How To Start Making Games In dot big bang!

Never made a game before but want to give it a go? Then you’ve arrived at the right place. dot big bang has every tool you need to make a game right here in your browser. You can get started on a new game project in seconds. In this post we’ll go through everything you need to know to start making games on dot big bang. No prior knowledge needed!

Create An Account

First, you’ll need to set up an account on dot big bang. Our signup process is quick and easy.

1. Click here to go the the signup page.
2. If you choose to sign up by email, you’ll need to verify your email address via an email we’ll send you. Just click the link in the verification email to verify your account.
3. That’s it! You can now log into your account by clicking here.

You can manage your account at any time my clicking on your username to view your profile.

Create Your First Voxel Object

Once you are signed into your account creating your first object is easy. Just follow the steps below.

1. Click “Create Objects” on the dot big bang homepage or click here to create a new voxel object.
   
   
   • Watch the tutorial video, as it contains a lot of information about how the editor works, such as adding and deleting voxels, changing colors, and other essential info.
   • Hover over the icons to display tooltips that will tell you what different buttons are for. Take a moment to familiarize yourself with the tools in the editor.
   • Bookmark this page to easily return and make new objects in future, or get there easily from the homepage!
     
     
2. There’ll be a default object in the editor when you first arrive. Use the Move tool to select it and press delete to remove it. Now you’ll have a blank canvas to start your new object.
   
   
3. Build something simple to begin with, and don’t worry about making it too polished. Experiment with the tools to see what they do, and to get a feel for how they work.
   
   
4. You can rename your object by clicking on the ‘Unnamed Object’ text at the top right.
   

Create Your First Game

Once you’re signed in, making a new game is super simple. Follow these steps to get started:

Click “Build Worlds” on the homepage, or click here to create a new game.

1. You’ll see four starting templates for your new game. You can start with a blank world, or the Obstacle Course Template which will help you see how a small game is put together. You can also use our How To Make an Obstacle Course tutorial to learn more.
   
   
2. Watch the pop-up tutorial video, as it contains a lot of useful information about the editor and how it works. You can watch it again at any time by clicking the question mark icon in the tools, and choosing “Tutorial”. 
   
   
3. Bookmark this link to easily make new games in the future, or click “Build Worlds” on the homepage anytime!

Learning The Tools

There are lots of different tools for all kinds of things in dot big bang. You can experiment and learn what they do a little at a time.

• Explore the different options you have to add objects and life to your game with the panel at the bottom of the screen.

• Drag and drop objects into your game from the menu at the bottom. You can use things you have made in the voxel editor, or search objects made by other people in the creator community.

• Change the size, position and orientation of an object in your game using the coloured squares that appear around it when you click on it. This is called the Transform tool.

• Objects in your game are called Entities. If the entity is doing anything, for example flying around, this is because a behavior has been applied. You can see an entity’s behaviors and properties an by clicking on it, and looking at the Entity Panel that appears on the left of the screen. Adjust and play with these properties to get an idea of what they do.

Start Scripting

Once you’re familiar with the game editor, you can start using scripts to make entities in your game do all kinds of things.

Getting started with scripting is fun and easy. Start by checking out the “Intro To Magic 101” starter game, which is one of the four options you’ll see when you click “Build Worlds”. There’s a walkthrough of the game here.

You can also join the dot big bang Discord to talk to the dev team and other creators, and get help and advice.

Find Your Work

You can find all your work on your profile page. Get there by clicking on your name in the top right corner of the screen when you’re signed in. There’s a search bar here to find a specific game or voxel object you’ve made.

Share Your Work

Start a Multiplayer Session

1. Open the game you want to share.
2. Click the share button (shown above).
3. Click Copy to copy the multiplayer link to the clipboard.
4. Click Go to start the multiplayer session.
5. Paste the link to the people you’d like to invite.
6. They will arrive in your game immediately when they click the link.

Getting Help

The best way to get help with anything dot big bang related is to join our Discord server.

There are channels there to share your work, chat with other creators, and get help with all kinds of things. The #creator-space and #scripting channels are great places to ask questions about creating in dot big bang. You can also find willing volunteers to play your games in the #playtest channel. There are also fun activities to get involved with, like the #weekly-art-challenge, where you can get some inspiration from a simple prompt, and see what other people made.

The dot big bang Community Engineers are also available to help you out. As well as answering questions in these Discord channels, we run live sessions twice a week on Discord, where you can join in, ask questions, and get help and advice. You can also see live game development streams every week on Twitch and YouTube.

You can also use the following resources:

• Our Creator Documentation – Contains lots of articles about how the game engine works and our scripting API documentation.
• Our YouTube channel – Contains lots of tutorials.
• Our social media is a great way to follow what’s happening, and see things people are making.

Our Community Engineers are:

Charles Palmer (@meheleventyone)
Charlie Dean (@charlie)
Ashley Koett (@ashley_k)
Anders Elfgren (@SrekelDBB)
Bill Costello (@JordiLaForge)

Have fun, and we look forward to seeing what you make!