Routine, Twisty, and Queer

This paper traces a history of platforms targeting no-code and low-code audiences. It connects historical moments addressing accessibility challenges related to computer programming up through the more recent adoption of generative AI in game engines. Across these moments, this paper identifies communities that claimed authoring platforms, establishing their identity by rejecting other, potentially more efficient or expressive options. We argue these community dynamics have shaped the evolution of current game development platforms. By contextualizing current efforts in pedagogy as part of larger shifts in computer programming and game engine practice, we present a better understanding of the origins of platforms targeting no and low code audiences as rooted in earlier pivots in computer programming and community engagement. These “twisty” and often queer adaptations aimed at smaller communities have led to major changes in how game development has evolved for larger audiences. We close on considerations of the uncertain futures and pedagogical implications of AI-generated code and visual scripting, as game engines increasingly serve as the primary interface between creators and their work.