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Game-making is for everyone! Empowering people to take technology and culture into their own hands was part of Underground Arcade's mission, and I want to honor that mission here. You might be surprised by how easy it is to make a game with some of these tools.
Listed tools that use "visual programming" are those where you don't have to write code or learn a programming language to make the game - you program the game's logic by dragging boxes around and filling out fields and checking checkboxes and the like. While nobody should be afraid to learn to code (it's not that bad!), these are great tools if you don't want to, or you're not able to, or you're a younger kid. Tools that are "code optional" use either conventional written code or visual programming.
Genre-specific Tools
- Twine - A free tool for making interactive fiction - games that are just text and hyperlinks. Code-optional.
- Bitsy - A free tool for making 2D lo-fi games with dialogue. Visual programming.
- Flickgame - A free tool for making visual branching narratives. Code-free.
- GB Studio - A free tool for making Game Boy roms! Visual programming.
- Silent Works - Free 2D and 3D game creation tools for a number of genres. Code optional.
- Puzzlescript - A free tool for making lo-fi puzzle games like Sokoban.
- RPG Maker - A tool for making SNES-style RPGs. Has a trial version. Code-optional. My second favorite tool.
- RPG Paper Maker - A tool for making 2.5D RPGs similar in style to RPG Maker, except it is free for non-commercial use. Code-optional.
General Tools
- Scrolling Game Development Kit - Free 2D game making tool. Code optional.
- Hopscotch - A free game dev tool for kids. Visual programming.
- Multimedia Fusion - 2D game making tool. Has a free version. Visual programming.
- Unity - Powerful 2D and 3D game making tool. Has a free version.
- Construct - 2D game making tool. Has a trial version. Visual programming.
- Game Maker: Studio - 2D game making tool with 3D functionality. Has a trial version. Code optional. This is my go-to tool.
- Pico-8 - A lo-fi fantasy game console and dev kit. Very affordable.
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