Game Development with GameMaker: A Primer on Game Development and Design. 2 Ed

Table of Contents....5

About the Author....15

Acknowledgments....16

Introduction....17

Chapter 1: Overview....19

The Right Tool for the Job....20

What Is GameMaker?....21

About Game Design....22

About Coding....23

How to Use This Book....23

Additional Content....27

Pricing....27

Installing GameMaker....28

Windows....29

Mac....32

Installing from Steam....33

Chapter 2: Hello, World!....35

UI Overview....37

Sprites....41

Objects....43

Events....45

Code....47

Tile Sets....48

Fonts....48

Rooms....49

Hello, GML!....50

Create Event....51

Introducing Variables....52

Left Pressed (Mouse) Event....56

Draw....57

Chapter 3: Card Game (Part 1)....62

The Design....62

A Game Design Document Primer....63

Memory GDD....64

Rules....64

Game Flow....65

Similar Games....65

Game Modes....65

Target Audience....67

Target System....67

Assets....67

spr_cardback....68

spr_rain....68

From GDD to Development....69

Cards....69

Implementation....71

The Card Object....71

If-Then-Else....72

Switch....73

Deck....79

Array....80

Stack....82

Queue....83

List....85

Map....85

Priority Queue....86

Grids....87

Designing Decks....88

Code Loops....90

Repeat....90

While....91

Do-Until....91

For....92

Making Decks....93

Every Day I’m Shuffling....96

How Do Functions Function?....96

GML Functions....98

Shuffle Cards Code....99

Chapter 4: Card Game (Part 2)....104

Finite-State Machines (FSMs)....104

From State Machine to Code....110

A Matter of Time....119

Play to Win!....126

Chapter 5: Fixed Shooter....134

History of the Genre....134

Space Gala (GDD)....136

Story and Setting....137

Gameplay....137

Victory Conditions....137

Controls....137

Menu....138

Pacing....138

Enemies....138

Game Modes....139

Level 1....139

Similar Games and Influences....139

Target Audience....139

From GDD to the Game....140

Assets....140

spr_player....140

spr_bullet_player....144

spr_life....144

spr_enemy_red....145

spr_background....145

fnt_score....146

fnt_messages....146

rm_level_1....146

Making Features, Not Objects....147

Movements....148

Shooting....155

Designing rm_level_1....166

Game States....167

Making HUDs....176

What About Victory?....179

Menu....180

Chapter 6: Shoot ‘Em Up!....189

Fixed vs. Scrolling Shoot ‘Em Up!....190

Space Gala v.2.0 (GDD)....191

Story and Setting....191

Gameplay....191

Victory Conditions....192

Controls....193

Menu....193

Pacing....193

Enemies....194

Game Modes....195

Level 1....195

Level 2....195

Similar Games and Influences....195

Target Audience....196

Assets....196

Sounds....199

Cameras and Viewports....202

Designing Color-Switching....213

Inheritance....217

Color Shooting....222

More Enemies....225

Ain’t Nothing but the Blues....226

Walkers on Paths....228

Unidentified Flying…Instance!....232

Super-Attack....235

How to Design a Good Shmup Level....241

Boss Fighting....242

Conclusion....247

Chapter 7: Designing Bosses....250

Teaching and Experimenting....252

Motivation!....253

How Can We Use This?....255

Chapter 8: Single-Screen Platformer....257

Cherry Caves....260

Story and Setting....260

Gameplay....261

Victory Condition....261

Controls....262

Enemies....262

Assets....263

Sprites....263

spr_player_idle....263

spr_player_walk....263

spr_player_climb....264

spr_block_red....264

spr_block_brown....265

spr_ladder....265

spr_ball_purple....265

spr_ball_green....266

spr_cherry....266

spr_goal....266

Fonts....267

fnt_score....267

Sounds....267

How to Create a Hero....267

Setting the Boundaries....271

Everything That Goes Up Comes Down....276

Get a Jump on Gravity!....279

Climbing the Ladder....280

Controlling the Game Flow....286

HUD....296

How to Die....299

Cherry-Picking....302

Through Cherries, to the Star....303

Level Design: The Art of Creating Worlds....306

Designing Caves....307

Level 2!....308

Chapter 9: Scrolling Platformer....314

Story and Setting....315

Gameplay....315

Victory Condition....316

Items....316

Controls....317

Enemies....318

Attack....318

Miscellaneous....319

Similar Games....320

Assets....320

spr_land....320

