GameMaker has helped numerous indie studios and individuals to create games, including many first-time launches and student projects. The engine’s ease of use and powerful tooling allow creators to prototype rapidly and iterate through full-cycle development efficiently. GameMaker is designed to facilitate game creation with or without a coding background. Designers choose between its scripting language, GML Code, and visual scripting through GML Visual when creating game logic. GameMaker’s robust suite of editors allows for easy creation, customization, and optimization of 2D game sprites, objects, levels, and a wide variety of other assets. GameMaker’s flexibility lets users add extensions and expand on its functionality, including making 3D games. GameMaker’s commercial licenses are low-cost compared to competitors like Unity, and the engine supports cross-platform development. Read further to learn about 49 famous games that were created using GameMaker, and how it helped their development.
1. Undertale
Undertale is an indie role-playing game (RPG) that merges the genres and gameplay of a “bullet hell” shooter and a Japanese RPG (JRPG). The player is a child lost in the Underground, a land of monsters, trying to find the way back home. Undertale subverts the tropes of both the JRPG and bullet hell genres by making most combat and all kills optional to enable a full “pacifist run” (with its own ending). Player choices, even one enemy kill, affect future choices available and the storyline. Undertale even extends narrative consequences beyond the gameplay, remembering player choices when loading an earlier save or resetting (restarting) the game. The game’s storylines are deep and emotional, with nuanced and memorable characters. Undertale’s music is evocative, with a notable 101 songs (including hidden bonus content) included in the DLC soundtrack.
Undertale was developed and published by Toby Fox, an American developer, writer, and composer. The game’s release started with a free demo in 2013, containing about a quarter of the game’s content. The full PC launch happened in 2015 for Windows and macOS, with the game becoming available on Linux in 2016. Console launches included PS4 and PS Vita in 2017, Nintendo Switch in 2018, and Xbox varieties in 2021. The project’s time in development spanned roughly 2.5 to 3 years, costing upward of $51,000 USD. The budget amount was funded by Kickstarter alone, far exceeding the campaign goal of just $5000. GameMaker’s easy interface and powerful tools were a significant aid in Undertale’s development, as Fox’s background wasn’t in professional game or software development, viewing himself as more of a storyteller and musician.
2. Spelunky
Spelunky is a roguelike/rogue-lite 2D platformer game that involves wandering through caves to battle the occupants, uncovering loot to boost the player’s score, and rescuing damsels to increase health. Spelunky’s full-restart permadeath and extensive procedural design (randomizing areas, collectable items, enemies, and obstacles) were unusual for platformers when the game was released. Players were attracted to the game’s high stakes and addictive twitch-based gameplay, which are seen as punishing but fair. The randomized levels not only provide unique playthrough experiences, such as collectables and secret areas, but challenge players to master gameplay elements like enemies and items by removing the ability to memorize levels.
Spelunky’s developer, Derek Yu, and his studio, Mossmouth, released the game as freeware for Windows PCs in 2008. Spelunky’s commercial version, Spelunky HD, expanded and enhanced sound, art, and content, with releases for Xbox 360 (published by Microsoft), PS consoles, and the Nintendo Switch. The development time for Spelunky’s classic version was roughly 6 months, with Spelunky HD taking about 4 years to create. Yu used GameMaker for the classic version of Spelunky, noting in an interview for GameMaker’s blog that the engine let him prototype ideas efficiently and that answers to any of his questions were easy to find online. Yu claimed that the engine was “the easiest and most enjoyable experience [he’d] had with a game-making tool”.
3. Hyper Light Drifter
Hyper Light Drifter is an action-adventure 2D role-playing game (RPG) where the player controls a mysterious character travelling through an expansive postapocalyptic world seeking to cure their terminal illness. Twitch-based sword and gun fights and exploration form the core gameplay mechanics. Hyper Light Drifter has no dialogue or text, using the 16-bit-inspired visuals and evocative sound to convey narrative, encourage exploration, and reveal objectives. The game’s use of cryptic environmental storytelling and challenging, precision-demanding combat often results in comparisons to Souls-like games. Hyper Light Drifter’s illness theme is based on developer Alx Preston’s experiences with congenital heart disease. Drifter’s illness is conveyed through its gameplay mechanics, such as the player’s health bar being consistently low. The game drew critical acclaim for its design elements, in addition to its responsive controls.
Hyper Light Drifter was created and published by Heart Machine studio, with development led by Alx Preston. The game’s 2016 release supported Windows, Mac, and Linux PCs, adding PS4 and Xbox One later that year. A special edition with exclusive content was released to the Switch in 2018, iOS in 2019, and Android in 2024. Development of the initial release took roughly 5 years, facilitated by $645,158 in Kickstarter funding. The funding exceeded the initial $27000 goal, letting Heart Machine port to more platforms and hire new staff to add polish and features. The GameMaker engine played a substantial role in Hyper Light Drifter’s development, as its powerful tools and smooth workflow let Heart Machine focus on game mechanics and design, rather than getting stuck on implementation. YoYo Games, GameMaker’s creators, worked closely with Heart Machine to facilitate the game’s development, providing special helpdesk assistance, bug fixes, features, and console-porting enhancements specially for them.
4. Downwell
Downwell is a vertical-scrolling roguelike shooter and action platformer game. In Downwell, the player is falling down a well and firing at enemies using “gunboots” to slow down and gain gems. Gameplay is fast, involving short games of about 15 to 30 minutes. Downwell’s level layouts are procedurally generated, with upgrades randomized. The replayable level design, novel combat, unusual vertical progression, and minimalistic style led to the game’s critical acclaim. Addictive mechanics and the strategy involved in positioning the player were additional factors that players enjoyed.
