When I first set out learning to code I wanted to do it for a couple of reasons:
1.I was really tired of downloading games for my son that claimed to be free only to find out 3/4 of the content was behind a paywall.
2.Also about two years ago I reinvigorated my love of video games as a way to tell stories. Horror/Thriller games have become my favorite. Those are always my go to movie genres so it figures that a good jump scare game would be my favorite as well.
So I did what anybody does when they’re looking to learn something new and what to my local nerd hub (Barnes and Noble) to scour the technology section. There right in front as if the place knew what I needed was The Gamer’s Guide To Coding by Gordon McComb.
The books takes a very beginners guide approach and starts you off with common HTML elements and what they are used for. Then moves you into basic Javascript. Before the first three chapters are over you learn how to build a random number game. It then moves you into CSS and working with graphics. I like the fact that it waits to teach you how to make things pretty until it teaches you how to make them function. Every time it teaches you something new it provides you with detailed code examples.
The book then progresses through teaching you animation techniques and how to manipulate the DOM. How to write code that thinks and responds to events. Every section builds on the content from the previous section teaching you all the concepts you need to be able to build a 2d Javascript game.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and continue to use it as a reference in new projects. I hope this helps anybody looking to start game coding. I firmly believe it is an excellent place to start if you are new to coding. It is something that gives you instant feedback to let you know whether your code works and at the end you have a fully functional project to show future employers.
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