Who should I follow to learn about game development?

If you want to actually learn game development, rather than just watch random tutorials, I’d follow a small group of creators covering different skills.

🎮 My recommended follows

• Game Maker’s Toolkit (GMTK) - Game design

  • Learn why games work: level design, difficulty, mechanics, tutorials, player psychology, etc.
  • This is probably my #1 recommendation for developing your designer brain. Top 15 Game Development YouTube Channels for Learning in 2026

• Code Monkey - Unity + C#

  • Excellent for hands-on programming and building actual systems.
  • Good choice if you want to make games rather than just learn programming in isolation. 8 Best Unity Game Dev YouTube Channels in 2026 (Beginner to Pro)

• Sebastian Lague - Programming + procedural generation + graphics

  • Great once you're comfortable with basics.
  • His projects teach you how to think about algorithms, simulations, AI, terrain, and procedural worlds. 30 Free Game Development YouTube Channels (2026 Edition)

• Brackeys - Beginner Unity

  • His channel is no longer actively uploading, but the older tutorials remain excellent for learning Unity fundamentals. Pair them with newer Unity resources because some APIs/workflows have changed. Top 15 Game Development YouTube Channels for Learning in 2026

• GDQuest - Godot

  • One of my top picks if you decide to use Godot.
  • Particularly good for structured, project-based learning. 9 Best Game Development YouTube Channels in 2026 (Unity, Godot, Unreal)

• Unreal Sensei - Unreal Engine

  • Good starting point if you're interested in Unreal/UE5, especially 3D and visual scripting. 9 Best Game Development YouTube Channels in 2026 (Unity, Godot, Unreal)

• The Cherno - C++ + game engine programming

  • Follow this if you're interested in understanding what's happening under the hood and eventually building engines/systems yourself. His Hazel engine series is particularly useful. 70 Game Development YouTubers You Must Follow in 2026

• Freya Holmér - Math, graphics, shaders

  • Fantastic when you want to understand the math behind game graphics, movement, curves, shaders, etc. 30 Free Game Development YouTube Channels (2026 Edition)

If you're starting from zero

I'd keep it simple:

Game Maker's Toolkit + one engine-specific creator + actually making games.

For example:

GMTK → Code Monkey → build a tiny game → Sebastian Lague → build another game

Don't follow 20 channels. You'll end up consuming game-development content instead of developing games. Current 2026 learning guides similarly recommend picking just a few channels that match your engine and going deep. Game Development YouTube Channels - The Best Resources for Learning

If you tell me your current level (complete beginner / know programming / already making games) and whether you're interested in Unity, Unreal, or Godot, I can give you a specific 3–6 month game-dev roadmap with exactly who to follow and what to learn in order.

Learning game development requires looking at different pillars: Game Design Theory, Programming/Engines, and Art/Production. Depending on whether you want to learn via YouTube, structured courses, or industry post-mortems, several creators, channels, and platforms stand out.

1. Game Design Theory & Analysis

If you want to understand why games are fun, how mechanics work, and how to structure player experiences:

• Game Maker's Toolkit (GMTK / Mark Brown): An absolute essential. Mark Brown breaks down design mechanics, level design, accessibility, and indie game creation processes into deeply analytical, highly digestible video essays.

• Design Doc: Great for practical game design lessons, examining structural elements of classic and modern games, and looking at what makes specific genres tick.

• Extra Credits: Excellent historical and design-centric videos that cover the philosophical, ethical, and mechanical foundations of game making. So I want to learn more about game development/design ... - Reddit

2. Programming, Engines, & Technical Tutorials

If you want to learn how to code and build games inside engines like Unity, Unreal, or Godot:

• Sebastian Lague: Legendary for his deep-dive programming tutorials covering procedural generation, math, custom physics, and boids algorithms. Highly visual and inspiring.

• Brackeys (Archived, but Gold Standard): Though he stopped making new videos, his massive catalog of beginner-to-intermediate Unity and C# tutorials remains a rite of passage for thousands of indie developers.

• Code Monkey: Fantastic, comprehensive tutorials for modern Unity development, clean architecture, and full game-building workflows.

• HeartBeast & GDQuest: If you are leaning toward Godot or 2D game development, these creators offer some of the clearest, most production-ready tutorials available.

3. Professional Industry Insights

• Game Developers Conference (GDC) YouTube Channel: The ultimate resource for learning professional game dev. You get direct access to post-mortems of major hits (like Hades , Zelda , Minecraft), technical deep dives by veteran engineers, and psychology talks by world-class designers.

• GameFromScratch: Perfect for staying up to date on engine updates (Unity, Unreal, Godot), tools, news, and beginner-friendly software overviews.

4. Structured Platforms

If you prefer structured curriculums over scattered videos:

• GameDev.tv: Led by passionate instructors teaching comprehensive, project-based courses for Unity, Unreal, Godot, and Blender (frequently discounted or bundled via Humble Bundle). GameDev.tv: The World's Most Loved Game Development Courses

• Unity Learn / Unreal Online Learning: Official, free interactive pathways provided directly by the engine creators to take you from absolute zero to publishing your first project.

