Forsythe sixth grader publishes his first video game

Elliott Galvin hopes Omega Meteors is the first of many to come

At just 11 years old, Forsythe Middle School sixth grader Elliott Galvin has already achieved what many aspiring game developers only dream about: publishing his own video game. Elliott recently released Omega Meteors on itch.io, his own version of the arcade game, Asteroids.

Coding wasn’t Elliott’s first foray into making games. His initial spark came in his fifth-grade Project Lead The Way (PLTW) class at Wines Elementary, led by teacher Sarah Schemanske. Experimenting with Scratch, a beginner-friendly coding environment, inspired him to try more. Schemanske noticed his enthusiasm and recommended The Coder School in Plymouth, which offers both summer camps and private lessons. That’s where he signed up for Python lessons and learned how to create Omega Meteors.

Schemanske plans to share the game with her classes and said she is proud of Elliott’s accomplishment.

“Elliott is always driven to go above and beyond,” says Schemanske.  “His passion for coding and thinking beyond the curriculum is incredible.  Creating and programming his own game has been a work in progress for several years, and it is so exciting to see it finally come to fruition.  I am so happy that PLTW helped inspire and connect Elliott with a high-interest learning pathway.  I can officially say that my student’s coding skills have surpassed my own.” 

The technical side of Omega Meteors came together using Godot Engine, version 4.1. Elliott started with simple movement scripts, teaching his player character to go forward, backward, and turn. He then coded enemy objects, ensuring they spawned at screen edges. He also composed all the background music, and the sprites were originally made at pixilart.com, a helpful resource for making animations or images for a variety of uses.

The project began as a gift for his older brother Ethan, who is 25 and lives in South Carolina.

For those curious to try it for themselves, Omega Meteors is free to play with no downloads or subscriptions required.

Schemanske is a fan.

“The game is a lot of fun to play and a great visit down memory lane,” she says.  “He has taken a classic game and modified it with his own twist and energy.  I especially like that it is fast-paced, easy to play, and quick to learn.”

Elliott finds game development both entertaining and satisfying, especially the combination of problem-solving, logic, and creativity involved in coding.

“Coding is really fun, in my opinion,” he says.
He’s proud of what he’s achieved so far and aims to keep making games, seeing a future career in game development. While he plans to add more depth and content to the game, he admits that Omega Meteors doesn’t have a lot of content right now.

And that’s OK.
“It’s still entertaining,” he says, “and sometimes simplicity is best.”