作为一种娱乐形式，电子游戏将取代电影和音乐(film and music)成为世界上最受欢迎的消遣方式。如今，每个人都是游戏玩家。无论他们只玩奇怪的休闲手机游戏，还是花费数百小时在硬核AAA 游戏(AAA gaming)体验中。
获得最多宣传的视频游戏(video game)标题是由拥有数十甚至数百名专业成员的团队创建的。这些可以是图形艺术家、程序员、作家、设计师等等。因此，似乎只有那些拥有无穷无尽的预算和人才库的人才应该费心踏入游戏开发(game development)的世界。
事情与事实相去甚远。对于小型独立游戏创作者来说，这不仅是历史上最好的时期。这也是实现您的视频游戏愿景(video game vision)最简单的方法。
在视频游戏开发(game development)的早期，您几乎必须针对金属进行编码。编码人员使用汇编语言，后来转向高级语言，例如 C。您需要深入了解硬件，以便从中榨取每一盎司的性能。
如今，您可以购买现成的游戏引擎，并且有大量的游戏创建(game creation)工具可供非专业、非技术有抱负的开发人员用来实现他们的愿景。
这里强调的六个包旨在消除游戏开发(game development)在成本和技术技能方面的痛苦。有些甚至被用来制作重要的红极一时，为他们的开发人员赢得改变生活的薪水。所以请继续阅读，也许您会找到最终实现您一直想要实现的游戏的工具。
模具
Stencyl是一款基于订阅的游戏创建工具(game creation tool)，可让您轻松创建适用于多个平台的 2D 游戏。游戏准备就绪后，您可以将其作为应用发布到Android 和 iOS(Android and iOS)，但也支持所有桌面平台和浏览器。
如果你喜欢手机游戏，那么你很有可能真的玩过用Stencyl制作的东西。使用此工具创作的不少游戏已进入各种应用商店的前 10 名。Wrassling是一款特别有趣的游戏，一经推出便获得了好评。
Stencyl引以为豪的是，作者根本不必为任何代码争吵。至少不是原始形式。在游戏逻辑(game logic)方面，他们出色地选择了使用拼图系统(puzzle piece system)
，您可以将不同的逻辑参数组合在一起，然后填写变量。所以实际上有相当多的“编码”，但说实话，这并不比用乐高拼砌更难。(LEGO)
RPG Maker（各种版本）
JRPG(JRPGs)仍然代表着一种蓬勃发展的类型，现在您可以使用(thriving genre)RPG Maker轻松制作您自己的游戏，使其具有经典的最终幻想(Final Fantasy)游戏的风格。RPG Maker的多个版本同时发布，由开发人员并行支持。
仔细检查哪个版本的工具最适合您的需求是个好主意，因为它们具有特定版本独有的一些功能。例如，虽然选择RPG Maker XP可能很诱人，因为它是最便宜的。但是，您不能做诸如在气泡旁边放置人物肖像之类的事情。另一方面，由于一些人对它的地图系统的偏好，XP 仍然拥有强大的追随者。
无论(Regardless)您最终选择哪个RPG Maker 版本，它们都是 JRPG 风格(RPG Maker version)游戏创建(game creation)工具的事实上的标准，您可以使用提供的许可证出售您的最终游戏。如果您想制作这种特定风格的游戏（或类似的游戏，只需稍作修改），您绝对必须让RPG Maker成为您行程的第一站。
RPG Maker一直是Windows 游戏(Windows game)创建者，但现在可以发布到其他平台，例如Android，尽管要让这一切正常工作需要一点努力。
使用RPG 制造商制作(RPG maker)的一些最成功的游戏
包括To The Moon和Skyborn。在经典JRPG(JRPGs)的鼎盛时期很容易成为热门游戏的游戏。
麻线 2.0
Twine 突破(Twine)了应该算作游戏创作工具的极限，但仍处于(game creation tool)分界线(dividing line)的右侧。它最初是作为一种工具来构建选择你自己的冒险类型的体验。Twine是一个开源工具(Source tool)，基本上可以让你构建一个庞大的故事节点网络，然后将其发布为一个工作的HTML 应用程序(HTML app)。
将 Twine 从一个交互式叙事工具提升到真正可以制作游戏的东西是它的脚本能力。这使您可以执行诸如添加角色统计信息和随机事件之类的操作。这使得人们可以构建简单的地牢爬行者并将游戏玩法添加到他们的故事中。
Twine 2.0无疑是此列表中最基本的工具之一，但如果使用得当，它可以用于一些令人难以置信的强大结果。有趣的是， (Interestingly)Black Mirror Bandersnatch的创作者使用Twine作为制作工具(production tool)来跟踪所有情节线索。
游戏制作工作室 2
Game Maker Studio 2是一长串游戏创作软件包中的最新版本，可追溯到 1999 年，当时它被称为Animo。这是一个旨在制作 2D 游戏的工具，它提供了制作 2D 风格游戏所需的一切。一些 3D 的东西是可能的，但移出了 2D创建系统(creation system)通常简单直观的环境。
Game Maker Studio可让您为 2D 对象设置动画，绘制原始 2D 图元并获得您想要的外观。它有许多直观的工具来设计关卡、脚本事件和机制等等。
在Game Maker Studio(Game Maker Studio)的帮助下制作了许多商业上成功的游戏，但最著名的游戏无疑是Undertale。一款已达到狂热状态(cult status)的游戏，销售数十万份。对于使用Game Maker Studio(Game Maker Studio)等创作工具创建的独立游戏来说还不错！
该产品还具有一些最好的
平台支持(platform support)。您可以发布到Windows、macOs、Ubuntu、HTML5、
Android、iOS、PS4、Xbox One，现在甚至是Switch。
Game Maker Studio 不是(Maker Studio isn)免费的，但有一个负担得起的“Creator Edition”，它限制用户在 Windows 和 Macintosh 上发布。您可以随时升级到“桌面”许可证，以扩大您的游戏的购买范围。
点击团队融合 2.5
由法国开发商Clickteam创建的Fusion 2.5对于想要制作 2D 游戏但又不想花数年时间学习如何编码的人来说是一个有趣的选择。Clicktean 声称，专业的编码语言 Fusion 2.5(coding language Fusion 2.5)使用了一种定制的编码语言，它非常简单，普通用户可以在不到一小时的时间内学会它。
已经有一大堆商业上成功的独立游戏使用Fusion 2.5制作，但最著名的可能是弗雷迪的五夜之夜。开发人员使用Fusion 2.5制作游戏，并使用 3ds Max预渲染 3D 图形。它只是展示了如果你有创造力，你可以做什么！
