How to Make Video Games With No Programming
The most popular platform for creating video games without any programming knowledge is a piece of freeware called Game Maker. Though the title is somewhat uninspiring, the platform is robust and impressive. And although it tries to provide a beginner-friendly interface, creating successful games with Game Maker still requires a lot of dedication, creativity, skill and hard work.
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Instructions
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Visit YoYo Games website to download and install the free version of the GameMaker software. The install process is very straightforward; you simply need to follow the steps presented on-screen like any other Windows software package.
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Although the platform is intended to be beginner-friendly (the interface does, in fact, have many drag-and-drop components), there is still a learning curve, and opening GameMaker for the first time will be confusing at best.
Rather than stumbling into the software blindly, find some tutorials. There are a wide variety of both official and user-contributed GameMaker tutorials available online, and you should be able to find something that interests you whether you want to create a shooter, an RPG, an action-adventure platformer or some sort of online game. Find the tutorials that are of specific interest to you and take your time working through them.
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Once you have completed enough tutorials to get a feel for how the GameMaker system works, your first "creation" should be a mod of a demo game or tutorial. Many GameMaker users share their game source for just this purpose. Download a game that seems similar to something you want to make and begin "playing" with it. Change an objects physics, adjust variables or create new levels. Get a feel for what works and what doesn't.
If you are interested in implementing your own graphics or sound, begin working with the process of importing external image and audio files into your GameMaker project and implementing them in GameMaker events.
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This is an optional step. When you're ready to create a game that is truly your own, consider paying for the full version of GameMaker, which unlocks many advanced features. This would also be a good time to learn the basics of scripting and programming. Although excellent GameMaker games can be created using the drag-and-drop features, using a little bit of code can make your experience much faster and more powerful.
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The first step in creating your own game begins with a pen and paper--or word processor. Begin outlining your ideas: the characters, the story, the levels, the dialogue, the details. This document should include everything that happens not only on a story level, but on a technical level and an on-screen "player experience" level, as well. In the video game development world, this would be similar to what is known as a "treatment," and it is essentially your game's bible. This should be a living and growing document; you will add to it as you work through the creation of your game, coming up with new ideas and fixing impractical ones.
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Begin working through your treatment one step at a time to bring your idea to life. When you hit a snag, be sure to visit the GameMaker community. There, you will find a huge repository of GameMaker discussions--search through them and you may find that your question has already been asked and answered. If not, it's also a great place to find fellow GameMaker enthusiasts who will be happy to share their assistance, advice and feedback.
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Tips & Warnings
Be patient. Creating a "real" video game takes teams of veteran programmers months of full-time work. You can't expect professional results after one week of working alone.
If you plan to distribute or sell your game, make sure you're not using any copyrighted music, images or characters. When in doubt, assume any graphics or audio downloaded from the internet are copyrighted materials.
