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Game design tutoring on Zoom

Private video game design lessons, live on Zoom, for students anywhere. Every plan is built around one student and one goal.

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Accepting students

One-on-one tutoring

Live one-on-one sessions on Zoom, built around one student and one goal.

I can help set up a real game development workstation on the computer you already have, then work through a plan built around your student: a first game, a portfolio, or a specific skill like 3D modeling or sound design.

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Who
Individual students, including homeschool students. No experience needed.
When
Build your own schedule. Start by picking an intro call time on the calendar.
Where
On Zoom, on your own computer
Accepting students

Small group: siblings and friends

Bring a sibling or a friend into the session.

The group can make one game together, each taking the part they like best, or build one game each, side by side.

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Who
Two or three students who want to build together.
When
One shared session, on the same flexible schedule.
Where
On Zoom, each on their own computer

What you can learn

  • A first 2D game

    GameMaker or GDevelop. The fastest way to a finished game.

  • A 3D game in Unreal Engine

    Levels, Blueprints, sound and a playable build.

  • 3D art in Blender

    Modeling, texturing, rigging and getting it into an engine.

  • Pixel art and animation

    Aseprite, Piskel or Photoshop, from a single sprite to a full character.

  • Sound and music

    Recording, editing and putting your own audio in a game.

  • A portfolio piece

    A polished game or asset for a college application or an internship.

  • AI-assisted game making

    Claude Code, 2D to 3D model generation and Mixamo rigging, brought into GameMaker, Unreal Engine and Blender.

Making games with AI

I also build games with AI tools, including Claude Code and 2D to 3D model generation, and bring the results into GameMaker, Unreal Engine and Blender. Characters can be rigged with Mixamo.

Students learn to treat AI as a tool: give it clear direction, check what comes back, and fix what it gets wrong. Every tool from the list above is still on the table. AI is one more.

Skills we can work on

  • Unreal Engine: placing sounds, trigger boxes, splines, print strings, enemy damage, HUDs, landscaping.
  • Graphics: animated PNG sequences, preparing assets in Photoshop.
  • Blender: rigging, UV unwrapping, animated texture atlases.
  • Audio: sound design, and bringing your own effects and music into a game.

How it works

  1. Book an intro call

    Pick a time on the calendar. We talk about what your student wants to make and what computer they have.

  2. Get a plan

    I can put together a plan around one goal: a first game, a portfolio piece, or a skill like 3D modeling or sound.

  3. Meet on Zoom

    We build together on a shared screen, on a schedule that fits your week.

  4. Ship it

    The goal is something finished and playable that your student can share.

What you need

  • A Windows PC or a Mac. A Chromebook works for browser tools like GDevelop, Scratch and Piskel.
  • A steady internet connection and Zoom.
  • Free software. I can help install it in the first session.
  • A gaming PC only if the goal is Unreal Engine.

Taught by Aaron Wedra

I am Aaron Wedra. I founded the Yolo County Video Game Design Club at Da Vinci Charter Academy in Davis, California, and taught two club seasons and a summer camp there. The students in those programs made the games in the arcade. I live in Portugal now and I am accepting private students on Zoom.

The track record About Aaron

Your budget will not stop your creativity

Every tool we use has a free option

You do not need to buy software to make a stunning, state of the art game. The same engines behind hit games are free to learn on, and I can help you choose a free setup for whatever you want to build. I believe in keeping costs low for the people I work with, so if budget is a concern, it is no problem.

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  • Unreal EngineFreeFree to learn and build with. The engine behind many of the biggest games.
  • GodotFreeFree and open source, for 2D and 3D.
  • GameMakerFreeFree for games you do not sell.
  • GDevelopFreeFree, no code needed, runs in the browser.
  • BlenderFreeFree and open source 3D modelling and animation.
  • Krita and PiskelFreeFree drawing and pixel art.
  • AudacityFreeFree sound recording and editing.
  • MixamoFreeFree character rigging and animation.

Questions parents ask

Do we need to buy software?

No. Every tool I teach has a free option, and free software can make stunning, state of the art games. If budget is a concern, tell me and I can set you up with a fully free toolkit.

What ages do you teach?

The club was for high school students and the summer camp started with rising 8th graders. Younger students are welcome with browser tools and a parent nearby. Tell me the age on the intro call.

Is it really one-on-one?

Yes, unless your student brings a sibling or a friend.

What does it cost?

It depends on session length and how often we meet. We can go over it on the intro call.

What time zones can you work with?

The booking calendar shows open times in your own time zone, so what you see is what is available.

How do parents stay in the loop?

A parent books the first session and is welcome to sit in on any session. Students under 13 should have a parent write or book for them.

How do AI tools fit in?

They are tools, like any other. Some have their own age rules, so with younger students I can run them on the shared screen while the student directs.

What if our computer is too slow for Unreal Engine?

We can start in GameMaker, GDevelop or Blender, which run on modest computers, and move up later.

The Da Vinci club was a school program. Private tutoring is offered by Aaron Wedra on his own and is not associated with Da Vinci Charter Academy.

Ready to make a game?

smartzgraphics@yahoo.com Send a note

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