Why Aspiring Game Developers Should Build Retro Game Clones

Python code from Pong game clone

The world of game development is exciting, but for beginners, it can also be vast and overwhelming. Where should you start? What kind of game should you build first? Modern gamers may want to leap right into the next Stardew Valley or Hollow Knight, but quickly find the complexity to be overwhelming.

One of the best ways to begin your journey as a game developer is by creating clones of retro games. This approach not only helps you build essential skills but also allows you to focus on fundamental game mechanics without the complexity of modern game development.

In this article, we’ll explore why building retro game clones is an excellent way to get started in game development, the skills you’ll gain, and how you can use this experience to move on to original projects.

The Benefits of Building Retro Game Clones

1. Learn Core Game Development Concepts

Retro games are typically built on simple yet effective game mechanics. By recreating a classic game like Pong, Tetris, or Space Invaders, you’ll gain hands-on experience with key programming concepts such as:

  • Collision detection – Ensuring objects interact correctly.
  • Game loops – Managing the flow of the game’s updates and rendering.
  • Physics and movement – Handling player movement and object interactions.
  • State management – Keeping track of game states like win/loss conditions and scorekeeping.

These are foundational skills that apply to all types of games, from simple mobile games to complex 3D franchises.

2. Immediate and Clear Goals

One of the biggest challenges for new developers is deciding what to build. A blank canvas can be intimidating, and without a clear plan, many beginners abandon their projects before completion. When cloning a retro game, your goal is straightforward: replicate the mechanics of a known game. This clear objective helps keep you focused and reduces decision fatigue.

3. Rapid Iteration and Feedback

Since retro games are relatively simple, you can complete a playable version in a short amount of time. This rapid development cycle allows you to quickly test, tweak, and refine your game. Seeing progress in real-time is motivating and helps reinforce good development practices. Additionally, when something goes wrong, it can be easier to find and fix.

4. Stronger Problem-Solving Skills

Although we show developers the code we used when cloning our retro game catalog, we encourage aspiring game developers to think critically about our approach and make changes. Even though you’re recreating an existing game, you won’t have step-by-step instructions for every detail. You’ll need to think critically about how to implement mechanics, which improves your problem-solving skills. Debugging and troubleshooting issues—such as why a ball passes through a paddle in Pong or why enemies aren’t moving correctly in Space Invaders—forces you to learn how to analyze and fix problems effectively.

5. Improved Code Structuring and Organization

Building a game requires structuring your code in a way that makes it manageable and scalable. Even with a simple clone, you’ll need to organize your code into classes, functions, and modules. This practice improves your ability to write clean, maintainable code—an essential skill for any software developer.

6. Understanding Game Design Principles

By recreating classic games, you get firsthand insight into why they were so successful. You’ll learn about game balance, difficulty curves, player engagement, and how small design decisions affect gameplay. Understanding these principles will help you design better games when you start creating original projects. Moreover, since you'll be developing the clone, you'll have the opportunity to tweak settings like speed, spawning rate, or gravity and observe how it impacts the overall gameplay.

7. Boosting Confidence and Motivation

Game development can be intimidating, especially for beginners. Completing a fully functional game—even a simple one—builds confidence and gives you a sense of accomplishment. Knowing that you can finish a game makes it easier to tackle more ambitious projects in the future. Building smaller games is also a great way to prepare for game jams where participants come together to create a video game from scratch within a limited timeframe, usually a weekend or less.

Choosing the Right Retro Game to Clone

When selecting a retro game to clone, start with something simple. Here are a few great options for beginners:

  • Pong – Teaches basic collision detection, input handling, and game loops.
  • Tetris – Introduces grid-based movement and collision logic.
  • Space Invaders – Covers enemy movement patterns, shooting mechanics, and simple AI.
  • Breakout – Helps with paddle physics, ball movement, and brick destruction mechanics.
  • Frogger – Teaches object movement, collision avoidance, and level progression.

These games provide a solid foundation without overwhelming complexity (though, if you think any will be a walk in the park, they may offer a serving of humble pie). Something great about cloning retro games is the extensive catalog and documentation available to the general public. This helps keep you focused on the goal of coding the game and not getting lost in the game design. Additionally, while many retro games share some game mechanics, there is enough variety for each new clone to offer new learning opportunties.

How to Approach Building a Clone

  1. Play the Original Game – This point can't be stressed enough. Spend time playing the game you want to clone to understand its mechanics, behaviors, edge-cases, and eccentricities.
  2. Break Down the Components – Identify the core elements (player movement, enemies, collisions, scoring system, etc.).
  3. Draft a Development Checklist – Translate your game component breakdown into a checklist of small, achievable goals. For example, "Create screen", "Create character sprite", "Render character sprite on screen", "Set up player sprite movement", etc.
  4. Plan Your Code Structure – Outline how you will organize your game logic, whether using object-oriented programming or another approach. Think about the file structure you feel comfortable with.
  5. Start with Basic Movement – Implement player controls and basic interactions first.
  6. Add Game Mechanics – Gradually introduce features like enemy movement, scoring, and UI elements.
  7. Refine and Polish – Optimize your game by improving responsiveness, adding animations, and making adjustments based on testing.
  8. Experiment with Modifications – Once your basic clone is complete, try adding new mechanics or features to make it unique.

Final Thoughts

Building retro game clones is one of the best ways for aspiring game developers to learn the ropes. It provides hands-on experience with essential game development concepts, strengthens problem-solving skills, and boosts confidence. By starting with simple clones (Pong or Asteroids) and gradually increasing complexity (Super Mario Bros or Galaxian), you’ll develop the skills needed to create original, engaging games. Whether you dream of making indie hits or working in the AAA industry, mastering game development fundamentals through retro game cloning is a great first step.

Once you complete a variety of more simple retro game clones, you can move on to slightly more advanced games like Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, or Super Mario Bros. From there it may be time to build your own game!