Introducing free access sees percentage of new 13-17 year old users surge by two-thirds and 18-21 year old users increase by half
More aspiring young game developers than ever are starting their game design journeys with GameMaker after access to the platform was made free for non-commercial users to create and share games late last year.
If you’re unfamiliar with GameMaker, it’s a simple yet powerful game development platform which enables artists and creators to make games within a single code base and publish natively across multiple platforms, including Android, iOS, HTML5, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Windows Desktop, macOS, and Ubuntu.
Created in Dundee, Scotland, GameMaker has been downloaded more than 12 million times. YoYo Games, the company behind GameMaker was acquired by Swedish browser expert Opera in January 2021.
The latest GameMaker user survey has found that the percentage of new 13-17 year old users has rocketed by two-thirds (63%) since access was made free. While the percentage of new 18-21 year old users has also risen by almost half (49.6%), compared with data from the 2023 user survey.
As a result, the number of games being created and shared in GameMaker has risen by 20% in the last six months.
Russell Kay, Head of GameMaker told the Scottish Games Network:
Making a video game should be as accessible as sharing a video or social media post online. Free access and easy to use tools are clearly important elements for those just starting out on their game development journey, so we’re proud to be supporting these young creative minds as it can only mean good things for the future of games.”
Games For Engagement
Making video games isn’t just a great hobby. Game design can also be a powerful tool for helping young people to foster key skills, such as problems-solving, coding, design, and project management. In fact, 77% of teachers who teach game design using GameMaker reported higher levels of engagement among their students.
Regardless of your age or skill level, getting started with GameMaker is easy. All you need is an idea. The platform features a wealth of free learning resources including interactive tutorials like Space Rocks that help you to build a space-shooter game in just 15 minutes, to free Asset Bundles packed with sounds and graphics to help bring your ideas to life.