This year’s Google IO was brimming with exciting announcements including Android Q, Pixel 3a and 3aXL, and notable updates to Google Assistant, Next Hub, Duplex, and Lens.
However, while gamers are still reeling from the excitement with Google announcing its gaming platform Stadia, the tech company’s experimental lab Area 120 dropped a video game named Game Builder. As the name suggests, the game allows players to create their own 3D games – without any coding experience.
Area 120 is also known as Google’s own incubator as it allows employees to dedicate 20% of their time to their personal projects. It has given birth to successful products like the Google Cardboard and Google News. This is why people got excited when the division announced Game Builder.
Here’s why you should check it out:
Build Your Own Game
Following recent trends in low-code development, Game Builder is a promising start to no-code development. It relies on Google to do the heavy lifting and leaves users with the best parts of game development. Game Builder enables users to design their own games in a smooth drag and drop sandbox world created by talented Google game developers and software engineers. The card-based programming makes it easy for anyone to indicate actions and elements in the game without coding knowledge.
The Verge reports that the game was made available in Steam since November 1, 2018 but only chose to publicize its release recently.
Play or Create with Friends
One unique feature that separates Game Builder from the heap is its capacity for co-op mode. With this, multiple people can interact and create games together. The platform also allows other users to test your games while you’re creating them.
While Tech Crunch suggests that the game’s aesthetics are very similar to Minecraft, the UI is easy to use and intuitive while the if/else card-based visual programming has a very reasonable learning curve. Google also lets players use free 3D designs from its own Poly to aid users in personalizing their games.
Advanced Utility
For experienced coders, Game Builder also includes a JavaScript editor where you can code your own interactions in an “if this then that” logic. This gives the new app a whole new dimension as experienced users can interact and feature their coding prowess in their created games.
This could potentially help budding tech freelancers increase the amount of projects they have in their portfolios, as game design is one of the most lucrative careers in tech right now.
Analysis by CNBC projects that the video gaming industry grows at a whopping 13.3% rate year on year. With a high job market valuation coupled with the exponential growth of the gig economy, the stakes have never been more competitive. In fact, an article published on Yoss about the future of freelance work points out how over half of the working population will freelance in the next decade, as more industries and platforms become open to contract workers. For instance, freelancer platform Fiverr recently introduced categories specifically focusing on video games, acknowledging that the field is in a league of its own. This is why the top talent and developers in the gaming industry can now look forward to a myriad of platforms to showcase their skills. Including games made from Game Builder in your portfolio shows potential employers that your skills remain current and you can adapt to a multitude of different platforms.
While some are skeptical whether Game Builder can become successful, the high amount of positive reviews on Steam proves that gamers are happy about it. Right now, most of the user-generated games available inside are very basic, but with users building their own platforms, it has the potential to improve
