1. How to Make a Video Game.
EXCLAIMER
LONG
By Jesse

2. Step 1. Understand Your Game
 -You'll need to do some planning and thinking about the big issues if you want to keep your process moving smoothly.
-What genre will your game be (RPG, shooter, platformer, etc.)?  
-What platform will your game be played on? 
-What will be the unique or prominent features of your game?
-Each answer to each question will require a different set of resources, skills, and planning, as they have different ways that they impact game development.
Step 1.
Understand
Your Game

3.  How the game is designed will be very important, so you'll want to work this kind of thing out before you start making the game. How will players progress through the game? How will players interact with the world? How will you teach players to play your game? What kind of audio and music cues will you use? This is all very important.
Step 2.
Design a Good Game

4. If making games like Mass Effect was easy, everyone would do it
If making games like Mass Effect was easy, everyone would do it. You need to understand what you can and can't do without a huge studio and lots of experience behind you. You also need to be realistic about what you can accomplish within a reasonable amount of time. If you're not realistic about what you can do, then you're likely to quickly become disappointed and give up. We don't want you to give up!
Step 3
Be Realistic

5. Step 4 Get Good Hardware and Software
Making a game anywhere above "mobile" level requires a computer that is, by most definitions, "tricked out". If you're using an older system, you'll find that you are unable to get the game you make to work on your computer. You'll also need some pretty powerful and very specific software for making games. Some programs are free or cheap, but others can cost a lot of money. Good software is discussed in a later section, but know that the software you'll need can include 3D modellers, image editors, text editors, compilers, etc.You'll need a powerful processor (at least a quad core, and preferably one of the new i5s or i7s), lots of RAM, and a high end video card at a minimum.
Step 4
Get Good Hardware and Software

6. Step 5 Do small games on your own, big games with other people.
If you just want to make a quick mobile game with uncomplicated visuals and programming, that's fine. That's a good project to work on your own, because you can use it to show future employers and investors what you're capable of. But if you want to make a more serious game, you're going to need to get some people to help you. Indie games usually have a team of around 5-10 people (depending on complexity) and bigger name games can have up to several hundred people working on them!
Step 5
Do small games on your own, big games with other people.

7. You'll need lots of people with lots of different skill sets if you're going to make most types of games. You'll need programmers, modelers, visual designers, gameplay or level designers, audio experts, as well as producers or marketing/money type people.
Step 6
Build Your Team

8. Step 7 Create a Design Document
Think of this like as something between a resume and a battle plan for your game. A design document lays out everything about the design of your game: the gameplay, the mechanics, the character, the plot, etc. In doing so, it also shows everything that needs to be done, who will do it, what the expectations are, and the general timetable for getting things done. Your design document is very important for not only keeping your own team on track but also for showing to potential investors. Your game design document should be split into sections and include a detailed Table of Contents.
Common sections to include cover the story of the game, major and minor characters, the level design, the gameplay, the art and visual design, the game sounds and music, as well as a breakdown of the controls and user interface design.
The design document should not be limited to text. You will usually find design sketches, concept art, and even items like preview videos or sound samples.
Do not feel limited or too worried about your design document and it's formatting. There is no standard format or required items to include. Just make a document that fits your game.
Step 7
Create a Design Document

9. It takes money to make a game
It takes money to make a game. If nothing else, the tools are expensive and it's extremely time consuming (taking away from the time you could spend doing things that make actual money). It gets more expensive the more people you need to work with and the more complex their skills need to be in order to make more and more sophisticated games. You need to figure out where your money is going to come from and you need to discuss with your contributors how, when, and how much they will be paid before the actual work begins. The cheapest way to make a game is to do everything 100% yourself. But this is difficult if you lack the skills, and many very different skills are needed. For most inexperienced people working on their own, a simple clone app is about the most that can be managed. Even if you make a game by yourself, you'll still need to pay licensing fees for most good engines and many of the app stores and other sales venues. Don't forget about taxes for the money you do make, either.
To make an average quality indie game, you will need roughly in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Major titles often take in the millions of dollars to develop.
Step 8 Think of The money

