How much time have you logged playing your favorite game? Whether you’re fighting monsters and dragons in Elden Ring or battling your friends in Smash Bros, it can be easy to lose yourself for hours.

And that’s the best thing about gaming. For millions of people across the globe, it’s a way to explore fantastic worlds, connect with friends who live far away, and unleash our inner heroes — which is why gaming has grown to become a multi-billion dollar industry.

But have you ever wondered how these games are made — or even wanted to make one yourself? How does an idea come to fruition? What technologies underlie all the graphics, action, and gameplay? We’ll show you in our new free course: Introduction to Game Development.

Who is the course right for?

Considering a career as a Game Developer? Then this course is for you! As you delve into the game development process, you’ll explore the different roles in the field and what they entail. “Developers exist within every aspect of the process,” says Codecademy Curriculum Developer Jace Van Auken. “Even if you aren’t writing code when working on a game, knowledge of the coding process can help with design or working with assets.”

But you don’t need to be a developer to enroll in the course. It’s great even if you’re interested in non-technical roles or just want to learn more about how video games are made. “Our goal is to give everyone a broad look at game development and provide enough information for you to make a decision on how to move forward in the industry,” Jace says. “This course is for anyone interested in getting involved in game development, whether through design, programming, or content creation.”

What will you learn from the new course?

By the end of our Introduction to Game Development, you’ll have a better understanding of:

• The different roles in game development
• Each step of the game development process, from ideation to distribution
• The tools and programming languages used in the industry
• Game elements like story, controls, and mood
• Different game types and their gameplay

Ready to learn about how your favorite games were made? Check out our Introduction to Game Development! (And don’t forget to fill out the survey at the end. “We love feedback — it helps us adjust our courses and approach to content creation,” Jace says.)

And stay tuned for more game development courses! “This is just the beginning,” Jace says. “We’ll have more rich, interactive content covering the modern skills and tools used for game development coming soon.”