构造 3
Construct 3是广受欢迎的基于订阅的游戏开发工具(game development tool)的最新版本。与Stencyl一样，您需要支付月费（或年费）才能访问开发环境(development environment)。您制作的任何游戏都是您的财产，您可以自由出售它们以获取利润。
Construct 3仍然相当新，但已经有一些使用Construct 2制作的著名游戏。Next Penelope(The Next Penelope)本身已经做得很好，甚至还获得了一个最近的Switch Port，尽管这确实需要一些认真的努力和对 C++ 的翻译。
Construct 可以导出到JavaScript、HTML5和其他一些PC 和 Web(PC and web)兼容标准，因此您的标题应该不乏受众。也有原生的Android和 iOS 支持！可视化
脚本系统(scripting system)可能是 Construct 最大的卖点，被吹捧为对游戏逻辑设计的一种特别直观的表现。定价也很合理，特别是如果您考虑到热门独立游戏可以让您变得多丰富！
制作自己的大片
游戏世界(gaming world)中充斥着小型独立开发者的故事，他们凭借一款无人能敌的游戏而大放异彩。一个
游戏(game isn)不好，因为有人投入了数百万美元。优秀的游戏都具有一定的创新游戏设计(game design)、润色和引人注目的中央机制。
虽然获得一些
核心编码(core coding)和技术技能总是一个好主意，但这些直观的游戏创作(game authoring)工具意味着您无需成为多面手即可制作您一直想制作的游戏。所需要的只是奉献精神和一个好主意。你还在等什么？
6 Free Game Development Tools to Make Your Own Games
As a form of entertainment, video games are
set to overtake both film and musіc combined as the world’s favorite pastime.
These days everyone’s a gamer. Whether they only play the odd casual mobile
gаme or spend hundreds of hourѕ in hardcore AAA gaming experiences.
The video game titles that get the most
publicity are created by teams that have dozens or even hundreds of specialized
members. These can be graphic artists, programmers, writers, designers and
more. So it might seem like only those with endless budgets and talent pools
should bother stepping into the world of game development.
Things couldn’t be further from the truth. Not
only is this the best time in history for small, independent game creators.
It’s also the easiest it’s ever been to bring your video game vision to
fruition.
In the early days of video game development,
you pretty much had to code against the metal. Coders used assembly language,
later moving on to high-level languages such as C. You needed to know the
hardware intimately, in order to squeeze every last ounce of performance from
it.
These days you can buy game engines off the
shelf and there’s a plethora of game creation tools that non-professional,
non-technical aspiring developers can use to bring their vision to life.
The six packages highlighted here are aimed at
taking the pain out of game development both in terms of cost and technical
skill. Some have even been used to create critical smash hits, earning their
developers life-changing paychecks. So read on and perhaps you’ll find the tool
that will finally bring that game you’ve always wanted to make a reality.
Stencyl
Stencyl is a subscription-based game creation tool that lets you easily create 2D games for multiple platforms. Once your game is ready, you can publish it as an app to both Android and iOS, but all desktop platforms and browsers are also supported.
If you like mobile games, there’s a good chance you’ve actually played something made with Stencyl. More than a few games authored with this tool have cracked the top 10 on the various app stores. Wrassling is one particularly fun title that got some good press back when it was released.