Downwell was developed by Ojiro Fumoto, known by his professional pseudonym “Moppin”, and published by Devolver Digital. The game launched for IOS and on Steam in 2015, followed by a 2016 PS4 port and a Nintendo Switch release in 2019. The time in development was between 3 and 8 months. GameMaker’s 2D-optimized toolset enabled Fumoto, as a solo developer, to iterate rapidly on game development and refine the game’s core mechanics – namely the controls, the level and upgrade randomization, and the game’s unusual visual aesthetic and effects.
5. Nuclear Throne
Nuclear Throne is a roguelike shooter with bullet hell elements, played from a top-down perspective. Playing Nuclear Throne is an intense and frantic combat experience where the player risks permadeath in a postapocalyptic world. Players battle against monsters and the police while progressing through levels. New abilities (and limbs) are gained by mutating yourself with collected radiation. Completing the game loops it back to the beginning, with stronger enemies. Environments in Nuclear Throne are procedurally generated. Gameplay has a challenging but satisfying difficulty curve, and the game adjusts the frequency of item drops based on which resources (health or different ammunition types) are low. Nuclear Throne involves minimal text, using environmental storytelling that implies past apocalyptic events, with the actual lore often left up to the player’s interpretation. Nuclear Throne is notable for having 108 weapons in its main game, and 127 in total when including mod-specific items, rare items, and special mode weapons.
Nuclear Throne was created and published by Dutch indie studio Vlambeer and released for early access on Steam in early 2013. The game’s full release happened in late 2015 for PCs (Windows, Mac, and Linux) and PlayStation varieties. Switch support was added in 2019, followed by a 2021 launch on Xbox consoles. Nuclear Throne’s early access prototype, renamed from “Wasteland Kings”, was made in under 48 hours during the 2013 Mojam charity game jam. Development of the full game took almost 3 years. Nuclear Throne was self-funded by Vlambeer and revenue from its early access sales. GameMaker allowed Vlambeer to refine Nuclear Throne’s core gameplay loop through the fast, iterative development the platform facilitated. The engine’s scripting language and easy interface let the developers create the enemy AI, handle character movements and mutations, and design modular weapons for easy swaps.
6. Katana Zero
Katana Zero is a neo-noir-style action 2D platformer game that has the player in the role of an assassin (Zero) with samurai and time-manipulation abilities. Gameplay involves fast-paced, acrobatic fights, bullet deflection using your sword, and 1-hit kills. The game’s mechanics connect smoothly to the narrative themes of action, time manipulation, and psychology. Slowing time is due to the drugs Zero is addicted to, while his deaths and checkpoint respawns are explained as mental rehearsals through precognition. Katana Zero stands out for its popular synthwave soundtrack, smooth combat, and neon 80s-inspired retro-cyberpunk aesthetic. The pixel art has a low-resolution aesthetic with detailed visual design. Animation is fluid, with cinematic effects. The game even has a filter to appear as if playing on a VHS tape. Players appreciated the mysterious storyline, with lore revealed through the visuals and nuanced dialogue exchanges, and different endings affected by player choices.
Katana Zero was developed as a solo project by Justin Stander through his indie studio Askiisoft, and was published by Devolver Digital. The game launched in 2019 on the Nintendo Switch, as well as on Steam and Good Old Games (GOG) for PCs. Succeeding launches included its 2020 Xbox One version, 2021 Amazon Luna release, and a 2024 mobile launch via Netflix Games. The time to develop was about 6 years, with costs of approximately US$60,000, which Stander kept low by not paying himself a salary and by cutting personal living expenses. Instead, the money was used to recruit artists and composers. GameMaker’s tools let Stander work as a solo developer to create the game’s complex elements. Lighting and shader tools facilitated Katana Zero’s animated pixel art and bullet-time effects, while GML scripting simplified the process of building the dialogue choice system. GameMaker’s cross-platform support facilitated the game’s porting.
7. Fields of Mistria
Fields of Mistria is an expansive, cozy life simulator and fantasy role-playing game (RPG). Gameplay involves performing activities and building relationships with villagers in order to rebuild a town after an earthquake. The game’s simulation and RPG aspects are extensive. Characters are well-designed, with subtle personality details conveyed in dialogue interactions, and 12 possible romance routes. Players access 9 different skill tree-based activities, ranging from farming to fighting monsters. Activities are detailed, such as farming involving seasonal crops and variations from breeding animals. Players are able to customize their character and pet, and to wear different outfits. Fields of Mistria’s deep community-building and activities, along with its 90s anime-inspired style, have a nostalgic appeal for players due to its Stardew Valley and Harvest Moon inspirations. The game’s user experience improves on its predecessors’, however, with additions like saving anytime and villagers showing on the map.
Fields of Mistria was created and published by NPC Studio in Chicago. Claire Belton and Andrew Duff, the game developers and the studio’s founders, are known for creating the well-known Pusheen cat character. Fields of Mistria has been under development for 6 years, and is currently available on Steam early access – launched in 2024 – with full release anticipated in 2026. GameMaker provided the developers with accessible and flexible tools to create the game’s entire 2D environment, the different activity systems, and the character interaction and romance simulation mechanics.
8. Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore
Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore (Arzette) is a combined action-adventure exploration game and 2D platformer. The game has Metroidvania-style gameplay elements, such as ability-gated progression, finding upgrades, and revisiting earlier levels to discover new secrets. Players travel through the kingdom of Faramore as Princess Arzette, solving quests and collecting jewel shards on a journey to defeat the evil demon lord Daimur. Arzette has intentionally exaggerated art and voice acting, as both a parody and a homage to the famously bad Philips CD-i Zelda games. The game even uses the series’ original voice actors for Link (Jeffrey Rath) and Zelda (Bonniejean Wilbur) as well as its background artist, Rob Dunlavey. Arzette became popular for its absurd humour, nostalgia-inducing style and material, and modern platformer mechanics, despite its low-budget aesthetic. The game has smooth controls, unlike its inspirations, and modern design conveniences such as infinite game lives and easier checkpointing.
Arzette was developed by Seth “Dopply” Fulkerson and Seedy Eye Software, with Limited Run Games as its publisher. The game went live in 2024 for Windows PCs (via Steam) and for PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch consoles. Physical releases via Clear River Games and Limited Run Games were done the same year. Arzette’s development time spanned roughly 3 years. Using GameMaker provided Fulkerson and the team with the tools necessary to recreate the older game aesthetic and mechanics while keeping its modern performance and polish, such as adding hand-painted backgrounds, sprite art, and cinematics at a higher resolution, and mimicking the inconsistent framerate aesthetic despite the core game running smoothly.
9. Gunpoint
Gunpoint is a puzzle platformer and stealth game where the player is a spy, solving a murder mystery in a noir aesthetic world. Play involves sneaking around guards, breaking into high-security buildings, and manipulating the environment. Gunpoint’s high-tech gadgets let players perform unusual actions such as re-wiring circuitry and using “techno trousers” to perform parkour-like “super jumps”. Players enjoy the game’s smart writing, stealth, and disruption elements, and the creative freedom in solving puzzles. The physics-based gameplay, such as jumping through windows, knocking over objects, or tackling guards, allows for unexpected and humorous consequences. An additional unusual feature of Gunpoint is the game’s discouragement of killing, which tends to bring negative consequences to missions.
Gunpoint was created by British developer Tom Francis, with a small art and music team via his studio, Suspicious Developments. Gunpoint was self-published and released in 2013 for Windows PCs on Steam, with its Mac and Linux versions arriving on Humble Bundle in 2014. The game achieved commercial and critical success solely via PC sales, never releasing for consoles. Development time on Gunpoint was about 3 years, while Francis was working full-time as a PC Gamer journalist. Francis noted that the development costs totalled $30 – the cost of a GameMaker 8 PC commercial license at the time – as the full team operated on revenue-sharing rather than salaried work. As a result, Gunpoint’s full development costs were recovered within the first 64 seconds of pre-orders going live. GameMaker was a significant aid to Gunpoint’s development, as Francis had no coding experience, but was able to build and launch the game as a solo developer due to the engine’s ease-of-use and built-in functionality.
10. Forager
Forager is a 2D open-world survival and crafting game. The core gameplay loop in Forager has players exploring the environment, raiding dungeons, crafting resources, and buying and developing land. Players fulfill personal goals during incremental and sandbox-style gameplay. Challenges players face include puzzles to solve, as well as enemies and bosses to fight or defend bases against. Mechanics that Forager merges have been compared to Zelda, Terraria, and Stardew Valley, but at a faster pace. The game became popular for its addictive mechanics, player-decided goals, and unlocked objectives that provide a constant sense of achievement.
Forager was developed by Argentinian developer Mariano Cavallero, who started building the game as a solo project, later adding a small team at his Indie studio Hopfrog. The game was published by Humble Bundle in 2019 for PC, Switch, and PS4, expanding to mobile devices and Xbox One in 2020. Forager took about 2.5 years to develop. Although development costs are unknown, they were said to be “challenging” by Cavallero, who had to rely on Patreon, a personal loan, and publisher and self-funding. Cavallero found GameMaker 2 useful for fast iterations on development and testing, given the project’s significant scope as an open-world exploratory game. GameMaker’s tools provided further utility by letting Cavallero’s team optimize the vast world for performance and cross-platform support.
11. Pizza Tower
Pizza Tower is a fast-playing 2D platformer where players rely on momentum, rather than precision, for jumping. The player takes on the role of Peppino Spaghetti, climbing the walls of an unknown tower to defeat Pizzaface and knock the building down. Gameplay is reflex-based, with strict time limits to escape levels during “Pizza Time” mode. Pizza Tower’s scoring system is based on speed, combo-chaining, and item collection. Players enjoy Pizza Tower’s frenetic music, 90s cartoon-styled art, and continuous flow of movement through its combos. Competitive high score ranking (P-ranks) and players’ desire to perfect levels incentivize players to keep playing. Pizza Tower was initially planned as a Resident Evil-style role-playing game (RPG) with survival horror elements. Developers later took inspiration from Wario Land, with Pizza Tower now being seen as the series’s spiritual successor.
Pizza Tower was created and published by Tour De Pizza, headed up by its lead developer, Geoffroy “McPig” Lanctôt. The game was released in 2023 for Windows PCs and in 2024 for the Nintendo Switch. The project spanned approximately 5 years in development, with costs mainly funded via Patreon. Pizza Tower’s development started on RPG Maker, but switched to GameMaker to facilitate the game’s fast, complex animations.
