Intro

In game development, there are few things more exciting than building a working prototype in just a few days. When everything falls into place, your team is in a flow state, every day brings progress, and by the end of the week, you have something playable to show off and build upon.

But the flip side? When momentum is lost, the process drags on, and weeks or months later, you barely have anything to show for it.

After years of working on prototypes for indie and professional teams as well as solo projects, I've learned that the key to success lies in a few fundamental steps. These steps help maintain excitement, build momentum, and ensure you have a playable prototype by the end of the week.

Why Rapid Prototyping Matters

There are two main reasons you want to get to a working prototype as quickly as possible:

Intro

Writing code involves several foundational concepts and steps that you need to follow in order to develop functional software. Let's discuss the basics here!

1. Understanding the Problem

• Before writing any code, you need to understand what problem you are solving.
• This is often done through problem analysis or requirement gathering.
• Break down the problem into smaller, manageable tasks or steps.

2. Choosing a Programming Language

Learning to code can be fun and straightforward if approached the right way. Here's a step-by-step guide for beginners:

1. Choose a Goal or Project

• Start with your interest: Decide what you want to build (e.g., a website, a game, an app, or data analysis scripts). This will keep you motivated.
• Examples:
• Want to build websites? Start with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
• Interested in data analysis? Learn Python.
• Excited about apps? Explore Swift (iOS) or Kotlin (Android).