I don’t think there’s any dream more daunting, than wanting to build your own video game. You look at any game on the shelves these days, and they all exist as small miracles of ambition, design, and passion. Behind every game is a framework of code and supporting software that can overwhelm the senses, and even games that seek to streamline the entire process can present their own nigh-insurmountable hurdles.
Game Builder Garage then, may just be the most inviting software to get your digital feet in the door. It looks cute, it has plenty of tools up its sleeves, and the potential to create something special is baked into its DNA. Where Game Builder Garage really seeks to define itself is in how it gently coaxes budding developers into its warehouse, giving them not only the tools to create a number of different genre games, but also a reassuring hand on the shoulder.
Everything has personality, with the game’s core structure making use of nodes (Or Nodons) to create each game. In a hands-off preview, Nintendo showed us how quickly a simple platforming level could be created, using the game’s 2D blueprint system to position elements, actions, and goals together to create a cohesive game. The rest of the seven game library includes racing , side-scrolling schmup action, and even multiplayer tag.
Was the end result a simple run ‘n jump 2D adventure? Absolutely, but if this is your first step towards creating something, that level of ease and quality-of-life design mechanics is priceless. It’s motivation by your own hands, to see something go from a concept phase to an instant experimental title within mere minutes.
That’s going to be the key to success for Game Builder Garage, as it features several game archetypes to learn the ropes with, and then experiment inside of. It’s an ambitious game, one that Nintendo says will be able to accommodate more than its fair share of in-game assets that can be used to craft a world within the confines of its digital space, using Joycon controllers, touchscreen, or even a USB mouse to start cranking out titles.
Once completed, you’ll be able to share those games online by posting a code. Enter the code, download the game, easy as that. Provided that you have a Nintendo Switch Online connection, that is. The fascinating twist here is that once you have someone else’s game, you can actually explore the internals of that creation and see just how the sausage was made, further strengthening your own ability to learn and improve on your creations.
Nintendo will have more of Game Builder Garage to show off ahead of its release on June 11, but if you ever wanted to experiment with building your own dream game, this might just be the perfect and most inviting piece of software that you can acquire to help bring those dreams to life.
Last Updated: May 27, 2021