12. FAITH: The Unholy Trinity
FAITH: The Unholy Trinity is an exploration-based survival horror game in a retro, minimalistic style. Players direct a priest who is attempting to exorcise a demon, holding up a crucifix as a weapon to damage and slow enemies. The story delves into the priest’s own growing fear and failing faith as he discovers dark revelations, shown as notes taken during his exploration. The game’s dark elements were inspired by the Satanic Panic of the 1980s and the experience of 8-bit gaming on an Atari. The graphics replicate Atari’s extremely limited palette and pixel art. The game incorporates rotoscoped cutscenes, unsettling synth music, and an unusual and infrequent save system triggered by certain objects and areas. The game’s art, soundtrack, and narrative themes popularised it among players.
FAITH: The Unholy Trinity was developed by Mason “Airdorf” Smith through his company Airdorf Games. The game was published by New Blood Interactive and released in 2022 on Steam for PCs. The Nintendo Switch release came out in 2024, followed by Xbox One and Series X|S releases in 2025. Development time on the project took about 3 years. GameMaker was a significant aid to Smith, as he was a solo creator inexperienced in programming. The engine’s intuitive interface allowed him to develop AI for the game’s bosses and to create the unusual save system and other challenging aspects.
13. Hotline Miami
Hotline Miami is a high-octane top-down action game. The player is a nameless, silent character tasked with killing Russian Mafia members. Gameplay involves strategic planning, reflex-based massacre sprees, and abrupt, unsettlingly quiet moments of walking back through the aftermath and being challenged on your motivations for killing. This unique juxtaposition of extremely violent play with an anti-violent message was popular with players, in addition to the game’s synthwave soundtrack, which was considered iconic and aided in the global popularization of synthwave music. The instant restarts on dying add to the game’s addictive gameplay.
Hotline Miami was created by indie Swedish development pair Dennaton Games, with Jonathan Söderström as the game’s developer and narrative designer, and Dennis Wedin designing the graphics. The game was published by Devolver Digital and launched in 2012 for Windows PC. A 2013 release added support for OS X and Linux PCs and PlayStation varieties. Support was added for the Switch in 2019, the Xbox One and Stadia in 2020, and the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S in 2023. Development of the initial release took 9 to 10 months. The duo reportedly worked long hours, often 12 hours a day and 6 days a week. GameMaker played an essential role in Hotline Miami’s development, allowing the developers to assemble the core mechanics quickly and create the first playable version in one week. Söderström noted that he was unsure that he’d be able to create games without GameMaker.
14. Rivals of Aether
Rivals of Aether is a platform fighting game that involves combo-based gameplay with the goal of knocking opponents off a stage. Combat features unique characters with their own elemental abilities (Water, Earth, Air, or Fire). The game was inspired by Super Smash Bros and is often called the “Indie Smash Bros”, though it differs in some core combat aspects. Players have no shielding or edge-grabbing abilities, which encourages more aerial combat, creative combo usage, and aggressive play, such as using parries to deflect and create openings. Rivals of Aether focuses on technical gameplay and precise timing rather than randomized elements, facilitating professional competitive tournaments. The game has a strong focus on modding support via Steam Workshop integration, as well as official studio involvement in the competitive esports scene.
Rivals of Aether was developed and published by Dan Fornace and his company Aether Studios, formerly Dan Fornace LLC, and released for Steam early access in 2015. The full release launched in 2017, supporting PC and Xbox One. The 2020 definitive edition was released for PC and the Nintendo Switch. Rivals of Aither’s development occurred over at least 3 years, with Dan leaving his Microsoft job to work on it full-time in 2014. GameMaker was core to both the game’s development and modding support. Fornace grew up using GameMaker and found GML scripting the ideal language for constructing a fighter game’s mechanics. The rapid prototyping capabilities of GameMaker were crucial during its early access, with Fornace adding that he “wouldn’t have built Rivals in anything else” as well as crediting the community’s support.
15. Nidhogg II
Nidhogg II is a side-scrolling PVP fighting game that has players facing off in 1v1 tug-of-war-style gameplay with the goal of reaching the enemy’s side of the screen. Players use assigned weapons or disarmed combat moves like dive-kicking to attack their opponent. The game is distinct from its prequel, having multiple weapons besides the original rapier, detailed 16-bit art compared to the original’s 8-bit, and grotesque customizable characters that have been compared to “mutated Homer Simpsons” or Ren & Stimpy characters. Niddhogg II became popular as a party game due to its chaotic gameplay, local multiplayer and tournament modes, and its wacky characters.
Nidhogg II was created and published by sole developer Mark Essen and a small art and music team at Messhof Games. The game was released for PC and PS4 platforms in 2017, followed by the Xbox One and Switch launches in 2018. Development took place over 3 years. GameMaker’s tools for 2D game development allowed Essen to build the game’s design while teaching and focusing on other projects.
16. Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden
Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden (Barkley) is a free-to-play Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) involving turn-based combat and dungeon exploration. The game combines post-apocalyptic themes, basketball culture, and satire of the early internet gaming experiences and JRPG tropes. The narrative is set in 2053, in “the post-cyberpocalyptic ruins of Neo New York”, 12 years after NBA player Charles Barkley pulls a “Chaos Dunk” basketball move that kills 15 million people. Players play as Barkley, with basketball now illegal, evading Michael Jordan and his B-Ball Removal Department. The fan-made game was inspired by Earthbound. Barkley achieved cult status for its nostalgia, as it jokingly claims to be the sequel to both Space Jam and Barkley, Shut Up and Jam. Players appreciated the game’s absurd and surreal humor.
Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden was developed and published by Tales of Game’s Studios. The game was released as freeware, with a Windows version in 2008 and a Mac version in 2012. An initial version was made in RPG Maker in 2003, although this was never released. The game’s designers had originally created a demo, expecting only their friends to be interested in the concept, but then decided to create the full game. The passion project didn’t have an official budget, though the studio jokes that it spent $20. This cost is a possible reference to the cost of a GameMaker 5 premium license at the time. GameMaker was an accessible and powerful tool for the amateur team, leading to the team’s switch from RPGMaker. The added flexibility allowed them to enhance the game’s fighting mechanics and improve the art and visual effects, including adding per-pixel movement.
17. Chicory: A Colorful Tale
Chicory: A Colorful Tale is an adventure and puzzle game where the player is an anthropomorphic dog bringing color to a black-and-white world with coloring book art. Players use a magic paintbrush to paint however and whenever they like, even on characters and cutscenes. Painting is the core mechanic for all interactions in the game, including navigation and puzzle-solving. The game was praised for its sensitive storyline tackling self-doubt, depression, anxiety, and imposter syndrome, and their connection to creativity. Players enjoy the game’s free expression, as well as the unique and gentle way of interacting with the world. Chicory: A Colorful Tale won the 2022 Family Game BAFTA award and was nominated for the Game for Impact award in 2021.
Chicory: A Colorful Tale was created by indie developer Greg Lobanov, with music by Lena Raine, and art by Alexis Dean-Jones and Madeline Berger. The game was published by Finji. Initial demos were released in 2019, with the launch happening in 2021 for Windows and Mac PCs and PlayStation varieties. A Switch port was released later the same year, followed by Xbox One and Series X|S support in 2023. The project’s Kickstarter campaign raised $84,327 in 2019, exceeding its $30,000 goal within 1 day of launch. Development started soon after. GameMaker’s easy interface streamlined the design process. Lobanov was therefore able to focus on the core paintbrush mechanic, enhancing the rendering and movement to feel more like real painting.
18. Super Crate Box
Super Crate Box is a single-screen arcade-style platformer and shoot-‘em-up game. Gameplay has players grabbing randomly-spawning crates of weapons to fight waves of enemies and chase high scores. High scores are tied solely to crate collection, rather than player kills, with each collection switching the player to a new, random weapon. The weapon randomization allows for extreme changes, such as switching from a katana to a bazooka, or to a disc gun that harms the player. Different types of weapons are optimized against different enemies. This forces players to keep adapting during gameplay, master a wide range of weapons, and balance enemy clearing and crate collection strategically. The game’s challenging and addictive high-speed gameplay, responsive controls, and retro pixel art led to its popularity.
Super Crate Box was developed and self-published by Vlambeer studio, who created Nuclear Throne. The team included founders and game developers Jan Willem Nijman and Rami Ismail, as well as artists Paul Veer and Roy Nathan de Groot, and sound and music designer Eirik “Phlogiston” Suhrke. The game was launched for Windows and Mac in 2010. IOS and PS Vita releases happened in 2012, with a Switch port in 2019. Development of the prototype took 3 days, followed by about 6 months of enhancement for the initial launch. GameMaker provided the ideal engine to facilitate the team’s rapid prototyping and delivery, allowing the developers to refine and test the game’s core platforming mechanics, weapon systems, and enemy waves.
19. Mondo Medicals
Mondo Medicals is a single-player first-person puzzle adventure game that involves navigating through a maze in an abstract, gray environment. Gameplay follows a mysterious storyline where the player has applied to participate in research for a cancer cure. The objective in every level is to find the way out. Puzzles require players to go against explicit instructions, gaming conventions, and common sense, involving solutions like walking in the opposite direction to the exit arrows. Weird design features like empty mazes, unnerving sounds, and every character (including the player) having a TV-screen head add an unsettling atmosphere. Mondo Medicals gained popularity for its surreal psychological horror elements and challenging puzzles. The game is frequently compared with Antichamber in how it uses exploration to make players mistrust their perceptions.
Mondo Medicals was created and self-published in 2007 by Swedish indie developer Jonatan Söderström, a.k.a “Cactus” or “Cactusquid”, known for his Clean Asia! Game earlier the same year. Söderström developed Mondo Medicals as a PC game during a TIGSource contest, taking only 72 hours of the 2-month timespan. The contest’s theme was “B Games”, with participants challenged to make “bad games with great personalities”. Most entries were intentionally silly, but Söderström wanted a game that was both serious and bizarre, to constantly mislead players and leave them speculating afterward. Mondo Medicals was inspired by surreal David Lynch movies like Eraserhead, with dialogue influenced by Portal and Killer7. GameMaker was essential to Mondo Medicals’ development, as it was accessible and facilitated the unique game style. Söderström at first believed that programming a game was too difficult, but GML Visual simplified the process to fit development within the short time frame.
20. Battleships Forever
Battleships Forever is a top-down spaceship combat game that uses real-time tactics (RTT). Battleships Forever lets players control a fleet of customizable spaceships, with the goal of defeating the enemy’s forces and avoiding taking damage. The main “Story” mode includes missions such as destroying alien battlestations, attacking civilians as a space pirate, and protecting evacuees from an alien attack. Battleships Forever’s Ship Maker is an extensive sandbox tool that lets players customize most aspects of a ship’s design. This adds significant depth to the game’s tactical elements, letting players balance offensive, defensive, and mobility aspects through specially placed weapons, different types of armor, and even custom imports. The Ship Maker tool led to Battleships Forever becoming a finalist nominee of the Independent Games Festival’s (IGF) Design Innovation Award.
