Many gamers have thought of ideas they would love to see made into reality, but creating a video game is not a small task. In the past it required special equipment and a decent amount of programming knowledge just to make basic games.
As technology and software development has evolved, the barrier is much lower and now there are many easy and fun ways to get started in video game development. Here are five free game development software apps to help get you started with making your own games.
Sploder
For the absolute beginner, Sploder enables users to make their own platforming or shooter game for free. Based on Flash, users can create their own custom game using a simple drag-and-drop interface.
Create levels, place items, or even throw a dozen enemies at the hero. There’s also the ability to save games and share them online with other Sploder users or post the game to the creator’s personal website for everyone to play.
Game Maker 8
For free game development software with more power and options, Game Maker 8 is the better choice. The software has been in active development since 1999 and has a very large following. Originally developed by Mark Overmars, a Dutch computer scientist, the software is now developed and published by YoYoGames.
Game Maker 8 makes it easy to create great games without having to learn a programming language or spend a lot of time. Many tutorials and resources are available, along with a lot of help from the community. Users can create any type of game they can think of, be it platforming, role-playing, racing, adventure, or any other type. After users get comfortable with Game Maker 8′s drag-and-drop interface, they can explore the software deeper and unlock its true potential with the built-in custom programming language.
For a more in-depth view on Game Maker, check out our Game Maker article.
Phrogram
Anyone experienced with Visual Basic or Microsoft’s .NET Framework will feel more at home programming with the free game development software called Phrogram. Combining a professional interface with a fun focus on developing games, Phrogram is a good way to ease into traditional programming. In fact, many schools like Ohio State University use it to teach introductory programming classes.
For someone with no programming experience, Phrogram gently introduces a real programming environment while keeping things simple and providing many examples. The official website has many tutorials, examples, and games available to download.
Phrogram isn’t free but it does offer a 30-day trial.
RPG Maker XP
Made for developers strictly interested in role-playing games, RPG Maker XP fulfills its goal well. Since 1988, this software has enabled its users to create their own role-playing adventures.
The games created with the latest versions of RPG Maker are reminiscent of 16-bit Super Nintendo classics, like Final Fantasy 6 and Lufia 2. Games are shareable with all Windows PC users, whether or not they have a copy of RPG Maker XP installed.
All of the tools needed to create a classic game are here. Users can create their own map (game world), battle system, items, characters, music, storyline and dialogue.
RPG Maker XP has a very large community with many fan sites, countless tutorials to teach the software and many great games to play. Be sure to check it out.
PyGame
Although specifically geared towards Python programmers, the PyGame library is a good choice for new developers and programmers as well. The goal of PyGame is to make programming games in Python easier and more fun. Python is a professional programming language, used by corporations like YouTube, Google, and Disney.
Despite its power, Python/PyGame is easier to learn than many other languages and is used to create well-known games like the Backyard Sports series. Many fantastic resources are available for learning, including a free online book dedicated to creating games. For the serious game developer who wants to get his or her hands dirty with more technical aspects, Python with PyGame is a worthy choice.
Are you a game developer? Have you used any of these tools? Do you know of other resources? If so, please leave a comment and let us know!
Image credits: game_design
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Thanks,awesome i have always wanted to make a game
Awesome! It’s a nice feeling to put work into a game and see it come together in the end.
Nice article Jon. Great resources to get started in game dev..
Glad you liked it. :)
I use to use Game Maker 4 years ago. I think it’s one of the best programs to use for beginners.
And advanced users have made some really amazing games. Some even in 3D.
Yeah, it really is nice software. If I remember correctly, I think it was originally made by a father to help his son(s) make video games. He probably had no idea at the time what it would become…
Great article! I’m a fan of PyGame. For those who want to make games that are compatible with multiple systems easily, it is awesome. It uses the Simple DirectMedia Layer (libSDL), so once you learn PyGame, you can then move on to making games with C and libSDL when you are ready. Good stuff.
Thanks for the extra info!
I learn to program using Game Maker 5 about 6 years ago…
And yep, it’s one of the best… very easy to learn, very powerful when learning GML…
RPG Maker is also good in it’s area, very simple, but RPG Maker XP is not free U^^
Thanks for the comments. You mentioned one of the best things about Game Maker — it’s relatively easy to learn, but can become very powerful when mastered.
You also missed “Programming with Alice”. I think that is easier then using PyGame. You still need to learn Python to be able to use PyGame
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/alice-teaches-object-oriented-computer-programming-to-kids/
Ya know, Alice was one of the first programs I considered putting into this article. I decided against it for some reason I can’t recall… hmm. Anyway, thanks for mentioning. It’s a fantastic tool and definitely worth checking out. It was founded by the late Randy Pausch, author of The Last Lecture, who I admire very much.
Another good option for people who enjoy Python and want to go a bit further, I would recommend Blender 3D – http://www.blender.org/
It allows for drag-and-drop 3D game creation, as well as letting users drop into Python for some extra logic. It is what our team used to create Boro-Toro – http://www.boro-toro.co.nr
I used RPG Maker for awhile, never got a game made but I found it was fun to design.
Out of the tools listed, I’ve had the most fun with RPG Maker as well.
Nice post. Alas, RPG Maker XP is not free :(
You’re right – the full version isn’t free. However, it does have a very functional and free 30 day trial, which is enough time to create a small RPG and get a feel for the program. I’d encourage anyone with a desire to make their own RPG to try it out.
IMO, trial-ware with feature restrictions but no time-limits are better. Using this program for 30 days will just tempt me to either buy or pirate the program (either of which I am not gonna do).
Anyway, there is always an alternative, like in this case, RPG Toolkit.
I think I remember hearing of RPG Toolkit a while back, but I have no previous experience with it. Looks like a great tool!
If you’re a fan of the old Sierra/Lucas Arts point and click adventure games, you could give Adventure Game Studio, Visionare2D or Wintermute a try.
Thanks for your suggestions. Those are new to me.
i think that panda 3d is the best http://www.panda3d.org/
its open source, cross platform, used for pro stuf and complitly free (:
(: unibrow ? :D
Wow, Panda 3D looks great!
The game factory, I played with it as a kid, don’t need to know how to code.
http://www.clickteam.com/eng/tgf2.php
Game Factory looks like it would be perfect for creating 2D platformers. Thanks for the comment.
great read, I used to use RPG maker 95, before XP was even around, had some great projects just out of fun.
I started with 95 too and then moved to using 2000. My first project was to convert the book “Castle of Wisdom” by Rhett Ellis into a RPG. I made a very nice opening sequence but didn’t get very far past the first town and dungeon.
This is great! Gonna try these stuffs! Hehe.