United States · Ages 6 to 12 · Scratch, MakeCode Arcade, Roblox

How to make a video game when you are a kid

Making a video game as a kid is easier than it sounds, and it can cost nothing. Children can build a working game in a web browser in an afternoon, on the same Chromebook they use for school. What makes it go well is choosing a tool that fits the child’s age and computer, starting with an idea small enough to finish, and testing it on someone else. This guide covers all three, then gives your child a complete twenty-line game to type in, explains what happens when they press Share, and answers the question every young player asks next: can I make it 3D?

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In one paragraph

To make a video game, a kid picks a free tool that suits their age and computer, such as Scratch or MakeCode Arcade in a browser, or Roblox Studio on Windows or Mac, plans one small idea, builds it, and tests it on family. Modern Age Coders teaches children aged 6 to 12 live online, in a batch or one to one, through our Scratch and Game Development for Kids courses.

Make games with a teacher

Three courses where children finish real games

Live and small enough that every child shares a screen, and every class ends with something playable.

Game Development for Kids course thumbnail

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Game development for kids

For 8 to 12 year olds, about six months: Scratch games, then Roblox Studio and coded Minecraft.

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Scratch Coding for Kids course thumbnail

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Scratch coding

From age 6. The friendliest way to build a first game, in blocks.

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Roblox Game Coding for Kids course thumbnail

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Roblox game coding

Ages 8 to 14 with a Windows or Mac computer. Typed Luau scripts.

Open the syllabus →

Pick a tool

Free tools a kid can make a game with, by age and computer

There is no single right tool. There is a right first tool for your child’s age, reading level and the computer in the house. Each row below uses what the tool’s own makers say.

Four free game-making tools, from each maker’s own pages (read 17 October 2026)
ToolHow kids code in itWhat it runs onGood first choice for
ScratchBlocks that drag and snap together; the Scratch Foundation says no tricky syntax is requiredA web browserAges 6 to 10, and any child who has never coded
MakeCode ArcadeBlocks, with JavaScript and Python views of the same programA web browser; Microsoft calls it a code editor for Retro Arcade gamesAges 8 to 12 who want a game that looks like a classic console game
Roblox StudioTyped Luau scriptsWindows or Mac only; Roblox says Studio cannot run on Chromebooks or phonesAges 10 and up, the age Roblox’s education team typically suggests
GodotGDScript, a typed languageWindows, Mac, Linux, a web editor, and an Android editor for Chromebooks supporting Android appsConfident readers of about 11 and up who want a full engine

If your child is 6 to 8

Start in Scratch. Its blocks only fit together in ways that make sense, so children spend their time on ideas instead of typing errors. The Scratch Foundation says Scratch is free for everyone and was developed at the MIT Media Lab in 2007.

A first Scratch game can be one cat chasing one mouse with a score. That counts. The core ideas behind professional games, events, loops and conditions, are already there.

If your child is 9 to 12

MakeCode Arcade is a strong second step because the same program can be viewed as blocks or as JavaScript. Children see typed code that matches blocks they already understand.

If the family has a Windows or Mac computer and the child loves Roblox, Roblox Studio is the next door. Unity is a teen tool: its terms set the minimum account age in the US at 13.

Sources, read 17 October 2026: the Scratch Foundation, About MakeCode Arcade, the Roblox Creator documentation, Godot’s Android editor page and the Unity Terms of Service. The age suggestions in the last column are ours. We are not connected with any of these organizations.

Step by step

Seven steps from idea to a game someone else has played

Written for kids, with a note for parents at the end. The steps are the same whichever tool you choose.

  1. Think of one thing the player does. Jump, catch, dodge, steer, match. Just one. A game about everything never gets made.
  2. Say how you win and how you lose. Catch ten apples to win. Get hit three times and you lose. Write it on paper.
  3. Draw it. A box for the screen, your player, the thing to catch or avoid. Five minutes with a pencil saves an hour of building.
  4. Build the moving part first. Make your player move with the arrow keys before anything else. Nothing is more fun to test.
  5. Add the rule. When the player touches the apple, add a point. When the clock runs out, the game ends.
  6. Let someone else play. A parent, a brother, a friend. Do not tell them how. Watch where they get stuck.
  7. Fix one thing, then share. Change the thing that confused them most, play again, and only then show it off.

Why one thing

It is tempting to start with a whole world in your head: twenty levels, a boss, a shop, a story. Then the first afternoon ends with a menu screen and nothing to play. One verb, one rule and one ending gives them a finished game on day one, and finished games are what keep children making more.

Big ideas are not wasted. We ask children to keep an ideas notebook, so the boss and the shop wait their turn instead of crowding out game number one.

