Video Game Guru

• 1). Download a video game creation software program. Several companies offer free, online downloads of their open source engine. These engines include Build Your Own Net Dream (BYOND), Hephaestus, YoYo Games and CAST II. Each is unique in its language and interface, and each is geared toward people with different levels of programming skills. For example, CAST II is fairly complex and assumes you are comfortable with at least some programming languages while YoYo Games' engine allows novice game creators to make games without having to write a single line of code.
  
  
• 2). Install the software. After downloading, install the game by double clicking on the self-executing file. Accept the end-user license agreement and designate the file where the program is to be saved. You may be required, depending on the program, to provide additional input, but all the programs are relatively supervision free in their installation process.
  
  
• 3). No matter what your level of experience, it is a good idea to start off with the tutorial to familiarize yourself with the engine. Some engines, such as Hephaestus, do not have a tutorial included and instead require you to go to the website for tutorials. In Hephaestus, you can easily create a simple map by selecting "Edit Map" then naming the area and selecting "OK." You can then customize your area's surface by selecting "Add Terrain" and selecting the type of terrain (such as sand, grass, etc.) and selecting "OK."
  
  
• 4). Test your creation. After creating some parts of your game, it is a good idea to save it in a folder that can be easily found and uploading it to the site you got your engine from. For example, YoYo Games has a Beta Test area on its website, which allows other gamers and developers to try out your game and provide feedback.
  
  
• 5). Distribute your game. A game without an audience is not much of a game. Use your own website, developers' forums, or the space reserved for you by your software distributor (such as BYOND's hosting area) to get your game out to the public. Additionally, creating copies that you burn to CD or DVD allows you to give (or sell) the game to your friends and family