Using Corona SDK at Global Game Jam 2016

27 January 2016

Using Corona SDK at Global Game Jam 2016

We’re just days away from Global Game Jam 2016, the largest game hackathon of the year.

If you haven’t heard about it before, Global Game Jam is a great opportunity for both veteran and novice game developers to gather together, collaborate, and make games over the course of one weekend.

In addition to deciding to attend and actually forming a team, choosing a game development tool is one of the main decisions you’ll have to make. Fortunately, Corona SDK is listed as one of the top tools and technologies in the website’s list of platforms, so be sure to select it as your platform of choice.

Why you should choose Corona SDK

Speed — Corona is excellent for rapid prototyping. When you save your code, the Corona Simulator detects the changed file and instantly refreshes itself so that you see the changes instantly. Corona SDK is also based on Lua which is an easy-to-learn language.

Rich API ecosystem — Corona SDK provides an extensive API set for creating/manipulating images and sprites, playing audio, applying physics, and interacting with game elements. Corona also provides a scene management library to make multiple screens/levels simple. Finally, an ever-expanding plugin library allows you to extend your app beyond the already robust API set.

Diverse platform deployment — While Corona SDK is known for being a mobile development platform (iOS, Android, and Windows Phone 8), it is also a TV platform, featuring support for Android TV and Apple’s new tvOS. Even more important is that Corona SDK can also build to both Windows x86 and OS X desktop. Thus, using the same code base, you can target a whole set of entertainment platforms.

Learning resources — Looking for the proper resources to get started? We’ve got it covered!

• Documentation and guides — Each API is documented and a collection of guides cover essential topics.
• Sample code — Some developers learn best by inspecting existing code. We have many examples which you can use as foundational aspects for your game.

Get started!

Ready to attend Global Game Jam 2016? Sign up on their website as soon as possible.

Next, download Corona SDK. With rapid prototyping, a robust API set, a diverse range of deployable platforms, and plenty of learning resources, Corona is the perfect tool for developing your 2D game at Global Game Jam 2016 and beyond.