Battleships Forever was developed as a freeware game by Sean “th15” Chan, through indie studio WYRDYSM Games. The game was released in 2007, with later releases being developed by the game’s community until its final version in 2009. The game remains PC-only, and officially in its beta stage, however development by the studio ceased since the final release, with Chan declining further community help and refusing to open up the development and source code. GameMaker facilitated the game’s design by providing Chan with easy-to-use and powerful tools that enabled features like the complex Ship Maker. The engine’s accessibility made it easy for the game’s community to add their own contributions.
21. Blazing Chrome
Blazing Chrome is a post-apocalyptic side-scrolling 2D run-and-gun game where the player battles robot overlords who have destroyed most of humanity. Players fight as either a resistance member or a robot ally to save the remaining humans. The game features challenging levels and fast-paced gameplay, with players jumping, dodging, and firing powerful weapons in solo or PVP matches. Blazing Chrome is known for its 16-bit, retro pixel art in a late-80s-to-early-90s style. The gameplay has been called “a love letter to Contra and Metal Slug” as it combines Contra’s run-and-gun elements with Metal Slug’s focus on vehicles and mech bosses. Blazing Chrome’s run-and-gun elements include modern quality of life enhancements, like improved checkpoint placement, more responsive controls, and a choice between normal and traditional hardcore (limited lives) difficulties. Nostalgia for the game’s retro arcade style and faithfully homaged genre, combined with its streamlined experience, made it popular among players.
Blazing Chrome was created by JoyMasher and published by The Arcade Crew. The game was released in 2019 for Windows PC, the Switch, PS4, and Xbox One. Development took about 2 to 2.5 years. GameMaker’s graphics tools, like its sprite editor, image editor, and shader tools, let the team recreate the retro visuals. The team was even able to add filters to imitate the CRT screen appearance. This out-of-the-box tooling allowed them to focus on the gameplay mechanics.
22. Seiklus
Seiklus is an exploration-based adventure platformer game where the player wanders around the world collecting wisps. The storyline follows a search for the protagonist’s girlfriend after being separated by a falling meteor. Seiklus has no combat, with wisp collection and exploration serving as the primary mechanics. The game uses Metroidvania-style non-linear progression, with the ending only unlocking if the player collects every wisp in the game. Seiklus has no text or dialogue, conveying the story through its visuals. The game’s design is minimalistic, yet atmospheric, with the gameplay experience centering around immersion. Seiklus’s vast open world features diverse environments, such as volcanoes, frozen icy worlds, underwater caves, and other areas. The game is recognized as a pioneer of the genre of exploration-based non-violent platformers.
Seiklus was developed and published by solo developer Clysm or “cly5m” and released as a free game for Windows and Mac in 2003. The development took roughly 6 months. GameMaker provided the solo developer with the framework to efficiently build the extensive world and to iterate on the game’s exploration mechanics.
23. AM2R
AM2R is a fan-made action-adventure remake of a Metroidvania game. The player wanders through areas in the non-linear “Metroidvania-esque” exploration style the series pioneered, levelling up, locating power-ups, and hunting and killing alien enemies to progress the game. The game’s plot centres around bounty hunter Samus Aran, who travels to planet SR288 to destroy the Metroids for the Galactic Federation, whose own teams were lost during search and rescue missions. AM2R was considered a high-quality game for a fan remake, with players praising its atmospheric pixel art, memorable boss fights, and seamless integration of modern enhancements with classic gameplay. The game’s responsive and beautiful design, as well as its faithful adaptation of the original Metroid II: Return of Samus game, achieved it cult status.
AMR2 was created by Milton “DoctorM64” Guasti and a small team of volunteers, and released for free in 2016 for Windows PCs. The game’s community later ported it to Linux, Mac, and Android. The project was in development for roughly a decade, initially starting with Guasti as its solo developer before expanding into a small team. AM2R was made available through its official project blog as well as the Metroid Database website. The game was removed following a Nintendo DMCA takedown, though its development led to Guasti being hired to work at Moon Studios on Ori and the Will of the Wisps. GameMaker was an essential tool for Guasti, as he had no coding experience at the time. The platform’s easy visual scripting and powerful 2D asset editors enabled him to refine and perfect AMR2, despite the game’s complexity.
24. Koboo: The Tree Spirit
Koboo: The Tree Spirit (Koboo) is a fast-paced action platformer and rogue-lite game involving playing as a tree spirit fighting to save the forest from humans and their machines. Combat has players using melee and ranged weapons, such as daggers and throwing leaves, infused with animal blessings that grant buffs. The player restores the forest and their own energy by cultivating a garden, fishing, and befriending animal companions. Koboo’s world is procedurally generated and allows Metroidvania-style exploration in 7 distinct areas, although the player only has to complete 3. Players were attracted to the game’s unique tree spirit protagonist against human antagonists, and the unusual blend of intense action and soothing, restorative activities. The game’s extensive and replayable world, addictive crafting, and hand-drawn art added to its appeal. Koboo’s lore and art are inspired by Princess Mononoke. The protagonist, a “cursed Kodama Spirit”, is a being from the movie.
