The best way to start is start small and practice creating simple systems. My plan is to publish a simple Android mobile game via Google Play Store, in part because I’ve created an account there and haven’t published anything yet whatsoever. And Google is warning me that they won’t have any of that. -:8
I’ll be using the wonderful open-source Godot game engine (at current stable version v4.4.1) which I came to really like (and I really mean really). The plan is to implement and tweak various methods, best practices (as best as I am able to), tricks and assets I stumbled upon during my adventuring across the web.
// A special shout-out here to GameDev.tv crew, as well as a number of individual teachers I found on Udemy. I'll put up a comprehensive list in the game's About menu.
The game loop and mechanics is quite simple. I’ve decided to call it Opposable Thumbs as your (most likely opposable) thumbs are surely to get a lot of practice here!
In short, the enemies (actually the opposition, to be pedantic and in-line with the game’s name) will appear randomly on the screen. You’ll have to tap them in order to make them vanish, thus prolonging the game, obtaining the ever higher self-increasing score, and getting bonuses for the successive taps in the process (cool sounds and visual effects notwithstanding).
If they happen to linger on screen for too long, they will enter a “warning” state, indicated visually and audibly. If you don’t tap them soon enough while they start acting like that they will progress to a “critical” state (also indicated visually and audibly, but, like, exponentially… …and especially after you tap them!).
If a critical timer runs out on any such opposition present on the screen, the game is over. Upon that, the final score is presented, and even recorded should it happen to be a high one!
And that is it. Nice and simple. No fruits and no ninjas harmed in the process. And quite easy to make, right? RIGHT? -:8