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Post-Camp Info: Game Design

Post-Camp Info: Video Game Design

Thank you for joining us for a wonderful week in Game Design tech camp. If you are interested in continuing your Video Game Design education, below are resources to assist you with making even more video games on your own.

Video Game Design Software, GameMaker 8.1

In our Game Design tech camps, we use GameMaker 8.1 for Windows (free version). There is a newer version of GameMaker called GameMaker Studio 2, which is a paid version. It has a free version with limited export platforms, then you can choose to pay monthly or annually for more export platforms. Costs range from $100 for a one-time purchase to $800 for a one year subscription. GameMaker Studio 2 can be downloaded on either Windows or Mac operating systems.

Mac parents: There’s a known error when installing GameMaker 8.1 on the newest Mac operating systems. Use this fix to bypass the error. Also, games made in camp will not play on the Mac version; those games must be recreated on the Mac GameMaker software.

  • Download GameMaker 8.1 for free (used in camp to program games)
  • Use the Windows Executable Files on the left side of the webpage. Start by installing the GameMaker Installer. Open GameMaker. THEN, download and install the GM8.1 Upgrader. Choose the stable version when asked.
  • Download JoyToKey for free (used in camp to control the USB joysticks)

Books are a Great Design Resource

We recommend the following video game design resources for the software that we use in Tech Camp. These resources can both add to your skills as well as help to come up with new ideas for your games.

The newer GameMaker Studio has tutorials that might be helpful to your camper. There are also some free training materials inside the GameMaker 8.1 software. Consequently, there are also a number of YouTube videos that are dedicated to this particular professional gaming software.