GameMaker User Guide

This guide answers frequently asked questions about GameMaker including: how to get started using it, where to get help learning and working with GameMaker, and how video games made with GameMaker can be used for science and engineering fairs as well as other educational purposes.

What is GameMaker?

GameMaker is an easy-to-use programming environment that anyone, middle school-aged and older, can use to make their own video games. A basic version, called GameMaker Lite, can be downloaded free of charge from its publisher, YoYo Games, and is available for both Windows and Mac operating systems. The lite version can be upgraded to an edition with more features for less than $50.

How do I learn to use GameMaker?

Here are the first steps to getting started with GameMaker:

1. Download GameMaker Lite for Windows or Mac.
2. Follow the onscreen instructions to install and open GameMaker.
3. Familiarize yourself with how GameMaker works by working through these two tutorials (approximately 30 minutes each):
1. Your First Game (comes packaged with the GameMaker software);
2. Dropcycle (found at the Activate! website: http://activategames.org/challenges/dropcycle).
4. Start playing with GameMaker to create whatever games you dream up!
1. If you want to learn more about how to use GameMaker, try some of the other tutorials listed in Table 1 below.
2. For insights on how to design a good video game try the What Is a Good Game? tutorial and the Tips and Resources for Making Video and Computer Games page.

The great thing about GameMaker is that no previous programming experience is needed to use it. In fact, GameMaker is a fine starting point for beginners interested in going on to more complex programming languages. Furthermore, all the free tutorials from YoYo Games (the publisher of GameMaker) and Activate! (a free website and curriculum to help students learn how to make fun games about today's big problems) make it easy to learn about GameMaker while creating games.

Where can I get GameMaker audio, graphics, or other features to add to my video games?

One of the advantages to GameMaker is that you can create your own audio and graphics files to use in the game.

• Audio files can be saved in Wave, Midi, or MP3 file formats.
• Graphics files can be saved in .bmp, .gif, .jpg, or .png file formats.

You can use audio and image programs to make your own, search for free versions available on the Internet, or download versions made by other GameMaker users from http://sandbox.yoyogames.com/resources/.

Help! I am stuck programming and do not know what to do next.

If you want to do something specific in GameMaker and get stuck, you can turn to several places for help:

• Go back to the tutorials (see Table 1); one of them may tackle a similar problem.
• From within the software, click on the Help function. Skim through what is available there or use the search function to find out how to use a specific feature.
• YoYo Games has a Wiki documentation page with links to manuals that can help answer specific questions. This page is maintained by users and addresses practical issues.
• Ask someone for help. Sometimes two heads are better than one. If a friend is also using GameMaker, she or he may be able to help you figure out a solution. If not, try the GameMaker Community Forums run by YoYo Games. These forums enable GameMaker users to communicate directly with one another. It is a great place to post specific questions or answer questions from other users.

Can I use GameMaker to make something to enter in my local fair or engineering fair?

Yes! A video game you create yourself is usually a fine entry in the computer science division of your local science fair or engineering fair, as long as you have followed the Engineering Design Process. The Tips and Resources for Making Video and Computer Games page offers more information about how a video game can be part of a science or engineering project.

I am interested in video game-making. Where can I learn more?

There are many books, tools, and websites about video game-making. Several are reviewed and featured throughout the Science Buddies website. Table 2 below shows the list of resources on the Science Buddies website that deal with the fun and challenges of video game design.