Game Builder Garage Preview: Learning to Code With Lessons From Nintendo

Game Builder Garage, set to release for the Nintendo Switch on June 11th, is exactly what it says on the box: a garage within which to build games. It's essentially a stripped-down visual programming language packaged within the structure of a video game itself, and the idea is for players to learn to craft their own video games through a series of lessons before going absolutely wild on their own creations.

There are two different modes in Game Builder Garage, both of which are extremely straightforward. Lesson Mode walks players through a series of courses designed by Nintendo in order to explain exactly how players should use the game's Nodons, personality-afflicted critters that are the game's stand-ins for variables and other coding functions.

During a hands-off, live preview of the title, I had a chance to see how these critters formed the backbone of an alien-blasting, side-scrolling game in addition to several other lessons. Game Builder Garage seems like the inevitable digital version of Nintendo Labo's promise, which was that anyone can make and play video games with a little instruction. Just, there's no cardboard involved this time around.

The basic idea is simple: once players have completed the Lesson Mode, they will be equipped with all the tools they need in order to use the Free Programming Mode, which again is exactly what it says on the tin. Rather than guided lessons, players will start with a blank canvas and go from there, with the ability to add all sorts of Nodons and 3D assets to the screen to play around with.

If all of that sounds like a lot to juggle, there is some good news. While Game Builder Garage supports all of the usual control schemas for the Nintendo Switch like Joy-cons, the Pro Color, or even using the Nintendo Switch Lite, players can also plug a mouse into the USB port on the dock. This should allow for finer control, and during the preview I witnessed, the Nintendo representative had to actually delay a minute to go get his mouse to better show everything off.

It is worth noting that Nintendo has intentionally aimed Game Builder Garage at an example demo of kids in middle school. It is an educational tool. A very cool educational tool, but an educational tool nonetheless. As such, there are relatively few 3D assets included, as it is really meant to showcase the flexibility of the underlying Nodons standing in for actual coding. According to Nintendo, there will be no further DLC like more lessons or assets because it is meant to be relatively simple, which while kind of a bummer, is a fair stance. Every additional Nodon or option or asset adds that much more complexity to an already complex title.

In the same vein of stripping the whole thing down to essential parts only, there's no real browser to check out various games folks have uploaded to Nintendo Switch Online. Interested players will either need to enter in a specific code to access a specific game if they are looking to do so online, but games can also be shared over local wireless by simply broadcasting and receiving them.

The expectation seems to be that interested players will share these with friends and family, or simply post them to social media, but the specific example that Nintendo gave for the local wireless sharing is interesting: a teacher sharing with a class of 30 kids. As unlikely as it sounds for a whole class to have both a Nintendo Switch and Game Builder Garage to use, it isn't entirely out of the question, given that schools continue to embrace various technologies at varying rates.

As for why you would bother sharing games beyond the simple fact that it would mean others can play them -- something Super Mario Maker has proven to be of interest -- Game Builder Garage doesn't just bring the completed thing over. Downloading the game in Game Builder Garage also grabs the underlying construction of it. It's not like exporting a finished program so much as it is exporting a current build as players can then take a peek under the hood to learn how the game works, edit as they want, and otherwise play with its existing structure.

It's hard to say whether Game Builder Garage will ultimately jive with me, personally. As someone that has had some coding experience, albeit minor, the preview immediately clicked and made sense, and my mind was instantly drawn to possible use cases and so on. But for someone that has absolutely no experience with coding, like, say, the target demographic, the lessons and personable Nodons feel like the perfect way to introduce potentially complicated concepts and material.

If nothing else, I left the preview excited to see the many ways in which players will absolutely break Game Builder Garage wide open when it releases. The pre-built examples were already somewhat wild to see in action, and I have yet to stop thinking about just what sort of shenanigans the public will get up to with it.

As noted above, Game Builder Garage is set to release for the Nintendo Switch on June 11th. It will cost $29.99. You can check out all of our previous coverage of the Nintendo Switch system right here.

Keep scrolling to check out a number of screenshots from Game Builder Garage showing off the lessons, Nodons, and menus!