spr_skybg....321

spr_platform_falling....322

spr_platform_trampoline....322

spr_platform_moving....322

spr_octopus_green....323

spr_octopus_purple....323

spr_titlescreen....324

spr_coin....324

spr_terrain....325

Fonts....325

fnt_title....325

Sounds....325

The More You Do It …....326

Title Screen....327

Tiles and Level Design....336

Scrolling Camera....346

Fixing and Re-adapting....350

Different Ways to Move....358

Gotta Squash'Em All!....367

Items and Power-Ups....374

Coins....374

Cherries....376

Creating the First Level....379

Chapter 10: Designing Platformers....387

Controls Are Key....387

It’s My Fault!....389

Keep It Simple!....391

Power-Ups, Items, and Gear....393

Interesting Collections....393

World Makers....396

Conclusion....400

Chapter 11: Metroidvania (Part 1)....401

History....402

Isolation (Game Design Document)....403

Story and Setting....404

Gameplay....404

Victory Condition....404

Controls....404

Enemies....406

Attack....406

Skills....406

Maps....407

Inventory....407

Similar Games....408

Assets....408

spr_player_idle....408

spr_player_walk....409

spr_player_jump....409

spr_player_jump_fall/spr_player_dash....409

spr_player_wallslide....410

spr_heart....410

spr_warp....411

spr_marker....411

spr_upgrade....412

spr_cure....412

spr_octopus_green....412

spr_ground_brown....413

spr_checkpoint_inactive....413

spr_checkpoint_active....414

spr_bullet_heavy....414

spr_bullet_light....414

Fonts....415

fnt_text....415

fnt_menu_h1....415

fnt_menu_h2....415

Sounds....415

snd_item....415

snd_jump....415

snd_dash....416

snd_shoot....416

snd_kill....416

snd_hit....416

snd_menu....416

Creating the Platforming Base....416

Gamepad Support!....421

Gravity, No Escaping!....424

Making the Leap....426

Another Kick in the Wall....428

Moving Forward with a Dash....435

The Game Flow....442

Warped!....451

Conclusion....456

Chapter 12: Metroidvania (Part 2)....458

About Maps....459

Map Makers, Grids, and Semaphores....460

Items and Inventory....480

Creating the Combat System....496

Old Enemies....501

Saving Maria....507

file_text_open_read(fname)....509

file_text_open_write(fname)....509

file_text_open_append(fname)....509

file_text_write_string(file_id, my_string)....510

file_text_close(file_id)....510

Conclusion....519

Chapter 13: Extra: Artificial Intelligence....522

Isolation: CR – Artificial Intelligence....526

Change Request Document....526

Description of Change....527

Justification....528

Impact Analysis....529

Raycasting-Based Detection....530

Octopus, Behave!....534

Patrol....536

Chase....538

Conclusion....541

Chapter 14: Designing Fun Games....543

Document Your Design!....543

Respect Your Game....544

Keep Your Players Immersed....545

Autonomy....546

Competence....547

Relatedness....548

Having Fun Means Learning....549

Conclusion....551

Chapter 15: What’s Next?....552

Itch.io....552

GOG....556

Humble Store....558

Steam....559

End Game....561

Create games from start to finish while learning game design and programming principles using the GameMaker. Game Development with GameMaker covers all aspects of game design and development from the initial idea to the final release. You will learn how to make a 2D game from start to finish using GameMaker covering important features and topics related to game development. 

The book will cover design and development of a top-down action game from start to finish leveraging on best practices according to the current state of the industry’s standards. It will cover all the building blocks of 2D game development: movements, combat, AI, UI, level design, inventory, power ups, etc. This edition also aims to implement the many changes that has come to GameMaker: new features as well as best practices.

You Will

• Master GameMaker Language (GML) programming
• Apply game design principles and programming patterns
• Learn about 2D game development techniques and best practices
• Review the visual programming tool of GameMaker

Who This Book is For

Game enthusiasts interested in game development and design with GameMaker would benefit from the book. No prior programming experience is required.