Skip to content
Write a review
UdemyGame Development FundamentalsPaid courseAll Levels

HTML5 Simple Game Programming Preparation (Udemy.com)

Free overview of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for my HTML5 Game Development course.

4.4
1,525 reviews

Created by: Andy Harris

Last updated April 2014

Our take

Based on the ratings of 1,525 students, a sample of their written reviews and the syllabus, as the course stood in April 2014. No course pays to be reviewed.

This is Andy Harris's free warm-up for his larger HTML5 game course. It runs about 5 hours across 24 lectures and five sections: a basic web page, talking to the page with the DOM, core programming ideas, a small text-based game, and a first look at the simpleGame.js engine. It is aimed at people with no programming background, and the audience notes say kids can follow along with an adult. It has not been updated since April 2014, and that shows.

Reviewers praise the teacher most, calling him welcoming, fun, and easy to follow, and one says he enjoyed the tone and pace of Andy's voice. The complaints are about age and depth. One 3-star reviewer calls it outdated and wants VS Code, addEventListener, and source code included. Others found it too basic, while one reader felt buried under too much code at once. Someone also reports a video stopping in chapter 4. A couple of the one-star entries are off-topic text, not feedback on the course.

Since it costs nothing, the risk is about five hours. Roughly 1,100 of the 1,525 ratings are four or five stars, and the average is 4.4. Treat it as a taster for the full game course, and do the exercises, because the course itself says programming is not a spectator sport. If you already write JavaScript, there is nothing here for you. Anyone who wants current tooling should plan to move on to a newer course afterward.

Best forCurious beginners, or parents and kids, who want a free, gentle taste of web coding before committing to a full game course.
Skip it ifYou want modern JavaScript, downloadable source files, or real depth beyond a slow first pass at the basics.

Pros

  • Andy Harris teaches in a warm, fun voice that reviewers say makes the hours fly by
  • Assumes no coding background, and the audience notes say kids and parents can take it together
  • Covers variables, loops, functions, arrays and the DOM, then builds a small text game
  • Completely free, with a short 24-lecture format and a first look at the simpleGame.js library

Cons

  • Last updated in 2014, so reviewers call it outdated and point to older habits and tooling
  • No coding exercises and only three quizzes, and one reviewer missed downloadable source code
  • Some find it too basic, others say too much code at once; one reported a video stopping in chapter 4
Andy is a great teacher. I loved the way he takes us through each item. Loved it. I may end up enrolling for more sessions from him.
Sunitha, a student

Listed for all levels, but it really suits true beginners, including kids with a parent nearby. Reviewers call it basic for anyone with coding experience.

icon
What you will learn

  • Build a basic web page with HTML
  • Use CSS to add essential style to your page
  • Understand the main concepts of programming (variables, conditions, loops, branches, functions, and arrays) using JavaScript
  • Use JavaScript and the Document Object Model to build a basic interactive web page
  • Discover the free simpleGame.js game library and use the online practice tool to begin building your own games online!

Course content

5 sections · 24 lectures · 5.2 hours of video 3 quizzes

  1. 1Building a basic page - and an epic adventure 1 free preview6 lectures · 1 quiz · 1.2 hours
  2. 2Talking to the Page5 lectures · 1 quiz · 1 hour
  3. 3Coding Like a Pro6 lectures · 1 quiz · 1.7 hours
  4. 4Building a text-based game3 lectures · 29 min
  5. 5Introducing the Game Engine4 lectures · 47 min

Who it is for

The instructor says it suits

  • Anyone interested in game development.
  • Suitable for middle school, high school, or adult learners. Motivated younger students will also enjoy the course, but they may need help from an adult. Perfect course for kids and parents to take together!
  • No prior experience in web development or programming is necessary, although it can be useful.
  • Programming is NOT a spectator sport! You'll only learn if you're willing to do some exercises on your own.

What you need before you start

  • Access to an HTML5 - compliant browser (Google Chrome 23 or greater recommended)
  • Access to a higher-end text editor (specific examples linked in course)
  • Any major operating system (Windows 7+, Mac OSX, Linux)

How it compares

Against the other 281 rated Udemy courses in Game Development Fundamentals on CourseDuck:

  • Rating4.4 out of 5higher than 31% of them
  • Reviews1,525#25 of 282 by number of reviews
  • Length5.2 hoursshorter than 66% of them
  • Last updatedApril 2014earlier than 99% of them

icon
Course Description

Learn to build web and mobile games with HTML5. Even if you have no experience in programming or web development, you can create your own games.

This course begins with a quick overview of web development in HTML5 and shows you the basic web framework used in all modern pages. It then teaches essential programming concepts using the JavaScript language embedded in all modern browsers.

It introduces the simpleGame.js engine, showing you how the engine works and introducing a free online game development tool. For more information on game programming, please see my other course.

All Levels All Levels product length iconTime: 5.2h

icon
Udemy Discount

The discount is applied through our link. Open the course from here and Udemy's current promotional price is applied at checkout on most courses, no code to type.

