GameMaker is a development tool that has been around for many years. If you've heard of titles like Hotline Miami, Undertale, Risk of Rain or Hyper Light Drifter, then you already know what that engine can do in the right hands. And now it's your chance! Thanks to a new license, GameMaker becomes a free product for non-commercial use on any platform that isn't a console.
Anyone can create video games if they're willing to invest the necessary hours, but that doesn't always mean having to absorb a programming language until your brain melts. There are plenty of intermediate resources out there, and one of the most accessible is GameMaker. You may have heard of this engine as Animo or GameMaker Studio, but it's the same project maintained by YoYo Games. In fact, GameMaker recently turned 24 years old, and its developers have decided to continue the celebration with Thanksgiving Day by making two major announcements.
GameMaker, Now Free for Personal Use
On the one hand, 2D game creators planning to go to market can purchase a single $100 license, designed for titles destined for PC, browsers, or mobile devices. With this change, GameMaker eliminates Creator/Indie subscriptions (those belonging to those categories will be able to get discounts, or even free licenses), and it enables greater flexibility for hobbyists and indie developers.
And on the other hand, GameMaker will be free for non-commercial use as long as the games don't reach consoles. The Asset Bundles also become free, and we haven't detected limits in terms of runtime or number of installations. What specifically happens with console development? On that hardware, things remain the same with an Enterprise license of $80 per month.
Finally, it's worth remembering that GameMaker and YoYo Games are owned by Opera (the acquisition was completed in 2021), and the number of active users has tripled since then. In addition, the Web is full of free guides and tutorials to create 2D games with GameMaker. If you want to turn that crazy idea you've kept in your head for years into reality, now is the time.
Official announcement: Click here.