A note for parents

The most helpful thing a parent can do is be the playtester in step 6, and stay quiet. If you get stuck, say so: that is real information for the young designer.

Praise the decisions, not just the result. "You made the apples faster when I got good, that was clever" teaches more than "great game".

A real game to copy

A complete MakeCode Arcade game in about twenty lines

A good first typed game, which we wrote for this page. Open MakeCode Arcade in a browser, start a new project, switch to the JavaScript view, and type it in. We wrote it using only blocks and functions described in the MakeCode Arcade reference.

MakeCode Arcade · Snack Dashjavascript
// MakeCode Arcade, JavaScript view (ours):
// catch as many snacks as you can in 30 seconds
let heroImg = image.create(16, 16)
heroImg.fill(9)
let hero = sprites.create(heroImg, SpriteKind.Player)
controller.moveSprite(hero, 100, 100)

let snackImg = image.create(8, 8)
snackImg.fill(5)
let snack = sprites.create(snackImg, SpriteKind.Food)

function moveSnack() {
    snack.setPosition(
        randint(10, scene.screenWidth() - 10),
        randint(10, scene.screenHeight() - 10))
}
moveSnack()

sprites.onOverlap(SpriteKind.Player, SpriteKind.Food, function (sprite, otherSprite) {
    info.changeScoreBy(1)
    moveSnack()
})

info.startCountdown(30)

Switch back to Blocks and the same program appears as blocks. Our arithmetic: a player who grabs a snack every 2 seconds scores 15 before the 30-second countdown ends (30 / 2 = 15).

What each part of Snack Dash does, using the MakeCode Arcade reference (read 17 October 2026)
CodeWhat the reference says it does
image.create and fillMakes a blank picture and colors it in, here a 16 by 16 square for the hero and an 8 by 8 one for the snack
sprites.createCreates a sprite from a picture; kinds such as Player, Enemy and Food already exist
controller.moveSpriteMoves a sprite with the direction buttons at the speeds you choose
randintGives a random whole number from the smallest to the largest, both included
sprites.onOverlapRuns code when a sprite of one kind overlaps a sprite of another kind
info.changeScoreByAdds to the score, or takes away if the number is negative
info.startCountdownSets the game time in seconds; when it finishes, the game ends
Level-up challenges for Snack Dash (ours)
ChallengeWhat to changeWhat it teaches
Faster heroThe two 100s in moveSpriteNumbers control how a game feels
A tricky snackGive the snack its own speed so it driftsMovement without the player
An enemyA second sprite of kind Enemy that costs a point on overlapTwo rules at once
A bonus roundStart a longer countdown after 10 pointsConditions and state
Your own artDraw the hero in the image editor instead of a squareGames need artists too

Sources, read 17 October 2026: the MakeCode Arcade reference pages for sprites.create, controller.moveSprite, sprites.onOverlap, info.startCountdown and randint. MakeCode marks the older Math.randomRange as deprecated, which is why the game uses randint.

Making it fun

Three questions that turn a working game into a fun one

A game that runs is not yet a game people want to play again. After the first playtest, we ask children three questions, in this order.

Is it too easy or too hard?

Watch the playtester. Bored means too easy; giving up means too hard. Change one number, such as speed or time, and test again.

Does the player know what to do?

If they wander, add a hint: a title that says "Catch the snacks!" or an arrow. Good games teach without a manual.

Does winning feel good?

A sound, a flash, a message. Small rewards make players smile, and a smile is the clearest sign a game is working.

What changing one number teaches

In Snack Dash, a countdown of 10 seconds feels frantic and 60 feels sleepy. Somewhere between is right for each player. Children who try three values and pick one have done what game designers call tuning, without needing the word.

It is also quiet maths: comparing values, predicting results, and checking a guess against what really happened.

Ideas for a second game

A maze with a timer. A pong game for two players on one keyboard. A dodge game where things fall from the top. A quiz where each right answer makes your character jump higher.

Each one reuses the same parts as Snack Dash, a moving player, a rule and an ending, arranged differently.

Saving and sharing

Where a child’s game is saved, and who can see it

Parents ask this as soon as a child says "can I show my friends?". The answer is different in each tool, so here is what each maker says.

Saving and sharing, from each tool’s own pages (read 17 October 2026)
ToolWhere projects are savedWhat sharing does
MakeCode ArcadeIn the browser’s local storage; MakeCode warns that clearing browsing data removes saved projectsA shared project goes to MakeCode’s public cloud, and anyone can see your project if they have its shared URL
ScratchNot covered here, because Scratch’s help pages could not be read as plain textShared projects appear in what the Scratch Foundation calls a safe, moderated online community
Roblox StudioPublished to Roblox with File, Publish, under the creator’s accountBy default, a new game is only open to the creator, people with edit access and group members until it is released

Our three rules for young sharers

Save a copy to a file before clearing the browser, or sign in so projects are kept online. Losing a first game to a cleared cache is a sad and common afternoon.

