Apps I use for game development
A list of apps I use to develop video games as a hobby. Looking at trying your hand at development? This list may be a good place to start. Note that this list is tailored towards Windows users, as this the environment that I use.
What is a game without a game engine? Unity is my engine of choice and has everything I need. It gets a bad rep for being the producer of asset swaps and whatnot. But honestly, it's a robust engine that is capable of great things.
Look, it's okay to buy and use assets. Just don't simply repackage them and try to sell them as a game.
My primary coding environment that connects easily with Unity.
Another Visual Studio product. I use the online version of VS Code on my iPad (with a keyboard) to code in bed. It's not a buildable or debuggable environment, but it allows me to quickly write up a bunch of code on the fly. Works great with GitHub.
GitHub is fabulous, even if your projects aren't open source. I have a couple private repositories that I use to easily sync code between a couple devices.
A great choice for making 2D art like UI and logos.
Used for quick image creation and editing.
I don't actually do much of my own 3D modelling, but when I do, I use Blender.
Some kind of tracking software is essential so you don't forget what you're doing. Trello is great at what it does.
Steam is an obvious choice as a self-publishing storefront.
The best place to chat with the players and fans.
A bit of a self plug here; but I made this app specifically to help me with my development workflow. It comes in handy when you are dealing with a lot of loose files that need to be moved around, or put somewhere quickly.
You need an OS for game development, and regardless of how you feel about Windows; it is king of computer gaming. It's incredibly easy to use Windows to develop, build, and play.
Keep you code safe. Back it up.
Sometimes local backups aren't enough. For an added layer of safety, backup your project to a cloud.
