What skills are needed to be a game programmer?

[Sweet_Sadie]

What skills and languages would you recommend?

 

Interface design would be at the top of my list as that is your customer's (players) portal into your game.

 

What else and why?

[Fenixp]

Well, the most essential skill you're ever going to need developing anything is reading, closely followed by this. I'm not trying to troll you, I'm dead serious. For instance, try "basics of game development" and go from there.

 

If you'd like a more directed experience, in 8 days, a game programming course starts on Coursera. After registering with the site, you can gain free access to all released materials and courses which should get you started, just enroll with the course. (In fact, looking trough the course, majority of presentations are already up in the "Preview course" tab so you can even get started straight away.) There are even various tests and assignments which should help you learn. I didn't do the course myself, but I don't think I've encountered one on Coursera which would be straight bad, hope this is not the first one - and it teaches MonoGame which should be reasonably easy for a beginner.

Edited June 12, 2016 by Fenixp

[Guard Dog]

The ability to work long hours for low pay fueled only by Doritos and Mountain Dew. 

[ManifestedISO]

The ability to work long hours for low pay fueled only by Doritos and Mountain Dew. 

 

Punctuated with moments playing sack, if you're lucky. 

 

 

That bottle opener is tight.