“Realizing that there was a community of people creating games with AI made me feel like I had found my people”, says shawnBuilds, one of the most prolific creators in the Rosebud AI community.
Thanks to our AI Game Creator, Shawn has crafted a series of minimalist yet captivating games, beloved by the community for their simple but engaging gameplay.
However, Shawn admits he couldn't have completed these games without the support from the Discord community.
“I found Rosebud AI while searching for game jams on itch.io. I was struggling to finish projects, but then I saw a Community Livestream and realized Rosebud could provide the feedback I needed”, he says.
“It was really the community that motivated me to join and submit my first game”.
The Power of Feedback in Game Dev
“I started in game development a few months ago, and I struggled with finishing projects. I was isolated and frustrated, often giving up on the game jams I joined before sharing my games for others to try”, Shawn recalls.
However, during his first month with Rosebud, Shawn created and shared a new game every three days. Some of the most notable and innovative ones include BackAttack, Freezer, ZoneDash, and Off the Wall.
Shawn realized that receiving feedback, seeing players share their excitement, high scores, and suggestions for next updates, was exactly what he needed to keep his creative process going. “It kickstarted an obsession with getting feedback”, he admits.
“The biggest barriers for new users are not knowing how to finish and share a playable game, and underestimating the impact of this community's support”, he reflects.
“Getting feedback and interacting with your players is necessary for growing as a creator. Rosebud is the perfect place to learn that lesson”.
AI Tools for for Game Dev Success
Thanks to his background in programming and web development, Shawn was already experienced with AI tools like ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot.
He had used them in his own projects, such as websites and tabletop role-playing games, which made it much easier to get started creating games on the Rosebud platform.
“ChatGPT is flexible; I'd use it as a character to test my writing at home. Copilot is convenient for coding but isn't flexible”, he explains. Still, using both tools led to a feeling of isolation: “It's not obvious how to connect with other users, and I was experimenting alone for a long time”.
After gaining access to Rosebud, Shawn began working with Rosie to complete and share a game for our Education and AI Game Jam.
“After the jam, I asked around on Discord to figure out what I could do to learn faster. I was told about the Game Showcase channel where I would get feedback on any game I shared. Taking the advice, I started to work in public and showcase a small game every few days”.
Shawn's Minimalist Game Design
Shawn's games are known for their minimalist style, featuring geometric shapes as protagonists and lacking detailed art.
“As a beginner, to speed up how quickly I can get feedback from players, I've focused on programming and design, completely ignoring the art”, he explains. “But I've learned that visuals often make the first impression on the player, so my recent game Santa's Workshop is a step toward a more polished look”.
In this game, you lead a group of elves in a gift-wrapping race to save Christmas. “In a recent jam, I failed to submit this game on time, which was disappointing because I felt I still had something to offer. And, you can see it really looks like Christmas!”.
Moving forward, Shawn plans to share more small games, create project-based tutorials to help new users get started, and continue supporting other creators by playing their games.
He recently shared a tutorial on How to build an arcade game with Rosebud, and also more about How to Add a Game Over Screen and Handle Game Restart, and How to Create a Tile Editor for Your 2D Platformer which you can check out in our Discord.
When asked what advice he would give to other users, Shawn responds, “It would be to join the Discord and take a look at the Game Showcase channel. The support and motivation they'll see is exactly what will drive their growth and confidence, just as it has done for me and dozens of other creators”.
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