Share links only with people you know, by message or email, until a parent has looked at the game.

Use a nickname in the game, never a full name, school or town.

Accounts and age

Each tool has its own account rules, and they change. Check the sign-up page together with your child before creating an account, especially for children under 13.

For a younger child, a parent can set up and manage any account, and keep sharing switched off until the game is ready to show.

Sources, read 17 October 2026: the MakeCode Arcade FAQ, the Scratch Foundation home page and the Roblox Creator documentation on publishing.

Going 3D

Can a kid make a 3D video game?

Yes, but it is the second game, not the first. Even the Godot engine’s own tutorial says that if you are new to game development, it recommends starting with 2D games before tackling 3D games, which tend to be more complicated.

Ways a child can make a 3D game (from each maker’s docs; ages ours)
RouteNeedsTypical age to start
Roblox StudioA Windows or Mac computer; Luau scriptsAbout 10 and up
Coded Minecraft worldsMinecraft, coded in class as part of our kids courseAbout 8 and up
Godot 3DA computer able to run the 3D renderers in Godot’s system requirementsAbout 12 and up
UnityA Windows, Mac or Linux computer and an account13 and up, from Unity’s terms

Why 2D first

In 2D there are two directions, left-right and up-down. In 3D a third appears, and with it cameras, lighting and depth. Every one of those is a new thing that can go wrong.

A child who has finished two or three 2D games already knows how to plan, test and fix. They bring those habits to 3D and the extra difficulty becomes interesting instead of overwhelming.

How our kids course handles it

Our Game Development for Kids course spends its first two months on game logic in Scratch, the next two on 2D polish and bigger builds, and saves 3D worlds in Roblox Studio and coded Minecraft for months five and six.

Roblox fans can continue with our Roblox game walkthrough, which deals with which computers work, three starter scripts and keeping a first game private.

Growing as a game maker

Four stages of a young game maker

Four stages a young game maker moves through, each at their own speed.

Stages of a young game maker (ours)
StageWhat it looks like
1. RemixerChanges someone else’s game: new colors, faster enemies
2. Copier with ideasTypes a game like Snack Dash, then adds one rule of their own
3. MakerPlans a small game on paper and builds it from a blank project
4. DesignerTests on other people and changes the game because of what they saw

For parents

Remixing is a real first step, not cheating. It shows a child what each part of a game does.

Ask your child to explain one rule in their game. Explaining is the clearest sign of real understanding.

For kids

Small and finished beats big and unfinished, every time.

If your game breaks, change one thing and test again. That is what real game developers do all day.

Our courses

Nine courses for kids who want to make games

Live online, with the same teacher each week, in a batch or one to one.

I

First games

Ages 6 to 12

HMVG / KID / 02

Game development for kids

Scratch, then 3D worlds.

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HMVG / KID / 03

Minecraft coding

Code that shapes a blocky world.

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II

Typed code

Ages 8 and up

HMVG / TXT / 01

Roblox game coding

Luau scripts for real Roblox games.

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HMVG / TXT / 02

Python for kids

Text games, turtle art, first AI.

Open the syllabus
III

When they turn 13

Ages 13 to 18

HMVG / TEN / 01

Game development for teens

Unity and C#, 2D then 3D.

Open the syllabus

HMVG / TEN / 02

JavaScript for teens

Browser games to share by link.

Open the syllabus

Class times

Game-making classes that fit around school

Weekdays or weekends, flexible: choose your batch, or for a very personalised plan choose 1-on-1 at your convenience, weekend mornings or weekdays.

Weekdays

A batch at an hour that fits your family, wherever you are in the US.

Weekends

Morning sessions that leave the day open.

1-on-1

Whatever time your child learns well.

A teacher who stays

The same face each week.

Building, not watching

Children share their screen and make.

A game every few weeks

Finished, not half done.

Family playtests

Homework is letting you play.

Online

From home, anywhere in the US.

Group or private

Fifteen to twenty, or just your child.

Student work

Games our students have made

Built by children who started exactly where yours is. See more in the student labs.

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Fees

Fees

Scratch, MakeCode Arcade and Roblox Studio are all free, so the only cost is the teaching. Families pay for it monthly, in US dollars, and can leave whenever a month ends.

