Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Beginning C++ Game Programming: Learn C++ from scratch by building fun games

Rate this book
Get to grips with programming and game development techniques using C++ libraries and Visual Studio 2022 with this updated edition of the bestselling series.



Purchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free eBook in PDF format

Key FeaturesCreate 2D and 3D games in C++, with this up-to-date guide covering the latest features of C++20 and VS2022Build clones of popular games such as Timberman, Zombie Survival Shooter, a co-op puzzle platformer, and Space InvadersDiscover tips to expand your finished games by thinking critically, technically, and creativelyBook Descriptiondreamed of creating your own games? With the third edition of Beginning C++ Game Programming, you can turn that dream into reality! This beginner-friendly guide is updated and improved to include the latest features of VS 2022, SFML, and modern C++20 programming techniques. You'll get a fun introduction to game programming by building five fully playable 2D and 3D games of increasing complexity. You'll build clones of popular games such as Timberman, Pong, a Zombie survival shooter, a coop puzzle platformer and Space Invaders.

The book starts by covering the basics of programming. You'll study key C++ topics, such as object-oriented programming (OOP) and C++ pointers and get acquainted with the Standard Template Library (STL). The book helps you learn about collision detection techniques and game physics by building a Pong game. As you build games, you'll also learn exciting game programming concepts such as particle effects, directional sound (spatialization), OpenGL programmable shaders, spawning objects, and much more. You’ll dive deep into game mechanics and implement input handling, networking, and AI. Finally, you'll explore game design patterns to enhance your C++ game programming skills.

By the end of the book, you'll have gained the knowledge you need to build your own games with exciting features from scratch.

What you will learnSet up your game development project in VS 2022 and explore C++ libraries such as SFMLBuild games in C++ from the ground up, including graphics, physics, and input handlingImplement core game concepts such as game animation, game physics, collision detection, scorekeeping, and game soundImplement networking and AI to create rich and engaging experiences for playersLearn advanced game development concepts, such as OpenGL shaders, particle systems, and tilemapsScale and reuse your game code by learning modern game programming design patternsWho this book is forThis book is perfect for you if you have no C++ programming knowledge, you need a beginner-level refresher course, or you want to learn how to build games or just use games as an engaging way to learn C++. Whether you aspire to publish a game (perhaps on Steam) or just want to impress friends with your creations, you'll find this book useful.

Table of ContentsC++, SFML, Visual Studio & Starting the first gameVariables, Operators & Animating SpritesC++ Strings, SFML Time : Player Input & HUDLoops, Arrays, Switch, Enumerations & Implementing Game MechanicsCollisions, Sound & End Making The Game PlayableObject Oriented Starting the Pong gameDynamic collision detection and Fini

648 pages, Paperback

Published May 31, 2024

10 people are currently reading
3 people want to read

About the author

John Horton

126 books7 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
1 (50%)
4 stars
0 (0%)
3 stars
0 (0%)
2 stars
0 (0%)
1 star
1 (50%)
Displaying 1 of 1 review
Profile Image for Kayla.
143 reviews3 followers
January 10, 2025
DNF @ 50 pages in with lots and lots of skimming through the rest of the text. While I have experience with Swift, this is one of my first brushes with C++ & I don’t think I’d recommend it. It’s wild to me that this is reviewed so highly on Amazon with someone giving it 4 stars even though with their background/degree in CS, they state that they still struggled with this text.

Largely, I found that the book is inconsistent with info/definitions & oversimplifies a lot in order to get folks making “end products” rather than focusing on learning how to think, problem-solve & interrogate things like a programmer. Falls into the category of “tutorial hell” in my opinion where the author is doing an incredible disservice to folks by “holding back necessary information” in the hopes of not overwhelming readers. My favorite (sarcasm) part is where at the end of the first chapter, the author answers the likely question of “what if I don’t understand this function stuff?” by beginning with “it doesn’t matter”. The author more or less states how repeated exposure will clear things up. While yes, repeated exposure is helpful, I think it actually does matter whether or not the description of functions is clear to readers. It absolutely does matter if folks understand functions as this is such a fundamental foundation for all programming.
Displaying 1 of 1 review

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.