Koboo: The Tree Spirit was developed and published by brothers Jerome (the project’s lead) and Simon Labelle, through their studio Honest Rogue Games. The game’s prologue was released in mid-2024 on Steam, with the full game coming out 2 months later. Windows is the only currently supported platform. Development took close to 4 years, with Jerome only launching a Kickstarter after the first 3 years. The campaign raised CA $7,373. Development costs prior to the funding are unknown, though were likely self-funded, as Jerome had self-funded his previous two games, Crash The Core and Traveler’s Bastion. GameMaker’s robust suite of tools let the duo create Koboo’s 2D pixel art and visual effects. The developers were able to quickly build and test out game mechanics like combat and animal abilities, as well as to refine procedural elements like weapon drops and infusions.
25. Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight
Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight (Momodora) is a 2D Metroidvania-style action platformer game. The player journeys through the kingdom of Karst as the priestess Kaho to confront the evil Queen and stop her curse from destroying the land. Gameplay involves exploring the corrupted fantasy world, collecting items and upgrades, and fighting intense battles against undead and cursed beings. Combat is fast-paced, using melee (leaf blade), ranged (bow), and spell attacks in satisfying 3-hit combos while dodging and dashing around enemies. Momodora uses modern performance and design, while maintaining the game’s nostalgic 80s platformer style. The game’s Metroidvania-style exploration, gothic horror aesthetic, and challenging precision-based combat are frequently compared to a “2D Dark Souls”. Players found the game visually beautiful and atmospheric, with an endearing anime style unusual for Soulslike games, despite its dark undertones.
Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight was created by the Brazilian indie studio Bombservice. The project was led by the studio’s founder, Guilherme “rdein” Martins. The game was released for Windows in 2016, PS4 and Xbox One in 2017, Mac and Linux PCs in 2018, and the Switch in 2019. Dangen Entertainment published the Switch version of the game, while Playism published the other releases. Physical versions were included in the releases for the PS4 and Switch games, published by Limited Run Games, partnering with Playism. GameMaker facilitated the game’s development by providing the small team with intuitive features well-suited to creating the game’s pixel art, 2D platforming design, and responsive combat.
26. Circa Infinity
Circa Infinity is a hypnotic, minimalistic puzzle-platformer game in which the player navigates concentric circle challenges. Gameplay becomes increasingly difficult as the player journeys toward the centre. The game features an energetic electronic soundtrack, high-contrast black, white, and red visuals, and no narrative. The game’s unusual level design, addictive mechanics such as its “zoom-in”, and overall mesmerizing experience were unusual and appealing to players. Circa Infinity’s progressively increasing challenges and popular speedrun mode add to the game’s replayability.
Circa Infinity was developed by Kenny Sun as a 2014 Ludum Dare project. The game was released in 2015 for Windows, Mac, and Linux PCs, followed by iOS and Android releases in 2016. A new version with more content, the Circa Infinity Ultimate Edition, was added in 2021 with support for the Nintendo Switch and Xbox varieties. Circa Infinity was initially self-published, with the Ultimate Edition published by RedDeer.Games. Development on the initial game took 9 months from the initial prototype’s development. GameMaker was used for both the initial prototype and the full version, as the engine’s flexibility allowed Sun to create the unusual circular level design and infinite zoom mechanic. The platform provided responsive controls for the increasingly fast gameplay.
27. Nidhogg
Nidhogg is a 2D duelling game where 2 players fence against each other in Tug-of-war-style gameplay, trying to get to the opponent’s side of the screen. Gameplay is fast, involving one-hit kills and a variety of moves, such as wall jumps, dive kicking, and sword-throwing. Nidhogg lets players battle online or via local multiplayer, includes a tournament mode, and provides a single-player option. The game’s minimalistic pixelated style in bright colors resembles simplified 1980s graphics. Nidhogg won an Independent Games Festival (IGF) Nuovo Award for its unconventional design in 2011, as well as the Indiecade Game Design award in 2013. The game received nominations for the 18th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards’ Fighting Game of the Year and IGF 2013’s Excellence in Design award.
Nidhogg was created and published by Mark Essen through his studio Messhof LLC, and released in 2014 for Windows, MacOS, PS4, and PS Vita. Essen hired Code Mystics to assist with the console ports. Nidhogg’s development spanned about 4 years. GameMaker’s built-in 2D tools allowed Essen to create the “tug-of-war” gameplay and pixel art style. The ability to prototype quickly and easily as a solo developer allowed Essen to manage his other commitments at the time, which included other game development projects and teaching university classes.
28. Deltarune
Deltarune is an episodic top-down role-playing game (RPG) that involves exploration, puzzle-solving, and turn-based combat with bullet-hell mechanics. Players control Kris, navigating the Dark World with friends to seal up Dark Fountains and stop an apocalypse. Deltarune is viewed as Undertale’s spiritual successor, with development led by the same creator, but it heavily subverts expectations, both of its relationship to the former and of RPG genre tropes. While Undertale places heavy emphasis on player choices mattering – even beyond current gameplay – Deltarune often removes agency, even telling the player that no one is able to choose who they are. Deltarune’s gameplay is mostly linear, unlike Undertale’s multiple endings, making players doubt their actions’ impact. Nostalgia for Undertale boosted Deltarune’s adoption, but the game became popular in its own right. Players appreciated the profound, yet funny, storytelling (including meta-narrative), endearing characters, and the unique combat of dodging bullets as a heart-shaped soul.
