Pixel Game Maker

[Agame]

Anyone here tried this out?

It looks interesting, but also janky and half translated. I have been unable to find a demo (pirate) version and its pretty expensive to commit to.

 

[Rodcocker]

Avoid like the plague, I'd say. Like all these easy to get into programs, your project will become a complete failure once you try to exceed the boundaries in any regard, and the boundaries for this look very low indeed.

Just go with Unity if you want 2D. People can hate on me all the they want, but at least you aren't restricted from a programming perspective and can do proper object orientated patterns, and it is free to start with.

I really wanted to love GameMaker, but their own language just pissed me off in the end. All that sacrifice of standard programming features just to allow visual block based editing which no fucker in their right mind should be using or promoting.

 

[Ysaye]

I had heard that Pixel Game Maker was very buggy at this stage; my understanding is that it is still in early access so I would be careful at least until that is fixed up.

The reality is that there are a heap 2d sprite oriented engines out there including ClickTeam Fusion (which has a history back to Click and Play), Gamemaker 2, Construct 2 etc. that for all intents and purposes are very similar in what they do, and some are a lot cheaper or free. Pixelmaker is playing off the popularity of RPGmaker, which has been very popular but was never designed to be making commercial games. If you want to try what it will probably end up as try Construct 2 - it is free at least and been around a bit longer.

The reality is the more you want to customize the more these kinds of programs are not likely to be for you. For example I have been using Smile Game Builder (basically like 3d rpgmaker) for fun to try and build a turn-based blobber - within that environment you can create maps and customize wall surfaces easily enough, lighting etc even hold it to grid movement, database enemy types, setup random encounter rates etc. But then say you want to customize (both number and types and how they feed into calcs) character attributes? you have minimal options. What about increase the party size from four to six? Nope can't do that. Even play around with the fonts and layouts of battlescreens? Nope. And don't get me started on event controls.....as codrocker says it gets frustrating pretty soon.

If you want to do something with plenty of customizing and really don't like Unity, have a look at Godot - it's free, can be used for 2d or 3d and there is a fair bit of information out there.

 

[Agame]

Thanks for the comments guys, I will have a look at some of those other programs. Funnily enough Construct 2 is going to be removed from Steam in two days as I guess they are pushing the new version so thats good timing to check it out.

 

[Egosphere]

Avoid like the plague, I'd say. Like all these easy to get into programs, your project will become a complete failure once you try to exceed the boundaries in any regard, and the boundaries for this look very low indeed.

Just go with Unity if you want 2D. People can hate on me all the they want, but at least you aren't restricted from a programming perspective and can do proper object orientated patterns, and it is free to start with.

I really wanted to love GameMaker, but their own language just pissed me off in the end. All that sacrifice of standard programming features just to allow visual block based editing which no fucker in their right mind should be using or promoting.

godot is better for 2d

 

[J_C]

Avoid like the plague, I'd say. Like all these easy to get into programs, your project will become a complete failure once you try to exceed the boundaries in any regard, and the boundaries for this look very low indeed.

Just go with Unity if you want 2D. People can hate on me all the they want, but at least you aren't restricted from a programming perspective and can do proper object orientated patterns, and it is free to start with.

I really wanted to love GameMaker, but their own language just pissed me off in the end. All that sacrifice of standard programming features just to allow visual block based editing which no fucker in their right mind should be using or promoting.

I understand the gripes with GameMaker, it must be restrictive from a programmer point of view. But if you are just starting out, it's programming language is great to get you into programming. And you can advance from it to other languages. For someone who never did any programming, jumping into the more complex languages can be daunting. Speaking from my own experience. And to be honest, for 2D, you can almost do anything with it, so it's not like that simpler programming language is not working. Maybe it is not as efficient as other languages, but you can do a lot with it.

 

[LESS T_T]

This is on Steam free trial week now (along with RPG Maker MV and VN Maker): https://store.steampowered.com/app/837510/Pixel_Game_Maker_MV__MV/

 

[LESS T_T]

This is on Steam free trial week now (along with RPG Maker MV and VN Maker): https://store.steampowered.com/app/837510/Pixel_Game_Maker_MV__MV/

Now out of Early Access. There's now 30-day free trial version.

 

[J1M]

Just want to echo the sentiment that if you are at the point of trying Unity, you should be looking at Godot first. Especially for a 2D game.