Free first class

USD 0

no card required

  • A first class on us
  • Your child makes a game in it
  • No card asked for
Book it

Group batch

USD 100

a month, billed in US dollars

  • Fifteen to twenty kids
  • The same teacher
  • A batch time you pick
  • Billed monthly
Start here

One to one

USD 150

a month, billed in US dollars

  • Private lessons
  • Times that suit you
  • Your child’s own game ideas
Enquire

What families say

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Word for word, what parents posted on Google.

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"Modern Age Coders has been a game-changer for me. I struggled to grasp IT concepts and coding before joining, but their classes transformed everything. I can now confidently write complex programs with ease."

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Student

★★★★★

"One of the most wonderful education centres out there. Education is not limited to school syllabus but focuses on skill development."

Vansh Agarwal

Student

★★★★★

"My child Dhairya is really enjoying the Modern Age Coders classes. This is his first online class and he eagerly looks forward to it. I can already see his improvement, and the teachers are very cooperative."

Sonam Oswal

Parent of Dhairya

★★★★★

"Modern Age Coders have wonderful teachers who teach in a clear, easy and practical way. The teacher boosts students' confidence and inspires them to learn without hesitation."

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"I highly recommend this computer coding class! The teachers are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about coding."

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Questions from families

Making a video game as a kid: questions

How can a kid make a video game?

Pick a free tool that fits their age and computer, such as Scratch or MakeCode Arcade in a browser. Choose one thing the player does and one way to win, build the moving part first, then add the rule, and let someone else play it.

What is the easiest way for a kid to make a game?

Scratch, for a child new to coding. Its blocks snap together so there are no typing errors, and the Scratch Foundation says Scratch is free for everyone. A first Scratch game can be finished in one afternoon.

Can kids make a video game for free?

Yes. Scratch, MakeCode Arcade, Roblox Studio and Godot are all free to use. Roblox Studio needs a Windows or Mac computer; the others work in a browser or on more kinds of computer.

Can my child make a game on a Chromebook?

Yes. Scratch and MakeCode Arcade run in the browser, and Godot has an Android editor that supports Chromebooks supporting Android apps. Roblox Studio is the exception: Roblox says it cannot run on Chromebooks.

What age can a child start making video games?

Around 6 with Scratch, if they can read simple words. From about 8 many are ready for MakeCode Arcade, and Roblox says its team typically recommends Roblox Studio for ages 10 and up.

How do you make a 3D game as a kid?

Start with one or two 2D games, then move to Roblox Studio on Windows or Mac, or coded Minecraft. Godot's own tutorial recommends 2D before 3D, which it says tends to be more complicated.

Where are MakeCode Arcade games saved?

MakeCode says projects are kept in the browser's local storage, and clearing browsing data removes them. Save a copy to a file, or sign in, before clearing the browser.

Is it safe for kids to share their games?

It depends on the tool. MakeCode says anyone with a shared link can see the project. Roblox keeps a new game private to the creator and collaborators until it is released. Share links only with people you know until a parent has checked the game.

Can kids use Unity?

Unity's terms set the minimum age for an account at the age of consent to data processing, given as 13 in the US. For a child under 13 we suggest Scratch, MakeCode Arcade or Roblox Studio for their own projects.

Do the classes run on weekdays or weekends?

Weekdays or weekends, flexible: choose your batch, or for a very personalised plan choose 1-on-1 at your convenience, weekend mornings or weekdays.

How much do game-making classes cost?

The first class is free. Then you pay for one month of teaching at a time, and this page's Fees section shows the monthly price in US dollars.

Elsewhere on this site

Related pages

More for US families with a young game maker.

Coding classes in the USA

Every page for American families.

How to make a Roblox game

The next step for Roblox fans.

Scratch coding classes

Our live Scratch classes.

Scratch project ideas

Thirty-plus games and stories to try.

Minecraft coding classes

Coding inside Minecraft.

Coding for 10 year olds

Where a ten-year-old can start.

Video game coding classes for kids

Video game coding classes for kids: tools by age, what classes teach, how to choose.

How to make a 3D game for kids

How kids make a 3D game: tools by device, x, y and z, and real code.

Godot for kids and teens

Godot for kids and teens: cost, devices, two GDScript scripts and the errors beginners hit.

Start here

Book a free game-making class

Tell us your child’s age, the games they love and the computer at home. In the first class the teacher helps them build a small game of their own, so they finish with something to show you.

To see what a class looks like first, read how we teach, or look through our full course list.

WhatsApp us · +91 91233 66161 · connect@modernagecoders.com

Our teachers live in India and teach every class live on video, which is how a family in any US state can join. WhatsApp gets the quickest reply.

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