Where should you start? Pick one engine (like Unity, Godot, or Unreal) and one primary creator or platform to follow for the first month so you don't get overwhelmed by tutorial paralysis.

Are you more interested in the programming/coding side of game development, or the art and design side?

Learning game development is best approached by balancing programming/engines , game design theory , and the indie developer reality. Depending on what area you want to focus on first, here are the top creators, educators, and channels to follow:

1. Programming & Engine Mastery (Hands-On Building)

• • Code Monkey (YouTube / X): Exceptional, clean, and in-depth C# and Unity tutorials. He focuses heavily on architectural best practices so you don't just copy code, but actually learn how to structure a game. Top 10 Game Design Youtubers to Watch in 2025

• Godot Engine / GDQuest (YouTube): If you are leaning toward open-source or 2D/3D indie development with Godot, GDQuest provides some of the highest-quality, professional tutorials for learning GDScript and programming logic.

• GameMaker (YouTube / Community): Perfect if you want to dive straight into 2D pixel art games (like Undertale or Hyper Light Drifter). Their official channel and community-led guides offer amazing foundational logic.

2. Game Design Theory & Analysis (Why Games Work)

• • Game Maker's Toolkit - GMTK (YouTube): Run by Mark Brown, this is practically mandatory viewing for anyone in game dev. It breaks down mechanics, level design, accessibility, and player psychology using clear, analytical video essays.

• Extra Credits (YouTube): Highly recommended by the community on Reddit for their classic, foundational game design theory series, covering everything from writing for games to balancing loops. Best YouTube channels to learn game development and design?

• Design Doc (YouTube): Great deep-dives into specific mechanics, genre breakdowns, and UI/UX design choices in commercial video games.

3. Indie Dev Journeys & Realities (The Process)

• • Blackthornprod (YouTube): Fantastic for atmospheric, cozy indie game creation, particularly in Unity/Godot, with bite-sized advice on art style, juice, and prototyping.

• Thomas Brush (YouTube): Offers a great mix of artistic creation, mindset, and the harsh realities of marketing and finishing indie games on platforms like Steam.

If you'd like, let me know:

• • What engine or software you are thinking about using (Unity, Unreal, Godot, GameMaker?)

• Whether you prefer 2D or 3D games

• If your main interest is coding, art/animation, or overall design

I can tailor a more specific learning path and resource list for your goals.

I’d start with Game Maker’s Toolkit, then add one creator who teaches the game engine you want to use. That gives you both sides of game development: understanding what makes a game work and learning how to build it.(learnwithpath.com)

Who to follow

A manageable starting lineup

My recommendation is to follow just three at first:

• For Godot: Game Maker’s Toolkit, GDQuest, and HeartBeast.
• For Unity: Game Maker’s Toolkit, Code Monkey, and Sebastian Lague.
• For Unreal: Game Maker’s Toolkit and Unreal Sensei; add more specialized creators once you know which part of development interests you. These combinations pair design analysis with engine instruction rather than giving you several overlapping beginner channels.(learnwithpath.com)

Use one project-based series as your main course, and treat the other channels as supporting material - not another queue you need to finish. Building small, complete projects is the practical bridge between watching lessons and developing your own games.(answerlode)

Follow creators like _Brackeys,Game Maker’s Toolkit,Sebastian Lague**, and **GDQuest** for structured tutorials, and **Extra Credits** or **Alexander Brazie’s Game Design Skills** for deeper design theory. If you want engine-specific guidance, **Unreal Sensei**(Unreal Engine 5) and **Code Monkey_(Unity) are excellent picks.

🎮 Key People & Channels to Follow

📌 How to Choose Who to Follow

• If you’re starting out: Brackeys + Code Monkey (Unity) or GDQuest + Heartbeast (Godot).

• If you want design literacy: Game Maker’s Toolkit + Extra Credits.

• If you’re aiming for professional practices: Jason Weimann (Unity) or Unreal Sensei (UE5).

• If you want inspiration and motivation: Dani, Sebastian Lague, and devlog creators like Sam Hogan show the real journey of indie development. Top 15 Game Development YouTube Channels for Learning in 2026

⚠️ Risks & Challenges

• Outdated tutorials: Engines evolve quickly; older Unity or Unreal videos may reference deprecated APIs. Always check if the tutorial matches Unity 2023+, Unreal Engine 5, or Godot 4. 9 Best Game Development YouTube Channels in 2026 (Unity, Godot, Unreal)

• Fragmented learning: No single channel covers everything. Pair coding tutorials with design-focused channels to avoid becoming a “mechanics-only” developer.

• Passive learning trap: Watching videos is easy, but progress comes from building small projects alongside tutorials.

👉 To tailor this list better: Do you want to focus on coding(Unity/Godot/Unreal), game design theory, or indie dev motivation? That will help me narrow down the best voices for your learning path.