There’s so much more to GameMaker than just creating a game to play. With smartphones and computers at their fingertips, kids already have countless games to choose from. But with GameMaker, students (Ages 9+) can go behind the scenes as to how games are actually created, and use their creativity to produce their own game instead of just consuming what others have already made. As the GameMaker courses progress, there are different styles of games that can be learned such as maze game, platforming, and scrolling shooter games.

Across the types of games, there are some common Game Elements:

• Character Design
• Setting Design
• Challenge Design
• Collectibles
• Enemies
• Score/Lives
• Music
• Projectiles

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Let's dive deeper into the experience each gaming style provides:

(GameMaker students examples shown on the right)

Maze Game

We all know the famous Pacman game, a classic arcade favorite that represents a maze style game. With GameMaker, students can create their own version of this game, designing their own character, setting, enemies and collectibles. This type of game is distinctively characterized by the constructed pathway (maze) that the character has to navigate in order to progress to the next level. It features a top down view of the character and level, and allows for the option of setting the view to be closeup and follow the character.

Platforming

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Super Mario Bros is another legendary game, that exemplifies a platform style game. In this type of game, platforms are added which characters will have to maneuver. With the ability to jump, students will also learn how to logically apply the concept of gravity to their character as it navigates it’s setting and travels from platform to platform.

Scrolling Shooter

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There are many space and fighter jet games that exhibits a scrolling shooter game. Like the name suggests, this type of game requires the character to navigate through a continuously scrolling background where it has to shoot enemies and maneuver obstacles in order to progress.

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Skills Acquired

Other than a fully functional game to share with family and friends, what can your child gain from this experience?

• Game Design Mechanics – The video game industry is extremely successful. GameMaker courses teach key skills and principles that are found in actual video games on the market and web!
• Logical thinking – If a character jumps, it wouldn’t stay in the air forever due to gravity! We want to encourage students to think about ways to make their game rational, cohesive, and have their components well-integrated.
• Strategy – In order to create a fun and challenging game, there has to be some level of difficulty and thoughtful components applied. For example, portals can be created, keys can be hidden, and secret passageways can be placed, in order to progress to the next level.
• Problem-solving – There’s bound to be some bumps along the way — unintentional ones. This experience allows students to figure out solutions to fix and improve their games.
• Creativity – The possibilities are endless! Every child’s game turns out differently and that’s the beauty of allowing them to exercise their imagination and see where it takes them! It’s not about replicating what’s already been done, but becoming innovators of the future!

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