Nintendo has announced a new game for its Switch series of consoles that will introduce players to the world of making games. But rather than burdening them with a million lines of code, the game – called Game Builder Garage – relies on visual programming, allowing players to simply combine visual elements to create an action. The company is calling these fundamental visual elements Nodon, and they’re supposed to help you build a game from scratch – without any prior experience whatsoever. 

Game Builder Garage will be out on June 11 priced at $29.99

Each Nodon has its own unique characteristic and capabilities, and by connecting two Nodons, a move can be made. “There are dozens of Nodon in Game Builder Garage, each with a unique function, and you can learn how to build games just by connecting them in various ways. For example, you can create and move a human-like character with an analog stick just by connecting Stick Nodon with Person Nodon!” Nintendo says in its official announcement post

Nintendo adds that Game Builder Garage will help players of all ages make a wide range of games ranging from spaceship shooters to side-scrolling platformers and kart racing experiences. And to help players begin their journey, the game has a Lesson Mode where you will get step-by-step instructions about the basic concepts of visual programming, complete with small quizzes and tasks in between to polish their skills. 

Notably, players will be able to exchange and download games made by their friends and family members. Game Builder Garage also has a dedicated Free Programming mode that lets you peek into the code of games created by others to take some cues. While playing the game, you can use the Joy-Con controllers, the Nintendo Switch Pro controller, or even a mouse plugged into the USB port on the dock. 

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Game Builder Garage will be out on June 11 priced at $29.99 and will be available from the Nintendo website as well as the Nintendo e-shop. However, it won’t be the company’s first attempt at making a game with a similar premise. In the past, Nintendo has also come up with products such as Super Mario Maker and Nintendo Labo that introduced players to the DIY aspect of visual game development. 


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