CoCo's Coding Journey: Fun and Success with Rosebud

“When I started, I had no idea I would have created anything that I have created so far!”.

That’s how CoCo responds when asked about the game development concepts he knew before he started creating games with Rosebud.

He had little to no knowledge of game development, and he wasn’t very familiar with coding in general.

As someone new to it, he found working with Rosebud to be both fun and an incredible learning experience: he discovered how to better prompt, organize his code and give it a structure.

Now, CoCo not only has a portfolio of games created with Rosebud under his belt, but he also streams his coding sessions with Rosie on Twitch.

He's also an active member of our Discord community, where he helps other developers, and he even snagged first place in our Educational Game Jam.

Keep reading to learn his story!

From Flash Games to Ambitious Roguelikes

One of CoCo's most recent projects is a Character Swap Template where players can make two AI-powered characters interact with each other in a chat.

This is similar to the type of game he first started playing around with on the platform: “I began with an idea of a 2D game featuring a dog. I then created an AI dog character that you could interact with. This experience intrigued me, and I wanted to make an even bigger game with more AI characters”.

Eventually, this interest led to Rogue Dreamers, a roguelike game where players navigate a dream realm and chat with different characters. It’s a very ambitious project that, according to CoCo, "just got bigger and bigger".

However, one of the games he feels most proud of is Don't Press the Button, inspired by the old 90s Flash games, specifically the original Don't Press the Button and The Impossible Game.

“It's a bit rough around the edges, but I continually add fun updates and stability improvements to make the game unique each time it is played”, he mentions.

You can play Don't Press the Button here, and follow its latest updates on our Discord.

Learning and Creating with Rosie

CoCo always wanted to create his own game, but never thought he was capable since he didn't go to school for coding.

He never really used any tools before. He remembers once downloading Unity to see what it was like, but he was overwhelmed and felt it was impossible to even start. “With Rosie, it's so easy to create your first game, and once you start, it's hard to stop”, he reflects.

“Playing around with Rosie being someone who hasn't dabbled in video game development has been so much fun”, he wrote in one of his early comments on Discord.

“Sometimes I'll use other AI to assist in building the game, but I have more success with Rosie giving me code”, he added.

Besides creating games, CoCo's interests include playing guitar, math, and recently, meditation. “This has significantly improved my focus. It allows me to concentrate better, which is crucial in coding, as coding is like creating a very long complex equation”, he says.

He has also learned that it's necessary to have patience and take the time to understand what you want to create. “AI assistance in game development is extremely powerful for learning, but you must take the time to understand the tools and processes”, CoCo advises.

Pushing Boundaries in Game Development

Looking ahead, CoCo is excited about the endless possibilities with Rosebud.

“I aspire to create even more complex and engaging AI games. I hope to continue pushing the boundaries of what I can achieve with Rosie and bring my game ideas to life where previously I didn't think I had the ability”, he shares.

For those who are just starting out, CoCo offers some invaluable advice: “The best advice I can give is not to limit yourself. Rosie is incredibly helpful and can significantly streamline your development process”.

And he adds: “Don't hesitate to experiment with new ideas and push your creative boundaries. If you encounter challenges or need guidance, the Rosebud team and the Discord community are amazing resources!”.

CoCo's journey highlights what can be achieved with the right tools and a supportive community. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting out, there's always room to learn and grow.

So join our Discord community today and start your own game development journey with Rosie!