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Kartik Patel
Kartik Patel

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Zero to Game Dev – Thinking Like Coder (Before Writing Code)

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to Chapter 4 of the Zero To Game Dev course.

This chapter is titled:

Thinking Like a Coder (Before Writing Code)

This part is specially made for people who are touching coding for the first time in their life, or who hear the word code and immediately think it’s something scary or complicated.

If you already have some experience with coding and understand the basics, you can safely skip this chapter.

But if you’re just starting out and don’t really know what’s ahead, this chapter is strongly recommended.

It will save you a lot of confusion later.


FAQ

Let’s first clear some common doubts.


1) What Coding Really Is?

Coding is not dark magic, secret spells, or something only geniuses can do.

In simple words:

Code is just writing instructions in a strict language that a computer can understand.

For example:

If health is 0 → game over

That is already code.

It’s just not written in a real programming language yet.

This kind of writing is called pseudo-code.


2) What Is Pseudo-Code?

Pseudo-code is a way of writing logic in plain human language before turning it into real code.

It helps you think clearly without worrying about syntax.

Example:

If player touches enemy
    Reduce health
If health is zero
    End game
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

This is not real code, and that’s the point.

Pseudo-code helps you:

  • Plan logic
  • Understand behavior
  • Avoid confusion
  • Translate ideas into code later

Good developers think in pseudo-code before they write real code.


3) Do I Need to Be Good at Math?

Short answer: No.

Most beginner-level game development uses:

  • Basic addition and subtraction
  • Comparisons like greater than or less than

You don’t need calculus, trigonometry, or advanced math to start.

Understanding logic matters far more than math skills.


4) Is Coding Only About Typing Fast?

No.

Typing is easy.

Thinking is the real skill.

Coding is mostly about:

  • Breaking problems into small parts
  • Deciding what should happen and when
  • Explaining that logic clearly to the computer

Speed comes later. Understanding comes first.


5) Can I Learn Coding If I’ve Never Done It Before?

Absolutely.

If you can:

  • Follow instructions
  • Ask “what happens next?”
  • Stay curious

You can learn coding.

Everyone starts from zero. There are no exceptions.


CODING TERMS

Now that we’ve cleared the most common doubts, let’s learn some core concepts that form the foundation of coding.

Don’t worry about memorizing anything. Just focus on understanding.


1) VARIABLES

You may have heard this word in math class.

In coding, a variable is simply a value that the game remembers.

Think of variables as boxes with labels.

Examples:

  • health = 100
  • score = 0
  • speed = 5

The game constantly reads and updates these values.

When health decreases, the variable changes.
When score increases, the variable changes.

Variables are how a game remembers what’s happening.


2) DECISIONS (IF–ELSE)

Games constantly make decisions.

Examples:

  • If the player jumps, apply gravity
  • If the player touches an enemy, lose health
  • If health reaches zero, end the game

This is called conditional logic.

In human language:

If something happens → do something

Else → do something else

This single idea powers most gameplay logic.


3) LOOPS (YOU ALREADY KNOW THIS)

You already learned about the game loop in Chapter 2.

A loop simply means:

Do something again and again.

Games run logic inside loops:

  • Check input
  • Update positions
  • Check collisions
  • Draw the screen
  • Repeat

Coding uses loops to repeat actions automatically.

This is how games stay alive instead of running once and stopping.


OUTRO

Before ending today’s chapter, let’s answer an important question.


Why Haven’t We Opened a Game Engine Yet?

Because:

  • Engines are tools
  • Code is thinking
  • Tools come after thinking

If you understand how logic works, engines stop feeling magical and confusing.

In the next chapter, we’ll write our first real lines of code inside a beginner-friendly game engine called Mini Micro.

No pressure.

No rush.

Just one step at a time.

See you in the next chapter.



Connect With Me

My dev.to account -> https://dev.to/kartik_patel
My Discord server -> https://discord.gg/qStHEDfge7

TEXTUAL

Zero To Game Dev #1 -> https://dev.to/kartik_patel/zero-to-game-dev-1-1n6l
Zero To Game Dev #2 -> https://dev.to/kartik_patel/zero-to-game-dev-what-even-is-game-gii
Zero To Game Dev #3 -> https://dev.to/kartik_patel/zero-to-game-dev-what-is-game-engine-27hh

VIDEO

Zero To Game Dev #1 -> https://youtu.be/rbN1BMmSi7s?si=PfguGzXXI2wktCs4

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