Stencyl prides itself on the fact that authors
don’t have to wrangle with any code at all. At least not in its raw form. When
it comes to game logic, they’ve brilliantly opted to use a puzzle piece system
where you snap the different logical arguments together and then fill in the
variables. So in reality there’s quite a bit of “coding”, but it’s no harder
than building with LEGO is we’re being honest.
RPG Maker (Various Versions)
JRPGs still represent a thriving genre and now you can easily make your own game in the vein of classic Final Fantasy games with RPG Maker. There are quite a few versions of RPG Maker out at the same time, supported in parallel by the developer.
It’s a good idea to double check which version of the tool best suits your needs, since they have some features exclusive to specific versions. For example, while it may be tempting to opt for RPG Maker XP, since it is the cheapest. However, you can’t do things like have character portraits next to speech bubbles. On the other hand, XP still has a strong following due to the preference of some for it’s map system.
Regardless of which RPG Maker version you end up going for, they are the de facto standard in JRPG-style game creation tools and you can sell your final game with the provided licence. If you want to make this specific style of game (or something similar with only a little bit of modification) you absolutely have to make RPG Maker the first stop on your itinerary.
RPG Maker has always been a Windows game creator, but it is now possible to publish to other platforms, such as Android, albeit with a little elbow grease to get it all to work.
Some of the most successful games made using
RPG maker include To The Moon and Skyborn. Games which would easily have
been critical hits in the heyday of classic JRPGs.
Twine 2.0
Twine pushes the limits of what should count as a game creation tool, but is still comfortably on the right side of the dividing line. It was originally punted as a tool to build choose-your-own-adventure type experiences. Twine is an Open Source tool that basically let’s you construct a massive network of story nodes and then publish it as a working HTML app.
What elevates Twine from being an interactive narrative tool to something that can actually make games is it’s scripting abilities. This allows you to do things like add character stats and have random events. This has made it possible for people to build simple dungeon crawlers and add gameplay to their stories.
Twine 2.0 is certainly one of the most rudimentary tools on this list, but in the right hands it can be used for some incredibly powerful results. Interestingly enough, the creators of Black Mirror Bandersnatch used Twine as a production tool, to keep track of all the plot threads.
Game Maker Studio 2
Game Maker Studio 2 is the latest in a very
long line of game authoring packages stretching all the way back to 1999 when
it was known as Animo. This is a tool
aimed at making 2D games and it comes with just about everything you’d need to
make a game in the 2D style. Some 3D stuff is possible, but moves out of the
generally simple and intuitive environment of the 2D creation system.
Game Maker Studio lets you animate your 2D
objects, draw original 2D primitives and achieve exactly the look you want. It
has many intuitive tools to design levels, script events and mechanics and much
more.
There have been many commercially successful games made with the help of Game Maker Studio, but the most famous title is without a doubt Undertale. A game that has reached cult status, selling hundreds of thousands of copies. Not bad for an indie title created with an authoring tool like Game Maker Studio!
This product also has some of the best
platform support out there. You can publish to Windows, macOs, Ubuntu, HTML5,
Android, iOS, PS4, Xbox One and now even Switch.
Game Maker Studio isn’t free, but there is an
affordable “Creator Edition”, which limits users to publishing on Windows and
Macintosh. You can always upgrade to the “Desktop” licence to expand where your
game is available to buy.
ClickTeam Fusion 2.5
Created by French developer Clickteam, Fusion 2.5 is an interesting option for people who want to make 2D games, but don’t want to spend years learning how to code. Clicktean claim that the specialized coding language Fusion 2.5 uses a bespoke coding language so simple that the average use can learn it in less than one hour.
There have been a whole bunch of commercially
successful indie games made with Fusion 2.5, but the most famous is probably
Five Nights at Freddy’s. The developer used Fusion 2.5 to make the game, along
with 3ds Max to pre-render the 3D graphics. It just goes to show what you can
do if you’re creative!
Construct 3
Construct 3 is the latest version of the highly popular subscription-based game development tool. Like Stencyl, you pay a monthly (or annual) fee to have access to the development environment. Any games you make are your property and you are free to sell them for profit.
Construct 3 is still fairly new, but there have been some notable games made with Construct 2. The Next Penelope has done pretty well for itself and even got a recent Switch Port, although this did take some serious effort and a translation to C++.
Construct can export to JavaScript, HTML5 and
a few other PC and web compatible standards, so there should be no lack of
audience for your title. There’s native Android and iOS support too! The visual
scripting system is probably Construct’s biggest selling point and is touted as
a particularly intuitive take on game
logic design. The pricing is pretty reasonable too, especially if you consider
how rich a hit indie game could make you!
Making Your Own Blockbuster
The gaming world is rife with stories of small
indie developers who made it big with that one game no one could put down. A
game isn’t good because someone pumped millions of dollars into it. Good games
all share a certain mix of innovative game design, polish and a compelling
central mechanism.
While it’s always a good idea to acquire some
core coding and technical skills, these intuitive game authoring tools mean you
don’t need to be a jack of all trades to craft that game you’ve always wanted
to make. All it takes is dedication and a good idea. So what are you waiting
for?
