Simple play icon Course
Skills Expanded

Making Your First Game in Game Maker Studio 2

by Bryan Sekine

Creating a video game has become easier than ever before. This course will teach you the basics of programming and using an IDE to create a side scrolling game with enemy AI, multiple levels, parallax backgrounds, and sound effects.

What you'll learn

Have you ever wanted to create your own video game, but didn't know where or how to get started?

If so, Making Your First Game in Game Maker Studio 2 is the perfect course for you because you will learn how to create your very own side-scrolling video game.

In this Game Maker Studio 2 tutorial for beginners you will learn:

  • How to import and create assets for your game.
  • Next, you will learn the basics of the Game Maker Language and learn how to code various aspects of your game.
  • Finally, you will program AI, create parallax layers, use tile sets, and work with sounds to bring your game to life.

When you’re finished with this course, you’ll not only know how to build a video game, but also how to use these skills to build future games of different types.

Software required: Game Maker Studio 2.

Course FAQ

What is GameMaker Studio?

GameMaker Studio is a game engine perfect for making cross-platform and multi-genre video games through drag-and-drop visual programming. It is best for 2D game development, but has limited 3D capabilities compared to other game engines like Unity or Unreal.

Is GameMaker Studio free?

No, unfortunately there is not a free version. But the GameMaker Studio 2 low-cost "Creators Edition" is about $39.

Is GameMaker good for beginners?

Yes! GameMaker Studio is relatively easy to learn compared to other game engiens like Unity or Unreal, as you can make a game without very much code or scripting. However, the games made in GameMaker are geneallly not as complex as with other game engines.

Are there prerequisites to this course?

This course is a quick introduction to GameMaker Studio 2, so you don't need to have any prior experience!

What will I learn in this course?

You'll learn how to make your own side-scrolling video game by importing and creating assets, learning the basics of Game Maker Language and coding for games, programming AI, and much more!

What software is required for this course?

You will need to install GameMaker Studio 2 to follow along and get the most out of this course.

About the author

Bryan is a game designer that specializes in 2D games, but has studied animation and 3D modeling. While he has industry experience, he is more passionate about teaching. Through his experiences with teaching STEM education through video games, Bryan has decided that learning is most effective when it’s fun. While in college, Bryan also studied the art of sushi as an occupation and runs a personal website, http://www.secretsofsushi.com, where he teaches people how to roll sushi at home.

Ready to upskill? Get started