At an age when many teenagers are discovering their favourite games, 15-year-old Omani Saleh al Kindy is busy creating his own.
Al Kindy began his game development journey at just nine, encouraged by his father and driven by a desire to turn the ideas in his imagination into experiences others could enjoy. When his parents bought him a licence for game-making software, he immediately began learning through trial and error, creating countless small projects along the way.
“I’ve had ideas I wanted to bring to fruition for others to experience”, he said, describing game development as something he found exciting from a young age.
Years of experimentation eventually led to Shapes N Music, a rhythm-based challenge game that combines music, visuals and fast-paced gameplay. Players must dodge bullets and hazards timed precisely to the music, while increasingly difficult levels test their ability to react, plan and master each challenge without taking a hit.
The game is designed to be difficult but fair, with partially randomised hazard locations preventing players from relying solely on memorised patterns. Every hazard also appears in time with the music, giving each level its own identity while allowing players to anticipate incoming dangers.
Al Kindy developed the game using Construct 3, a visual game-making platform. He taught himself largely through experimentation, while occasionally turning to online forums for help. He also uses AudioMass to identify precise beats in the music and synchronise them with gameplay.
The journey has not been without challenges. Al Kindy said one of his biggest struggles was staying committed to a project instead of moving on whenever a new idea excited him. Completing Shapes N Music, however, taught him lessons extending beyond game design, including publishing commercially, editing fonts and responding to player feedback.
A demo of the game is already available on Steam and has received positive reviews, with players praising its aesthetics, music, level design and challenging gameplay. Their feedback has also helped him improve the experience.
The full game is planned to offer hours of content and multiple modes, with future updates possible depending on demand.
For other young Omanis interested in game development, Al Kindy has a simple message: “Creating games is a challenging but rewarding path that teaches skills which will matter throughout your life”.
And he is not stopping there. With several future projects already planned, he promises that players can expect “bigger, better and more creative games” as his journey continues.
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