How to Learn HTML5 Game Development

Can you tell me how to learn HTML5 game development?

HTML5 lets you avoid the Adobe Flash plug-ins that cause all kinds of problems for users.

It does not do much for iOS users because it won’t install on iPhones at all. It runs on Windows and Linux, but often crashes the browser.

HTML5 lets you use JavaScript in place of Adobe Flash for simple interfaces and code.

You call it out on HTML5 pages with the script tag.

You can call out a particular JavaScript script with the script tag or you can paste in the specific JavaScript code.

That sort of thing only lets me make alternatives to Adobe Flash games.

That is a type of game development. For all the fancy games people try to make, Candy Crush had a billion dollar or so IPO.

Can you make 3D games with HTML5?

Yes. For example, you can use raaycasting to make 2D games look 3D.

That turns the HTML5 game from a free Adobe Flash replacement to a cheap 1980s Atari knockoff on a website.

You could use WebGL. That is essentially the merger of OpenGL and JavaScript to create a 3D world.

I cannot afford to buy a bunch of software to learn game development.

PlayCanvas is an open source WebGL game engine, so it doesn’t cost you anything to do.

How do they make money?

They have a platform to let you publish the games you develop. They take a portion of game royalties, and you can pay them for services like troubleshooting the code.

But a free platform is a great way to learn game development. And paid expertise if I need it.

Don’t forget a few books on game development with HTML. And then actually read them, instead of assuming that the programming books on the shelf demonstrate your expertise and you’ll absorb their wisdom while staring blankly at the screen.