Fourteen-year-old Levi Hilton was creating his own video game while other 14-year-olds were playing them.
Hilton built a new adventure-themed game called “Book of Mormon Heroes: The Servant of Helaman.” Hilton came up with the idea, with some help from his father, when he was only 13.
“We were learning coding in school and it was exciting and fun,” Hilton said. “I wanted to make the game as complex and cool as I could.”
“I suggested he use the Book of Mormon,” said John Hilton III, Levi Hilton’s father. Hilton is a religion professor at BYU.
Levi Hilton was initially skeptical about using characters and stories from the Book of Mormon, but he later found it to be “interesting and fun.”
“I picked the Servant of Helaman because it’s a story people aren’t as familiar with,” Levi Hilton said.
According to John Hilton III, Hilton spent around 100 hours learning how to make the game and about 200 hours from start to finish.
Ethan Fisher, who is in his late 30s, played “The Servant of Helaman” in its entirety.
“I am amazed that a 14-year-old could program something so complex,” Fisher said. “The game also really demonstrates (Hilton’s) knowledge of the Book of Mormon and
the sentiments that people probably felt as righteousness conflicted with wickedness within the society.”
“The Servant of Teancum” is already underway and Levi Hilton hopes to make “The Missions of Paul” and others in the future.
“I just have to focus and get it done,” Hilton said.
“Book of Mormon Heroes: The Servant of Helaman” is available for free at www.bookofmormongames.com.
