Exploring Different Projects

After reviewing several open-source projects, one that stood out to me was Pygame. As someone interested in both game development and interactive applications, Pygame caught my attention because of its accessibility, strong community, and direct application to game design. I’ve worked with Python before, but I haven’t fully explored game development. Contributing to Pygame could be a great way to merge my existing programming skills with my interest in game mechanics.

Other projects I looked at had interesting goals but were either too complex for a first contribution or lacked clear documentation for onboarding new contributors. Pygame, on the other hand, has a well-organized structure, active maintainers, and beginner-friendly issues, making it a great place to start.

What Excites Me About Open Source

The most exciting part of working on an open-source project like Pygame is seeing real world impact. Many developers and students rely on Pygame for game development, so even a small contribution could make a difference. Additionally, collaborating with experienced developers is a huge learning opportunity I’ll get to see how large scale Python projects are managed, learn best practices, and improve my debugging skills.

Biggest Challenges with Open Source

1. Navigating a large codebase – Many open-source projects have massive repositories with complex architectures, making it challenging to understand where and how to contribute.
2. Imposter syndrome – Seeing experienced contributors solve issues quickly might be intimidating.
3. Version control conflicts – Since multiple contributors are working on the same project, resolving merge conflicts in Git could be difficult.

Pygame Specific Challenges

1. Understanding the Codebase – Pygame has been around for a long time, so the codebase is quite large. Finding where to make meaningful contributions might be challenging.
2. Graphics & Performance Optimization – Since Pygame is centered around rendering and game loops, contributing might require understanding low-level optimizations, which I haven’t worked with much.
3. Handling PR Reviews – Open-source projects often have strict code quality standards, which means my contributions might need multiple revisions before getting merged.

How I Plan to Overcome These Challenges

1. Read Existing Code & Issues: Reviewing existing PRs and discussions will help me understand common challenges and best practices.
2. Experiment with Small Games: To get hands-on experience, I’ll build a simple game using Pygame, which will give me insight into its functions and potential areas for improvement.