User Interface

The Game Maker interface uses a "Drag and drop" system with the main intention of making it easier for users, who have no previous knowledge of computer programming to develop games quickly. Hence, the Game Maker is user-freindly with a creative graphical user interface.(GUI)

     Pro and lite versions

         There are two editions available in Game Maker-The Pro and the Lite.

         ♦  The Lite edition is free of charge and fewer functions are available along with some demo games. Hence, it is not suited to build complex 3D games.

         ♦  The Pro edition is approximately about 25$. Upgradation to Pro edition is required for creating complex games with full graphics.

 The Game Maker screen consists of five basic folders using which a simple game can be created. The folders are named as

•  Sprites
•  Sounds
•  Backgrounds
•  Objects
•  Rooms

Sprites are characters-objects or people-that move about in a game.  These are added to the game by right-clicking on the folder and choosing the “Create Sprite” option. For example consider a simple game where balls are moving at a slow pace on the screen, and the user needs to click on a ball to win.  Here, an image of the ball is created as a sprite.

Similarly sounds, such as a gunshot or explosion can be added through the Sounds folder and backgrounds, such as a sky or a forest, can be applied to the game via the Backgrounds folder.

Before working with the Objects folder, there is a point to be noted. Objects are applied to specific sprites. In other words, objects can be treated as the instantiations of sprites.   For instance, in the above game, a ball object is associated with the ball sprite. Also, separate events can be specified for the objects in the game and particular actions associated with each event. In our game, creation of the ball and clicking on it with the mouse by the user are events while the movement of the ball and the increase of the score are actions which are assigned/associated to the particular events.

Lastly, a Room is created for the game. A room can be visualised to a map or a grid wherein all the characters and the objects are dragged into to make the game ready. The room is added to the game by selecting the “Create Room” option in the Room folder.

This is a brief overview of the GameMaker software. It gives a basic understanding of how to start making a game. It is, thus, very useful and handy for persons who want to create some games to be played at leisure. It is a versatile software which helps users to create simple games as well as more advanced ones. Moreover, the action libraries and the Game maker language, which are built into the Game Maker, allow the user to further customise their game.