Get the Udemy discount

Some courses are excluded from Udemy's promotions. If the price does not drop, clear your browser cookies and use the button again.

icon
Instructor Details

Andy Harris

  • Andy is the author of over a dozen books on various topics in computer programming, especially web, game, and mobile development.

His best-selling books include

  • HTML5 / CSS3 All in One for Dummies
  • HTML5 Game Programming for Dummies
  • HTML5 Quick Reference for Dummies
  • PHP6 / MySQL Programming for the Absolute Beginner
  • Game Programming - the L Line (using Python)
  • Flash Game Programming for Dummes

He teaches computer science at a major university teaching the following courses:

  • * Computer Science I - Introduction to computer science and programming with Python
  • * Computer Science II - Advanced computer programming in C, C++, Java, basic algorithms and Data Structures
  • * Game Development I and II - 2D and 3D game development from the ground up, including building game engines.
  • * Web and Mobile Development - Various classes in client-side, server-side, and AJAX programming, as well as mobile development.

Andy is also very active in homeschooling. He has taught math and programming classes to various homeschooling groups, and is a featured technology columnist in The Old Schoolhouse magazine, a leading magazine among homeschool families.

icon
More courses by Andy Harris

$44.99

$54.99

$39.99

All courses by Andy Harris

icon
More Game Development Fundamentals courses

$94.99

$19.99

$89.99

$59.99

$13.99

$94.99

All Game Development Fundamentals courses

icon
Reviews

4.4

1,525 ratings on Udemy

Select a bar to show only those reviews.Select the bar again to show every rating.

Write a review

By Nestor Sukhetskyi on 2/22/2024

so far, the course is great: the teacher is so good in terms of speaking and making me feel welcomed in the course; the content seems to be extremely interesting.

By Loïc LE TEXIER on 9/10/2021

For beginners only, outdated and slightly anachronistic ... - No source code included? - Should introduce tools like VS Code and plugins instead of polluting the code with "end if" comments. - Really?! Introducing "//

By Muhammad Aiman Fakhrullah bin Mantasan on 9/18/2019

These lesson really teaches me on basic exposure and knowledge on making games from HTML itself. The explanation are really understandable and really fun to do. Thanks!

By Jaaman Dunker on 5/8/2019

The course had lots of great stuff. I am now a confident web developer and software developer and game developer. I enhanced my html and css knowledge, and learned a lot about javascript. This was a complete course for all levels of students. Also at a great value Freee.

By Tamara Andreozzi on 4/4/2019

I don't really know a lot of thinks that the course talking about but the teacher is very funny and i try to move on. Thanks for the opportunity to learn! I'm in the middle and i'm learning a lot of interesting thinks in a funny way!! I finish! Was great!!! Funny, useful and simple. I really enjoy it.

By Ruchibrata Kundu on 2/11/2019

the instructor is very energetic and find a fun way to teach. Good for kids,too. But -the course has the lecture upto no 24. It doesn't show any more but it won't give you ant certificate as it shows incomplete. That's very dissatisfactory. Otherwise-I was very happy to go with the course.

By Umesh K on 3/24/2018

Thanks a lot, Mr. Andy Harris, for sparing your time and resources to share your vast knowledge with us, that too for free. There is so much knowledge to absorb here; i can see myself referencing this course and the book's website again and again. And, yes, thanks for the website and great tools that you have prepared and kindly shared with us. I sincerely pray and wish that you be bestowed with all the best things this world has to offer.

By Richard Park on 4/11/2017

I failed to submit a rating when I finished this introduction course a couple of summers ago. All of the Andy Harris books and courses are thorough, well explained, and contain concrete examples and resources.

By Delilah Lin on 3/13/2016

A great way to learn foundation HTML. Every section you build a working project, and gives you a sense of how everything comes together with CSS and Javascript in a fun way. Good supplemental material for other study materials!

By John Bosi on 6/20/2015

This course is free and provides examples that would challenge any beginner to HTML and Javascript. The Javascript lesson on arrays provides quality examples for accessing and manipulating the document. He covers a lot of syntactical ground in very little time with Javascript. Overall a very good intro to programming games with HTML5 and Javascript.

Showing all 10 reviews on CourseDuck

Read all 1,525 reviews on Udemy

icon
Quality Score

No CourseDuck member has rated this course yet. Taken it? Give each part a thumbs up or down.

Content Quality
/
Video Quality
/
Qualified Instructor
/
Course Pace
/
Course Depth & Coverage
/

Overall Score : 88 / 100

HTML5 Simple Game Programming Preparation
Visit course on Udemy Write a review
  • Video Duration: icon 5.2h
  • Price: Free
  • Provider: icon Udemy
  • Updated: icon April 2014
  • Level: All Levels All Levels
  • Language: icon English
  • Certificate: icon No
  • Lectures:24 in 5 sections
  • Practice:3 quizzes
  • Students:64,100
  • Subtitles:1 language

Udemy Coupon Price Tracker

Udemy price history

For any issues or feature requests please email CourseDuck's Co-Founder at mkuhlman12@gmail.com