From the Kitchen to the Keyboard: Why I Chose Game Development

It has been about five years since I finished university.

These days, I’m technically studying computer programming, but honestly, my mind is somewhere else.

Almost all my time goes into developing Gravethorn.

That diploma doesn’t really hold much value for me anymore; it won’t open any doors that truly matter. So how did I go from studying culinary arts to game development?

It wasn’t a sudden change.

When I was choosing my major, I was confused and unsure about what I wanted.

Back then, I was into fitness and sports, and I even thought about studying physical education because I liked helping and teaching people.

Then I considered translation or international relations since my English was decent, but that didn’t feel right either.

I had also been drawing portraits for years, so I thought maybe fine arts could be a path for me.

It wasn’t, none of were.

Why Culinary Arts?

My exam score was enough, and as a kid, I always liked watching my mom cook.

The kitchen seemed fun. It felt creative in its own way, like an edible form of art.

I thought I could do something I enjoy.

When I got accepted, I said to myself, “I’ve finally found what I want.” 

But I hadn’t.

Although university wasn’t entirely useless.

I met different kinds of people and learned how to tell who was genuine and who wasn’t.

I made good friends and had some great memories.

But I can’t say the same for the lessons.

In the beginning, I tried to pay attention like everyone else.

But over time, my interest faded.

While others were busy chopping, mixing, or frying, I often stood there, lost, not really wanting to do anything.

I didn’t feel like I belonged.

In theory classes, I ignored the lectures and drew sketches in my notebook.

Some classmates saw them and asked, “What are you doing in a culinary program?” 

I wasn’t sure if they meant it as a joke or a compliment. Probably both.

By the end of the first semester, my grades were bad.

I didn’t tell my mom, even though she was making big sacrifices for me.

I felt guilty.

During the break, I promised myself I’d try harder. I started studying recipes for my exams, tried cooking at home, and asked my sisters and friends to taste my food. I was improving, and things were going well.

Then the pandemic hit, and everything stopped.

During that time, I slowly lost interest in both cooking and school.

Once classes went online and I was away from the kitchen, I grew distant.

When it was finally over, I never went back.

I felt lost again, just like when I first chose my major.

The only good thing was that I had another chance to start over, though it came at the cost of time and money.

The Turning Point

One day, while scrolling through Instagram, I saw an ad:

“Would you like to learn game development?”

I thought, why not? I’d been playing games all my life.

No matter what else I gave up on, I never gave up on games.

So I asked myself: could I do this? Could I actually find myself here?

I wanted to try. I wanted to live my life creating, designing, and contributing to games.

I visited the course center to see what they offered.

The program looked interesting, but the tuition fee was almost as high as my university costs.

I was already broke and didn’t know how to afford it.

After the meeting, I walked home, sat on a bench, and cried.

I felt like I had reached a dead end.

There was something I loved, but I couldn’t even afford to learn it.

Then a thought crossed my mind: what if it’s worth it? 

What if I actually succeed and make this my career? Making a living doing what I love, that was the dream.

A Second Chance

I told my mom about it. She was understandably upset.

She had sent me to culinary school to become a chef, and now I was trying something completely different.

I told her I really wanted this, and that I didn’t want to do anything else.

She decided to help me.

Thanks to her, I enrolled in the course and started learning game development.

The program lasted around six to eight months.

It included various tools and basic training, but honestly, it wasn’t enough to make a complete game from scratch.

When it ended, I wanted to make Blood Within, but I had no idea where to start.

I turned to Udemy and bought some lessons to fill in the gaps.

One of them was called “How to Make a 2D Platformer Game.” 

I followed it carefully, learned step by step, and eventually started developing Blood Within. Once I began, things just started flowing naturally.

Finding My Path

It’s been about three years since then, and I’ve grown to love game development deeply.

I still work alone (not by choice; I’ve applied to countless positions, but never got a reply), so I handle everything myself.

Design, programming, sound, level design, UI, everything.

Some days I work 14 to 16 hours straight, but I feel like myself when I’m doing it.

I’m doing what I love, and I believe it’ll all be worth it.

Learning new things every day, experimenting, failing, improving, and using imagination to create experiences for others, these have become the best parts of my journey.