It's possible to create your own computer games relatively easily, without any programming skills. Even better while making games you can pick up programming skills as you go along, by using a program called Game Maker.
Game Maker was created by Mark Overmars and the first version was released to the public on November 15, 1999. The current version sits at number 7, having seen a number of improvements with each version. Originally Game Maker was called Animo, and was a graphics creation tool intended to spark the interest of children in animation and game programming. Eventually it developed into an easy tool for programming games specifically intended for inexperienced programmers.
Nowadays www.yoyogames.com hosts the Game Maker software and also showcases the games made with it. There is a free version, which can be used indefinitely but suffers from certain limitations, such as the gamemaker logo appearing when the game loads, and certain actions can not be performed. Those intending to sell their games would be best to purchase a license which removes the limitations. This is relatively cheap and relatively worth while for everyone. And it is very reasonable in comparison to other game making solutions. For those looking for something really professional, a company called Garage Games also offer an alternative to Game Maker, though with a hefty price tag.
The joy of Game Maker is its ease of use, and it's large community (over 70,000 users at the time of writing). It has various commands available as icons that can be dragged and dropped into the necessary order to perform actions upon objects. This allows users with no programming experience create their own programmed events, and also teaches them how to program. It also allows more advanced programming through the Game Maker Language (GML) and other languages are supported through the use of dll files. Support for other languages may also be integrated into gamemaker soon.
There are numerous tutorials that take the user through different types of games, the mechanics behind them, and through a step-by-step guide for how to construct them. There is an introduction to game design which covers the basic ideas and concepts, next is a very simple game that involves clicking on a moving object, then is a simple puzzle game that involves moving a character around a maze and picking up crystals. For more advanced game designers is shooting games, platfomers, and then some tutorials on 3D and networking for those who want a challenge.
Sometimes it can be quite frustrating, sitting into the night playing about with a particular problem. But making it through the night and pulling through to the end is very rewarding. Suddenly the problem is solved, everything falls into place, and the game is pushed closer to completion. It must feel something like how the early game makers felt, back in the good old days, hacking up something in their bedroom in a short period of time. It used to be said; “everyone has a book in them.” Let us now say; everyone has a game in them!
If you're keen to get started, try out this new tutorial:
Make Your Own Maze Game with Game Maker
