Getting developers started with GameMaker

gamesindustry.biz:

It’s been almost 25 years since Dutch professor Mark Overmars created GameMaker, a game engine primarily devoted to 2D graphics and sprites.

While major engines like Unity and Unreal Engine also offer 2D tools in addition to cutting-edge visuals, GameMaker keeps things simple with its drag-and-drop visual scripting tool. Its 2D focus has helped small teams create incredible experiences like Hyper Light Drifter, Hotline Miami, Chicory: A Colorful Tale, and Undertale.

GameMaker also saw a boost in awareness and use last year; just as Unity walked into a massive pricing controversy last year, GameMaker flipped the script and made its tech free for all non-commercial use.

We sat down with Gurpreet Singh Matharoo, a lead technical writer at GameMaker, to discuss how GameMaker plans to entice developers who weren't fans of the Unity fiasco. Matharoo works in the team responsible for the company’s documentation in addition to video content on their YouTube channel, "aimed primarily at first-timers to GameMaker."

Matharoo was quick to state that it’s "not particularly hard to create documentation and fill it with information"; instead the challenge lies in "making it easily digestible for new users, while keeping it informative for seasoned developers."

"For new users, I ensure that my writing (and that of my staff) is made up of short paragraphs, uses simple words that a fourth-grader could understand, and gets to the point," he said.

Nurturing new talent is an imperative that is becoming increasingly important as established studios engage in layoffs across the industry. Despite rising profits and popularity, the age-old question of 'What's a young person hoping for a career in this sector meant to believe?' rears its ugly head.

While an indie gold rush would be held back by investor caution, there’s no denying that making games and creating them is becoming more accessible outside Western markets. GameMaker has its sights on a larger slice of an expanding pie.

"Developers can