be less work since the entire code can be easily understood. Without the need for deciphering “alien language,” the entire development process is sped up. Communication between different people working on the same project can also benefit from the readability of Python as a whole.
- Ideas Can Be Easily Drafted. If you suddenly come upon an idea for a new type of car engine, you want to get a piece of pen and paper to immediately write down that idea. The paper can immediately give you a rough expectation of what that car engine’s behavior is. Game development has a lot of changes to go through. It is no wonder why it would be beneficial for people to rapidly see what their idea may do before committing resources to it. Other programming languages let you create a working draft of a game in a matter of hours rather than days.
Building a Video Game with Python: The cons
- Mistakes are Camouflaged. Because of the dynamically typed language, it is hard to find mistakes in the coding, a considerable drawback. If you use Python, prepare yourself for a lot of testing – but it will all be worth it at the end.
- Slow as Snails. All the prestige Python had garnered isn’t perfect. For all the ease of use that Python provides its Achille’s heel would be the lagging performance. While there are solutions for the terrible performance, it would have been much better if it did not.
Python deserves to be the best in the business, especially in game development. But at the end of the day, your requirements can be different, and Python may not be the one for your needs.
