In this blog, you and me will learn about the different types of coding languages utilized in game design, whether it’s Java(Script), C/#/++, Python, or Ruby. What exactly do these languages do for the design? Some of them, like Java, C, and Python make huge or popular games; Java and C make the different versions of Minecraft, and Python makes games such as Snake and The Sims 4. The other variations of C (C++ and C#) are also used in game development including but not limited to Flappy Bird and Counter-Strike which use C++, and C# makes the baseline of Stardew Valley and Roblox. Let’s now dive into the main concepts of these languages and what coding in them looks like.
Java and JavaScript
As similar as their names are, these programming languages are very different from one another. One can be used to make webpages interactive (Script) and the other can be used to create the most sold game. Let’s first do JavaScript because this is similar to one of the primary colors of coding. After JavaScript, we will discuss what Java is and what differentiates it from the script.
JavaScript
JavaScript is one of the world’s most used programming languages, followed by CSS and HTML, which is where JavaScript comes in. It’s mainly used in HTML webpages to make animations and interactivity with the page. We will not discuss the web pages in this specific blog because this is about gaming. JavaScript is used in mostly 2D games such as platformers. It was introduced in 1995, which, for how long computers existed, is pretty recent.
Here is an example of JavaScript coding:
This is 23 lines of code that does some simpler tasks. Any JavaScript file will have the suffix “.js” and the default names for the files are index.js, app.js, and main.js. With less than 10 lines of code, you can automatically save progress in games in which you would normally click a “save” and “load” button. Now, we will discuss Java and the differences between it and JavaScript.
Java
Java is used mainly for the following:
- Creates mobile and web apps, such as coding practice
- Enterprises computer software
- IoT (Internet of Things) devices
- Games, such as Minecraft
- Cloud computing applications
These are just some of the examples of different types of uses for Java. Here is an example of some Java code:
With just 20 lines of code, you can make some simple movement that makes a character go left, right, up, and down. With some more code, you can also create an open-world game, like Minecraft or others like Fortnite and Roblox.
C Language
C is a programming language that most people find similar to other languages such as Java, and, like Java, can be used to create games, such as Pocket Edition Minecraft, Snake, Chess, and other games. Here is an example of coding in C:
This is just some C code to say “Hello, World!” in a game or HTML page.
C++ and C#
C++ and C#, although being similar in characters, they are very different. This is an example of some C++ code:
This is just some code code that lasts 28 lines, which puts your name in a database. Games that specifically use C++ as a main language are World of Warcraft, Counter-Strike, Call of Duty, Fortnite, and others. This language, alone, can get you a job as either a web developer or a game architect, so it’s a good thing to learn it for your resume. Now we will talk about C#, which is if Java and C were raised in the same family. It uses mostly C in this scenario but can look like Java to most. Here is an example of C# in action:
This is some code (don’t wanna guess how many more lines) and this is basically an automatic calculator that will help the user understand math terms. Some games that use C# as a main language are Rust, Hearthstone, Grand Theft Auto, and Pokemon Go. Now we will talk about Python, a basic but very important language in games, game design, website development, and other topics.
Python
Python makes mostly older games like Snake and online Tic-Tac-Toe but can be both easily learned and majorly used in even more modern games. Here is an example of some Python code:
With just 11 lines of code, Python can make simple commands and, for me at least, was the baby (easy) version of Java, JavaScript, and the C language. Other popular game titles that specifically use some form of Python are Doki Doki Literature Club!, Pacman, Pong, The Sims 4, Battlefield 2, Star Trek, and others. This concludes the blog post, for now, and these are just some of the popular examples of games, coding, and others. Other programming languages like Lua are used in many different games and are utilized for menus, moving assets like weapons, and others. There is also Ruby, which is used in most modern game engines and can be used in RPGs, open-world, and others. Now this concludes the blog post, we will update this blog from present to future accordingly.