Have you ever wondered which are the best free tools for game development? This resource explains how to build your game character with Blender. It also lists the best GIMP plugins, free VFX software, and sources to get royalty-free music for video games.
Have you ever been working on a video game, and said to yourself “I wish there was a tool that did ______, but I don’t have the money to pay for it.” Don’t worry, I’ve been there before. In fact, I’ve probably said that exact quote way more times than I would like to admit. Thankfully, the answer to all your problems is here! Today we will dive into a huge list of free resources for game development in a variety of categories. Sometimes having in-depth resources or a big budget can be a bit overwhelming when you are in the early stages of your project. These resources listed below will not only help start your journey with free tools,
Construct 3
No programming needed. Construct 3 is the best game development software if you’ve never written a line of code in your life. This game development tool is completely GUI-driven, meaning everything is drag-and-drop. Game logic and variables are implemented using the design features provided by the app itself.
The beauty of Construct 3 is that it can export to dozens of different platforms and formats, and you don’t have to change a single thing in your game to accommodate these various options. Once your game is done, you can export to HTML5, Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, Linux, Xbox One, Microsoft Store, and more.https://www.youtube.com/embed/pWiC5Ln_0yA
Construct 3 has some of the best and most comprehensive documentation I’ve ever seen for a game development tool. In addition, there are hundreds of tutorials that will help you understand concepts from basic to advanced, and the forum community is extremely active if you ever need assistance.
Asset Store. Most programmers have no skills in art, music, or animation. But that’s fine with Construct 3 because you can always browse and purchase ready-made assets from the Scirra Store. Most asset packs are just a few dollars, but the professional-grade stuff can price at $30 or beyond. You can also buy sample games with source, which can be helpful for studying and learning new tips and tricks.
The free version has all of the core features but is limited to 25 events, two object layers, two simultaneous special effects, one web font, no multiplayer functionality, can only export to HTML5, and no permission to sell your games. The Personal license is $99/year and lifts all of these restrictions.
Unity
For a long time, many developers underestimated Unity, but not anymore. It is now a widely-used game creation tool that can be used to make both 2D and 3D games on just about any popular platform.
There is also free publishing support for iOS, and the free download comes with a trial of Unity Pro.
GAMEMAKER
A cross-platform commercial 2D game engine developed by YoYo Games. It has been used for games like Undertale, Hyper Light Drifter, and Minit.
Intended for: 2D games
Editor available for: Windows and macOS
Scripting / markup language(s): Uses a proprietary scripting language called GameMaker Language (GML) and a visual scripting language called Drag and Drop (DnD).
Cost: Free for 30 days, and then licenses start at $39 / year.
Learning tools: A few free written and video tutorials that cover the basics and some that dive more into how to make specific genres of games like turn-based RPGs, tower defense, and farming games. There are also links to some external sites and communities that have scripts and guides to help people get started.
GameMaker Studio 2
Drag-and-drop OR code. Like Construct 3, GameMaker Studio 2 allows you to create entire games using nothing more than its drag-and-drop interface for variables and game logic. But unlike Construct 3, GameMaker Studio 2 grants more power through its Game Maker Language, which is a C-like scripting language with a lot of flexibility.
Once your game is done, you can export to any number of platforms and formats without having to adjust your code: Windows, Mac, Linux, HTML5, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and more. The free version unfortunately doesn’t allow exporting to any platforms.
GameMaker Studio 2 is a rewritten-from-scratch version of Game Maker: Studio, which started way back in 1999. Today, it’s one of the most popular and active free game development engines currently available. New versions with feature updates are released at regular intervals.https://www.youtube.com/embed/izNXbMdu348
Built-in advanced features. GameMaker Studio 2 is great because it supports a lot of interesting quality-of-life features right out of the box, such as the ability to add in-app purchases to your game, real-time analytics on how users play your game, source control, multiplayer networking, and extensibility through third-party extensions. It also has built-in editors for images, animations, and shaders.
The free version can be used indefinitely but has limitations on how complex your games can be. The Creator plan costs $39/year and allows exporting to Windows and Mac. Or you can unlock individual exports each with a one-time permanent purchase: Desktop for $99, HTML5 for $149, Amazon Fire for $149, and Android/iOS for $399. Exports for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One are available for $799/year each.
Stencyl
With this toolset, you can make Flash games faster than with any other program out there. The interface features a drag-and-drop system along with blocks of code for you to utilize.
While you can make great games with Stencyl, it’s often tool by developers to make quick prototypes of their game ideas.
GDEVELOP
An open-source 2D game engine designed for ease of use.
Intended for: 2D games
Editor available for: Windows, macOS, Linux, and web
Scripting / markup language(s): None, uses a drag and drop interface.
Cost: Free
Learning tools: There are a variety of guides and tutorials available on the GDevelop wiki, and also more than 80 example files of how to make specific genres of games and specific game features.
Conclusion
Game development is more accessible than ever! All you need is the right tools, along with creative talent. Unfortunately, professional game tools can cost an upwards of $15,000 per game developer.