Woman coding in JavaScript - Pexels
Modern games can be built using a vast range of tools and software. Some use dedicated game engines like Unity or the Unreal engine, while others (usually the ones that don’t need 3D aspects) are built without these, using nothing but the programming language they are designed in.
There are a lot of different languages that a modern game developer might choose for this purpose, from the classic and old-school C, to C++ if you want more object-oriented functionality, and then to the user-friendly and highly flexible Python. All of these options have been used to create extremely high-quality games, and they each have their own pros and cons for developers.
Still, what if you want your game to be easily accessible to the greatest number of people? What if the ease with which someone finds your content is a high priority for you, and you want them to be able to start playing immediately, with no messing around, downloading files, or installing scripts?
Well, in this case, you are probably looking for something that can play automatically in a browser, and you’re likely going to want to turn to JavaScript for this. Sure, Flash may have rivaled JavaScript for its ease of access back in the days when it was still a thing, but these days, JavaScript is really the undisputed king when it comes to creating online games that people can dip into without any downloading required.
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It’s easy to claim that a given language is the best choice for a specific task, but what has really been done in JavaScript? Well, the short answer is so much that it’s hard to know where to start. If it plays automatically, there’s a decent chance that JavaScript is involved.
If you want proof of that, try navigating to a site like Joe Fortune Online Casino and testing which of the games will load if you disable JavaScript in your browser. You’re pretty likely to find that no, the games don’t load without JavaScript enabled because they’ve been designed using this programming language.
That’s true across the board. You might think that games like poker would be designed using different programming software from slots, but actually, both are very likely to have been made using JavaScript, and neither will work without it. Roulette, baccarat, craps, and more - JavaScript is the magic that makes these games run. What’s more, it makes them instantly accessible to users: all you need to do is open the game and start playing, no downloads, no waiting, nothing complex. That’s why sites like Joe Fortune tend to use JavaScript; it creates instant accessibility for people the world over.
Ask any programmer, and you’ll hear that JavaScript is perhaps the second-most important language on the web after HTML. That’s significant! If you have a big win on a digital slot machine, say a quick “thank you” to JavaScript for running it for you.
Of course, it’s not just the casinos that use JavaScript for their games. Ever played Flappy Bird Clone or Snake Game? Both are JavaScript-based and demonstrate how classic games can be recreated for browsers using this programming language. It’s helped to modernize and make accessible some of our all-time favorites, showing just how vital this language is.
Learning Javascript
So, if you are looking to create your own browser-based games, you might be wondering how you can go about learning JavaScript. Well, the good news is that JavaScript is actually one of the easier languages for programmers to get started with.
It has memory management built in, so you won’t need to worry about handling pointers or freeing up memory once you are finished with it, in the way you would if you started with something like C++, and it’s a weakly typed language, which frees you up from having to know exactly what kind of variable you are working with all the time. Its syntax is also fairly intuitive for most beginners, and it#s easy to create something that actually shows up on your screen, which is often encouraging for beginners.
Another thing that makes JavaScript great for those just starting out is the wide range of tutorials and courses designed specifically to help people get started with this programming language. Completing exercises like this is a great way for those unfamiliar with programming to take their first steps into this world, and can serve as a useful way for even those with some experience with other languages to add JavaScript to their toolbelt.
This is particularly relevant if you’re looking to get a job in the coding industry, as JavaScript knowledge is a very sought-after skill by many employers. If you are interested in going down that route, then it might also help to brush up on some of the common interview questions asked in this area.
Learning Javascript
Whether you want to learn how to make games in it yourself, or are just interested in one of the underlying building blocks that helps power a large section of the internet, JavaScript is a fascinating tool that has applications in a wide range of fields. Without it, the internet would likely be a very different place and, if nothing else, would definitely have far fewer entertaining games for us to enjoy.