10. You'll need to choose an engine for your game
You'll need to choose an engine for your game. The game engine is the piece of software that controls all of the little details about how the game works (like AI, physics, etc). Engines require tools, which are sometimes included but sometimes need to be made from scratch, that allow you to interact with and create the game within the engine. Once that's sorted, you'll need to find someone who knows how to script in that engine. Scripting is where you tell the game engine what to do. This usually requires a certain amount of programming skills.
Step 9
Do The Programing

11. Step 10 Create The Content
You'll also need to start creating the actual content in the game. This means modeling the characters, making the game sprites, making the environments, all of the objects that the player interacts with, etc. Excellent skills with 3D software and visual arts are usually needed to complete these tasks. Meticulous planning- ahead: also good.
Step 10
Create The Content

12. You need people to play through your game
You need people to play through your game. Never mind finding the bugs: you need people to play it if only to find out how other people see and experience the game. Something that seems intuitive to you may be very confusing for everyone else. A tutorial or story element may be missing. You never know. This is why it's important to get outside views.
Step 11
Get Some Betas

13. Once you're done making your game, you're not actually done making your game. You're going to have to test everything. Everything. You need to get through every possible scenario in your game to make sure that there aren't any bugs. This takes time and manpower. Allot a generous schedule to testing!
Step12
Test Your Game

14. Let people see your game once it's done
Let people see your game once it's done. Show it to companies that might want to invest in it as well as people who you think might want to play it! Have a website and a development blog, post screenshots, video walkthroughs, trailers, and other content to show people what your game is all about. Drumming up interest will be crucial to the success of your game.
Step 13 Show off Your Game

15. There are lots of places where you can release a game but where will depend on what type of game you made. Currently the app stores and Steam are the most open to newcomers. You can release your game independently on your own site but hosting costs tend to be prohibitive. You'll also have less visibility.
Step 14 Release Your Game

16. Step 15 Try beginner's game making programs
There are several great programs that beginners can use to make basic games. The most famous are probably Game Maker and RPG Maker, but Atmosphere and Games Factory are also good. You can also use children's programming training tools, like MIT's Scratch. These are surprisingly good at teaching you the basic skills you'll need.
Step 15 Try beginner's game making programs

17. Step 16 Learn About Different Graphics Software
 If you're not hiring a pro to do your graphics works, then you've got a lot of studying ahead of you. You'll need to learn to work a number of complex graphics programs...but you can do it! Photoshop, Blender, GIMP, and Paint.net are good places to start if you want to make the visual elements of your game.
Step 16 Learn About Different Graphics Software

18. Step 17 Consider Going Traditional Pro
You'll have a much easier time making a successful game and getting investors if you have experience, education, and a well-known game attached to your name. Because of this, it's probably a good idea to work for a traditional, known game developer before breaking out on your own. This might require going to school or acquiring some skills, but it's still working towards your goal and it will be worth it in the end.
Step 17 Consider Going Traditional Pro

19. Step18 Work Your Way Into the Indie Community
The indie game development community is strong, supportive and welcoming. If you're good about supporting, promoting, discussing, and helping them with their projects, they'll return the same in kind. Talk with them, get to know them, and let them get to know you. You'll be surprised what you can accomplish with a community behind you.
Step18 Work Your Way Into the Indie Community

20. Step 19 Crowd Fund if You're Serious
If you want to make a professional game that can hold its own against other serious games, you're going to need money. Luckily, things have really changed in the last few years and crowd funding has made it possible for unknowns to make excellent games. Get acquainted with Kickstarter and similar websites. Just be aware that you'll have to really work to run an excellent campaign, which means realistic goals, great rewards, and constant communication.
Step 19 Crowd Fund if You're Serious

21. T H A K S W A T C H I N G

22. Resources