Think about the atmosphere and mood

Consider what the overall mood of your game will be. Use music as an inspiration to get you in different moods.

Be careful with rewards

The constant seeking of the next tiny reward keeps the player moving forward and keeps a goal ahead of him that is achievable.

Don't design your game linear

Different players like to follow different routes through a game.

Expand your horizons

This is a great way to get new ideas and to add new dimensions to your existing material. What could a book about porcupines teach you about video game making? Porcupines have an amazing defense system.

Don't be afraid to make mistakes

If you are afraid of making mistakes you will not experiment of expand your abilities.

Take chances. Sometimes really good ideas and really memorable scenes come from the mistakes.

Finally make sure you get honest feedback from friends and people who try playing your game. And take notes.

Even if you're just an outsider with an idea, who isn't able to demolish their life to make a platform game about spiders riding boats (or whatever), you too can make a game.

Two weeks ago I decided to make a video game, with no experience. I didn't know what I wanted to make, or how.

focus on exploring your ideas, playing other games and insisting that you need to know what you're making before you start.

But we only have two weeks. So ignore it.

Game Maker is a visual and easy to understand tool which is also very powerful, potentially allowing you to make games for everything from Windows and Mac to iOS, HTML 5 and the Chrome Web Store.

It also comes with a set of really excellent tutorials, which are handily embedded within the software itself.

It's visual enough to get started - drag and drop sprites and backgrounds - but does take a bit of time to wrap your head around it all.

problem with Game Maker is that visually it doesn't give a very good first impression.

a simpler one - is Construct 2, by London-based outfit Scirra.

The main thing going for Construct2 - other than its friendly presentation and free trial version - is its community. Alongside a similar set of tutorials and examples to Game Maker, Construct has a forum filled to the brim with excellently helpful and engaged gamesmiths, ready to help you out and tolerate the whims of newbies.

Because of its simplicity, built-in "platform" movement system and logical "events-objects" structure, Construct was the tool I went with for my first game. I may switch eventually, but it's a good first step.

2. DRAW: Create Your Characters

game makers will give you the option of using pre-made sprites and character art - and there is also no shortage of art to use online

it's when you have something all of your own that you'll start to really enjoy yourself.

While I have some experience as an artist, I still found animating characters for the first simple surprisingly time consuming until I got into a groove.

Let's face it - you're not going to make Mario or Super Meat Boy on your first go.

But the more you start to experiment with tools like Game Maker and Construct, the more you'll learn.

For instance, I needed to make a ladder for my little guy. Simple right? Not really. That behaviour wasn't built into Construct, so I had to invent it.

A search on their forums taught me

So back to the drawing board, again and again, until it came together.

PUBLISH: Show The World Your Work

has no original ideas and is a basic platformer. But it's mine. I made it.

Publishing games is easy

It's great to see it live, online, and working, as simple as it is - and it's another big boost to making more games.

Having tried it for two weeks, I can honestly say my favourite game of 2013 (so far) is making my own.

Other hit titles, like Bastion and Minecraft (which just hit the 10 million sold mark), continue to showcase just how powerful indie gaming has become in recent years.

It requires a combination of hard work and innovation, a perhaps a dash of genius thrown in to boot.

Conceptualize the video game.

It’s easy to fall prey to the curse of second guessing your ideas and wanting to go back and continually replace what you’ve done.

You can easily get stuck in this pattern forever. Visualize the kind of game you want to make, but make sure it is within your limitations as an amateur game designer.

Know the type of game you want to make (i.e. a platformer, shooter, RPG). Know the budget. There are both free and premium options ripe for the taking. Know the length. Keep it short or attempt something on the sprawling side? Know the basic plot. It doesn’t have to be elaborate, just have a general idea of the game’s goal. Know your skill level. Start with something simple and build from there.