GameSalad is a drag and drop game engine developed by GameSalad, Inc. Though it was developed from the ground up to create 2D games it can also be used to develop a wide range of educational applications. Anyone can use GameSalad to develop a game as it doesn’t require any prior knowledge to programming, the game/app logic is created using a visual editor by simply dragging and dropping as the game engine Construct 2.
Apps and games created using GameSalad could be exported to work on Android, iOS and as a browser based HTML5 game. Learning GameSalad is very helpful for anyone willing to start game development and doesn’t have any prior knowledge to programming, it’s also helpful for teachers who want to create simple educational games/apps, it’s also very useful for children to get them into understanding programming.
The aim of this post is to present and compare between free online sources that beginners can rely on to learn GameSalad, the sources stated here are full-structured courses that beginners can follow along.
Getting Started with GameSalad from Scratch
GameSalad CookBook
GameSalad CookBook is the first free online outlet where beginners can start learning GameSalad through text and video tutorials, you don’t have to register to have access to the training.
Structure: The training is divided into 7 sections, each section is divided into lessons, each of these lessons cover certain topics in GameSalad.
Interface: The interface is quite simple, just click on the lesson you’re interested in and you’ll be directed to the page where it resides.
Pros
- Free.
- The training is well-structured and organized for beginners.
- The training familiarizes beginners with topics they should learn about in order to start using GameSalad.
Cons
- No actual game was created from start to finish in this training, though that won’t be a problem for complete beginners.
Verdict: This is the best online outlet for beginners to start learning GameSalad.
Tuts Plus
Tuts Plus is the second free online outlet where beginners can start learning GameSalad through video tutorials, you don’t have to register to have access to the training.
Structure: The training has the “learn by doing” style as you shall learn GameSalad while building a game called “Danger Droid”, the training is divided into 5 sections, each section create part of the game and that familiarizes beginners with certain tools in GameSalad.
Interface: The interface is quite simple, just click on the lesson you’re interested in and you’ll be directed to the page where the video lesson resides.
Pros
- Free.
- The training is well-structured for beginners.
Cons
- The training is based on the Mac version of GameSalad, though that won’t be a problem for Windows users.
Verdict: This is the best online outlet for beginners to start learning GameSalad through video tutorials.
Mostly Creative
Mostly Creative is the third free online outlet where beginners can start learning GameSalad through video tutorials, you don’t have to register to have access to the training.
Structure: There’s no real structure for the training as it has a huge collection tutorials that covers certain tools in GameSalad as well as tutorials in which games are created from start to finish.
Interface: The interface is simple, just click on the tutorial you’re interested in and you’ll be directed to the page where the tutorial resides.
Pros
- Free.
- A huge collection of tutorials.
Cons
- The training isn’t well-structured or organized for beginners.
Verdict: This is a very good online outlet for GameSalad users to foster their skills in using the various tools of the game engine, but it’s not suitable for complete beginners.
MAC Animation Vimeo Channel
MAC Animation Vimeo Channel is the fourth free online outlet where beginners can start learning GameSalad through video tutorials.
Structure: The training is divided into 9 video lessons sections, each of these video lessons cover a certain topic in GameSalad.
Interface: Standard Vimeo interface.
Pros
- Free.
- The training is well-structured and organized for beginners.
Cons
- The training is based on the Mac version of GameSalad, though that won’t be a problem for Windows users.
Verdict: This is an excellent online outlet for beginners to start learning GameSalad through video tutorials.
Bottom Line
The recipe for learning GameSalad:
- GameSalad CookBook is the best outlet for beginners to start learning GameSalad through text and video tutorial.
- Tuts Plus is the best outlet for beginners to start learning GameSalad through creating an actual game.
- Mostly Creative is a very good source for GameSalad users to foster their skills in using the game engine.
Remember that the first step is always the toughest step, and the aim of this post is to provide you with resources that will help you take your first step in learning GameSalad.