Gamers nowadays have no idea how great they’ve got it. Places like Steam, the Xbox Marketplace, and even smartphone services like Google Play offer plenty of excitement and time-sucking stimulation.

JavaScript game development is easier than ever, thanks to HTML5 Canvas, Web APIs, and accessible tutorials. You can quickly bring ideas to life, from handling player input to adding collision ...

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jeremiah Peoples, a 28-year-old staff developer advocate at Slack in Austin. It's been edited for length and clarity. I work in software ...