Your kid wants to make a video game. Here is where to start.

Kids usually start with a huge idea. It has a world to explore, lots of characters, online play, shops, pets, and updates. That is fine. You do not need to talk them out of it.

Keep the big idea. Then make one small part of it first. A first game only needs a player, a goal, and a way to win or lose.

Start with one minute of play

Imagine a dog at the bottom of the screen. The player moves it left and right to catch falling stars. Catch ten and you win. Miss three and the game ends.

That is a complete first game. The title screen, shop, story, and extra levels can come later. Finishing this small version gives the child something real to test and improve.

The fastest start: CodeDreams

The quickest way to turn "dog catches stars" into something playable is CodeDreams, our AI game maker built for kids. Your child describes the player, the goal, the controls, and the rules in their own words, and a playable version appears in minutes. Then the real work of game development starts: playing it, noticing what feels wrong, and asking for changes until it feels right.

Because it was designed for children rather than adapted for them, everything lives in one safe workspace. The game is built from real code the child can open and read, a built-in Learn tab teaches the fundamentals behind their own game while they build it, and when the game is done, publishing gives it a live link at its own web address that friends can play in any browser. There is nothing to install, it runs on Chromebooks, drafts are free, and children under 13 use a parent-owned account. Publishing requires a paid plan.

Making games by directing an AI is not a shortcut around learning. It is how more and more software gets made, and it lets kids attempt games that would have been out of reach a few years ago. CodeDreams builds browser games such as platformers, clickers, quizzes, puzzles, interactive stories, and simple 3D worlds, in JavaScript or Python. It is not Roblox Studio or a standalone game engine, so for a Roblox game or a console or app-store release, keep reading.

Blocks still work too

For a child who wants to build every rule by hand, Scratch gives them characters, sounds, events, and blocks without a large game engine to learn. MakeCode Arcade fits a maze, platformer, or retro arcade game, and can show the same project as blocks, JavaScript, or Python.

If your child already uses Scratch, our guide to what comes next compares these tools with several other options.

Use Roblox Studio for a Roblox game

Roblox Studio is free and includes a 3D editor, testing tools, a code editor, and publishing. Roblox games use a programming language called Luau. The official Creator Hub has templates and beginner lessons.

Studio runs on Windows and Mac. It is a large program, and publishing connects the game to Roblox. A parent should help with the account and understand who can see or edit the project. Our guide to Roblox Studio for kids covers the setup in more detail.

Use Godot when they want to learn a game engine

Godot is a free engine for standalone 2D and 3D games. It is a good choice for a child who wants to understand scenes, physics, assets, and scripts, and does not mind a slower start.

Begin with the official first-game lesson. Once it works, change one rule or add one feature. Rebuilding a large commercial game is not a useful first project.

A simple first weekend

1. Write down the player, goal, controls, and ending.
2. Make the game playable with basic shapes and no extra screens.
3. Let one person play without explaining the controls.
4. Fix the biggest problem they found. Save the rest for next time.

The parent's job is to help keep the project small and be the first player. Let the child make the choices. A rough game they made is a better start than a polished game an adult finished for them.

If you want that first weekend to end with a game your child can send to a grandparent, start a free draft in CodeDreams. Write down the player, goal, controls, and ending, and let your child type it in themselves.