Eloquent JavaScript, 2nd Edition

Chapter 15. Project: A Platform Game

“All reality is a game.”

—Iain Banks, The Player of Games

My initial fascination with computers, like that of many kids, originated with computer games. I was drawn into the tiny computer-simulated worlds that I could manipulate and in which stories (sort of) unfolded—more, I suppose, because of the way I could project my imagination into them than because of the possibilities they actually offered.

I wouldn’t wish a career in game programming on anyone. Much like the music industry, the discrepancy between the many eager young people wanting to work in it and the actual demand for such people creates a rather unhealthy environment. But writing games for fun is amusing.

This chapter will walk through ...