Learning game development on a budget while hitting walls with outdated resources an

[Mia59]

I've been trying to learn game development on a budget that's basically nonexistent and I keep hitting walls that feel like they're made of concrete. I'm an artist by trade so I can do all the visuals myself but the coding side has me completely stuck and every "free" resource seems to assume you have at least a decent laptop or some cash to throw at assets.

I tried using Godot because it's free and lightweight but after spending three weeks following a tutorial that turned out to be for an outdated version I realized half the nodes didn't even exist anymore. Then I tried GDevelop because it's visual and I thought that might be easier but the free version locked so many features behind a paywall that I couldn't even export my project without watermarks everywhere. I also attempted to use Construct 3's free tier on a cheap chromebook from 2017 and the browser lag was so bad that my character would move about five seconds after I pressed a key. Maybe I set it up wrong or the chromebook just can't handle it but at this point I'm wondering if I need to save up for actual hardware before I even bother with software.

For those of you who started with basically nothing, did you find that upgrading your computer mattered more than finding the right engine for your skill level? Or was there a point where you just accepted that you needed to pay for something and called it an investment?

[Brian_A]

I totally get your struggle. I started with a very old laptop and it was a nightmare. Honestly, I spent way too long trying to make things work until I finally saved up for a better machine. Once I upgraded, everything was smoother, and I could actually focus on learning rather than battling my hardware.

[MarkM]

Yeah, the lag on a cheap Chromebook can really kill creativity. I once tried to run Unity on one, and it was a disaster. You might find free resources more suitable for your situation if you look at YouTube tutorials; some creators really focus on low-end setups. Just a thought!

[Dennis_T]

I think it's a bit of both. I started with a similar situation and ended up buying licenses for some cheaper assets later on. It felt like a good investment at the time, and it paid off. There are also sites like Itch.io with affordable assets that can help kickstart projects.

[BrandonCM]

Honestly, I still use my old laptop from 2014. It’s possible to learn and build with less, but upgrading really helped me get more done. If budget is tight, maybe look for second-hand hardware; you can find some decent deals online. It made a huge difference for me!

[Ethan_W]

You're absolutely right about outdated tutorials. I burned through a week following one, only to find out it was for a version that didn’t exist anymore! That was really disheartening. It’s tough to navigate all these resources when they’re inconsistent.