What Skills Your Child Will Learn at Game Design Camp
The specific skills your child gains depend entirely on the type of game they’re creating. This guide breaks down what different game genres teach—and why it matters for their future.
Game Development as a Computer Science Curriculum
Game development isn’t a narrow skill set. It’s a specialized computer science curriculum where different genres teach different advanced topics:
- Action games teach real-time rendering and GPU optimization (graphics programming)
- Platformers teach physics and performance optimization (embedded systems)
- RPGs teach database design and backend systems (enterprise software)
- Strategy games teach AI algorithms and systems thinking (robotics, logistics)
- Multiplayer games teach networking and cloud architecture (cybersecurity, infrastructure)
- Sandbox games teach procedural generation and large-scale data systems (big data, scientific computing)
Technical Skills by Game Genre
Puzzle Games & Logic Challenges
What They Build: Games where players solve brainteasers, match patterns, or use creative thinking (e.g., Portal, Tetris, escape room games).
Technical Skills Learned: Algorithmic thinking, constraint-based problem solving, win/loss condition logic, performance optimization, testing and polish.
Real-World Applications: Software engineering, data analysis, law, medicine, architecture, research—essentially any field requiring systematic problem-solving.
Strategy & Simulation Games
What They Build: Games where players plan ahead, manage resources, and see how decisions cascade over time (e.g., Civilization, turn-based strategy RPGs, city builders).
Technical Skills Learned: Systems thinking, AI pathfinding (A* algorithms), game balance tuning, procedural generation, spreadsheet analysis for mechanics.
Real-World Applications: Business management, finance, operations research, logistics, urban planning, enterprise resource planning (ERP).
Platformers & Movement Games
What They Build: Games emphasizing precise timing, spatial navigation, and level design (e.g., Super Mario Bros., Celeste, Hollow Knight).
Technical Skills Learned: Physics simulation, hitbox geometry, level design architecture, iterative testing, performance profiling.
Real-World Applications: Mobile app development, front-end UI systems, responsive design, user experience (UX) engineering, product design.
RPGs & Story-Driven Games
What They Build: Games with immersive narratives, character progression, and choice-driven systems (e.g., Pokémon, Final Fantasy, narrative adventures).
Technical Skills Learned: Database design, event-driven architecture, dialogue trees and branching logic, AI behavior systems, data serialization (JSON, XML).
Real-World Applications: Backend software engineering, database architecture, API design, web services, enterprise data systems.
Multiplayer & Network Games
What They Build: Games with real-time player interaction and server architecture (e.g., Fortnite, Among Us, online team games).
Technical Skills Learned: Networking protocols (TCP/UDP), client-server architecture, cloud hosting deployment, real-time synchronization, security and anti-cheat systems.
Real-World Applications: Cloud infrastructure engineering, cybersecurity, real-time communication systems, distributed systems, IoT platforms.
Programming Languages Kids Learn
- C#: Most common in Unity. Industry-standard for game development and enterprise software.
- C++: High-performance language for AAA games and graphics programming. Also used in robotics, finance, autonomous vehicles.
- Python: Popular for prototyping, AI/machine learning, data science, backend systems.
- JavaScript: Web development, front-end frameworks (React, Vue), browser-based games.
- GDScript: Godot engine’s scripting language (beginner-friendly, similar to Python).