GameMaker
A 2D engine with drag-and-drop and its own easy scripting language.
- Free + paid plans
- Good for beginners
- Jam-friendly
What it does
GameMaker focuses on 2D games and has been used for many well-known indie hits. You can start with visual drag-and-drop actions and move on to GML, its approachable scripting language. It is free for non-commercial use; publishing commercially needs a paid licence.
Highlights
- Built for 2D games
- Visual scripting and GML code
- Built-in sprite and room editors
- Large tutorial library
Is it right for me?
- Skill level
- Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
- Useful for
- Game jams, Indie developers, Students, Hobby projects
- Game jams
- A good fit — quick to pick up and use under time pressure.