Reddit mentions of Beginning Game Development with Python and Pygame: From Novice to Professional (Beginning From Novice to Professional)

I recommend this guy for any starter on Python/PyGame. He teaches a lot of game basics like how to use vectors, and from there you can apply it to a spaceship game.

Other than that, take a look at some examples already existing on PyGame itself. It's good to look at other people's code and see what can be learned. There's also some code under the cookbook that you can check out for additional reading.

> What would you recommend to a total newcomer who knows 0% programming, but would love to learn?

Python has been suggested. I found this book informative and fairly complete (from not-a-programmer to 3D in a few hundred pages).

From there, it depends on what he finds he likes of that experience. If he really likes the programming aspect, you could toss him in head first to C++ or get him into a easier start with Java (Slick2D (website currently down, hopefully temporarily) or JME would further smooth his acclimation to Java, FWIW). Maybe he really likes the game dev itself more, in which case Unity is probably a great option (no experience personally, but the community is ostensibly large and Unity itself conducive to easy game dev).

Heres some book I have bought in the past on Programming. You can just download a PDF/e-reader file if you dont want to spend the money, but I would recommend supporting the author.

Programming:

Python Game Developement

Pro Python

Java For Dummies

How to Program Java

Networking:

Networking All-In-One

Networking: A Beginner's Guide

General:

Computer Repair with Diagnostic Flowcharts

Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software

https://inventwithpython.com/pygame/chapters/?

Oops that's the one you said it isn't. Tried to look some more, this has a chapter on AI so maybe it is it? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1590598725?ie=UTF8&tag=kelpiesoft-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1590598725

Well I started with Python, which there is an ABUNDANCE of tutorials for. I also used pygame. The tutorials for pygame are slightly less common and useful, but I initially learned the basics with a book.

Thanks! I've already started reading Beginning Game Development with Python and Pygame, but those look interesting too.

Unfortunately no. I haven't read any python books, except for a "Game Programming with Python and Pygame" (this one I think: http://www.amazon.com/Beginning-Game-Development-Python-Pygame/dp/1590598725). It was a decent-enough book but I don't remember whether the "python" portions taught you to be "pythonic" or not.

If you already know how to program, something like Project Euler is interesting because if you go and look up solutions to the problems in python, you'll find a lot of really neat uses of idiomatic python, generally involving their lists/collections. That's really the only thing I used when "learning" python, and truthfully I haven't really used it much in the last few years so I've probably forgotten a lot.