How to Make a Video Game in 2026: A Practical Guide With Real Numbers

By Ziva.sh • March 24, 2026 • 8 min read

TL;DR / Key Takeaways

  • A simple 2D game takes 3 to 6 months working part-time. A polished indie title takes 1 to 4 years.
  • You can start for $0. Godot is free, open source, and runs on a laptop. No license fees, no royalties, no strings.
  • The biggest risk is not skill. It is scope. Experienced developers say the same thing: make your first game small.

Step 1: Pick a small idea and write it down

Your first game should take fewer than 10 minutes to explain to someone. If you need a design document longer than one page, the scope is too large.

Better models for a first game:

  • A platformer with 5 levels. Celeste started as a game jam entry built in 4 days.
  • A single-mechanic arcade game. Brotato, made in Godot, is built around one idea (a potato with guns) and has over 10 million sales.
  • A card or board game translated to digital. Buckshot Roulette launched on itch.io for $1 and sold 4 million copies.

If you need more structure, consider entering a game jam.

Step 2: Choose an engine

Here is how the major engines compare in 2026:

Engine Cost Best for Learning curve Market share (Steam 2024)
Godot Free forever (MIT license) 2D games, solo devs, beginners Low 5%, growing fast
Unity Free tier available, paid plans start at $2,040/yr Cross-platform, mobile, 3D Medium 51%
Unreal Free until $1M revenue, then 5% royalty AAA 3D, photorealism High 28%
GameMaker Free tier, $9.99/mo for full 2D pixel art games Low 4%

Our recommendation: start with Godot.

Reasons to choose Godot:

  1. Zero cost, zero risk, no royalties.
  2. Built for 2D from the ground up.
  3. The editor is only 120 MB and runs on any laptop.

Step 3: Learn the basics (2 to 8 weeks)

You do not need a computer science degree. You need to learn three things:

  1. How the editor works (node-and-scene system).
  2. Basic scripting (GDScript).
  3. How to find answers in the Godot documentation and community.

Most beginners report spending 2 to 8 weeks on fundamentals.

Step 4: Build a prototype

A prototype proves your core mechanic is fun. This should take 2 to 4 weeks of part-time work once you know the basics.

Step 5: Playtest and iterate

Hand your prototype to someone who was not involved in making it. Common first-game problems:

  • Controls feel sluggish.
  • The difficulty curve is wrong.
  • The core loop gets repetitive.

Iterate until the core gameplay feels right.

Step 6: Add art and polish

You have options:

  • Use free assets from sites like Kenney.nl.
  • Use AI tools for assets.
  • Hire freelance artists on a budget.

The global game industry spends roughly $50 billion per year on development.

Step 7: Ship it

Where to publish:

  • itch.io is the easiest.
  • Steam costs a $100 fee and is a major marketplace.
  • Mobile platforms require a fee for publishing.

How long does all of this take?

Phase Part-time (10-15 hrs/week) Full-time
Learning basics 2 to 8 weeks 1 to 3 weeks
Prototype 2 to 4 weeks 1 to 2 weeks
Full development (simple 2D) 3 to 6 months 1 to 3 months
Full development (polished indie) 1 to 3 years 6 to 18 months

Start today

  1. Download Godot (free, no account required).
  2. Complete the Your First 2D Game tutorial.
  3. Write your one-sentence game idea.
  4. Build a prototype with placeholder art.
  5. Show it to someone and watch them play.

You do not need permission or money. You need an idea, an engine, and the discipline to finish.