Create a Game Loop using C and SDL

The more technology advances, and the more we add frameworks to abstract low-level details of the machine, the less we understand how computers really tick.

This course is a trip back to the fundamentals of game programming. We will dissect and discuss one super important element of any game application…

The game loop.

To understand the ideas behind writing a working game loop, we will learn the basics of the C programming language and use a library called SDL to render elements in the display.

We will learn together how to:

• Write a basic C program and compile it using the GCC compiler
• Install SDL and any other dependencies
• Use SDL to create and open a basic window in your operating system
• Control the time step of your game loop
• Update game objects as a function of delta time

This course has no real pre-requisites.

Of course, you should have a working knowledge of how to use your computer, download files, install programs and copy files around your operating system.

But you should know the basics concepts of programming, such as variables, conditionals, loops, and functions. That will help you get the most out of it.

The code we will write works for Windows, macOS, and Linux. But be aware that I will be using Linux during the videos.