As I mentioned in my Surviving Lockdown post, I started upskilling on Python, and when upskilling on a new programming language, I usually do a project to build on and enforce the things I am learning.

For my Python-based project, I decided to use PyGame to develop a small game. One piece of advice I can offer when developing a game is that it is better to develop a small and basic game that you finish than a large and ambitious game you never complete. I believe everyone who has tried some form of game development has at least one over-ambitious project they never completed, so it is better to start small.

The game I developed is called “Space Octopus Invasion” and here is a video of the game in action:

The tools and resources I used in the development process are as follows:

• Trello
  I used Trello for task tracking and planning.
  
• PyCharm
  PyCharm is my favorite Python IDE developed by JetBrains, and it offers a free community edition.
  
• PyInstaller 
  A great utility to package a python application into an executable file.
• InstallForge 
  A free installer maker that allows you to create a professional-looking setup wizard to install your game.
• GameDevMarket.net
  I am not an artistically inclined person, and typically I use art, sound, and music assets when developing a game, I recommend GameDevMarket.net as they have a great selection of assets available.

The Installer for the game can be downloaded here: Installer.

And the source code can be downloaded here: Source Code.