Deltarune’s lead developer and self-publisher, Toby Fox, is launching Deltarune in episodic releases, with 7 chapters expected in total. The first chapter went live for Windows and Mac in 2018, reaching Switch and PlayStation consoles in 2019. Chapter 2 launched in 2021, followed by Chapters 3 and 4 in 2025. The game’s fifth chapter is expected to arrive in 2026, and the final chapters in the late 2020s. Deltarune’s lengthy development time started 6 years before Chapter 1’s launch. GameMaker Studio 2 (GMS2) has provided the flexible tooling Fox uses for Deltarune’s unique mechanics, such as its combat. The engine’s developers even added a special function for Fox’s team to facilitate smooth chapter switching. GameMaker Studio 2 provided the graphics to support Deltarune’s pixel art style.
29. Imscared – A Pixelated Nightmare
Imscared – A Pixelated Nightmare is a first-person psychological meta-horror and puzzle game with extreme 4th wall-breaking. The player’s objective is to escape the game world by outwitting the mysterious “White Face” and “HER”, who manipulate the environment and attempt to sabotage progress. The game’s antagonists are able to affect the player’s computer in various ways, such as creating desktop files, crashing the game, and even faking a “Blue Screen of Death”. Imscared’s simple and retro style creates a surreal and nightmarish experience, with elements often difficult to see in the dim lighting. Imscared makes players mistrust their senses by adding intentionally misleading cues, such as audio that leads players into a wall, fake endings, and deceptive messages about puzzle rules or progress. The game’s clever 4th wall-breaking play, challenging out-of-the-box puzzles, and atmospheric, unsettling environments made it popular with players.
Imscared – A Pixelated Nightmare was created and published by solo developer Ivan Zanotti through his company MyMadnessWorks. The game was launched as freeware for Windows PCs, first in 2012 via GameJolt, and then on Steam, Itch.io, and GoG.com in 2016. A 10th anniversary commercial version launched in 2022 with higher quality graphics, additional game content, and enhanced quality of life features. The game was ported to Android in 2024. The project’s development time for the initial release took approximately a year. GameMaker facilitated the game’s unusual mechanics, like its misleading cues, as well as letting the game create and modify desktop files. A GameMaker extension called Model Creator enabled Zanotti to create the game’s surreal, low-resolution 3D environment.
30. VA-11 Hall-A
VA-11 Hall-A is a cyberpunk-style bartender simulator and visual novel game that has the player mixing drinks for patrons as the primary way to steer the storyline. Gameplay includes managing the protagonist’s finances and personal life, such as responding to texts, paying rent, and buying items for her home. Managing the protagonist’s home life improves her work performance. Players are able to choose songs to play on the jukebox, setting the bar’s atmosphere. Gameplay in VA-11 Hall-A is relaxing rather than action-packed, with the aesthetic of detailed pixel art in the style of 80s to 90s-style gaming. Players loved the game’s jukebox music, influenced by the vaporwave genre, and it is frequently mentioned as one of the best parts of the game and a significant part of its immersion. The interesting characters and stories enhance the game’s simulation and visual novel aspects.
VA-11 Hall-A was developed by Sukeban Games, a Venezuelan indie studio, and published by Ysbryd Games. The game was released on Steam in 2016 for Windows, Mac, and Linux PCs, in 2017 for PS Vita, and in 2019 for Nintendo Switch. Development lasted roughly 2 years before the game’s initial launch. The game’s prototype was developed on Ren’Py to support the visual novel style of play, however the engine’s capabilities were limited compared to what Sukeban wanted to accomplish. GameMaker provided the necessary functionality, allowing the developers to implement drink-mixing as a narrative choice mechanic. GameMaker allowed the developers to add detailed 2D animations, such as having characters blink to appear more realistic, with mouth movements that sync up with dialogue. The engine further facilitated the team through supporting porting across different platforms.
31. Cook, Serve, Delicious!
Cook, Serve, Delicious! Is a fast-paced restaurant simulator and time management game involving reflex-based food preparation via typing tutor-like interactions. Players create different dishes, using combinations of controller buttons or mouse-and-keyboard presses in order to get out accurate customer orders at speed. The game lets players make strategic management decisions in between service days, deciding menu options and purchasing restaurant upgrades. The player’s goal is to progress the struggling cafe into a five-star restaurant. The game features increasingly challenging recipes and incremental gameplay to keep players engaged. The unusual integration of reflex-based action into a cooking and management simulator has led to the game being referred to as “the Dark Souls of cooking games”. The game features a co-op mode, where one player is the Chef and the other the Expediter, directing the Chef while taking customer orders.
Cook, Serve, Delicious! was created and published by Vertigo Gaming, and led and conceptualized by David Galindo. The game was released for Windows, Mac, and Linux PCs via Steam in 2012, arriving later that year for IOS and hitting Android in 2013. Development of the early access game took about 7 months. Galindo noted that the game’s development costs were under $10,000, including its $1,000 marketing budget. GameMaker was vital to the game’s development. Galindo considered himself tied to the engine, as it let him make games without a coding background. The engine’s accessibility, free-to-low-cost pricing, and powerful features enabled the team to save time and money, and Galindo to quality-control the project efficiently. Galindo even noted in an interview with GameMaker that he chose the engine because it “shaves our development time by the year”.
32. The Aquatic Adventure of the Last Human
The Aquatic Adventure of the Last Human is an action-adventure and shooter game. The player pilots a submersible in post-apocalyptic submerged earth, fighting undersea monsters, upgrading the vessel, and finding out how humanity ended. The game is immersive, featuring detailed and beautiful underwater environments in retro 8-bit pixel art, and an emotional and atmospheric soundtrack. Gameplay combines peaceful exploration, dystopian elements, and action-packed moments of fighting mutated creatures. Players appreciated the game’s challenging boss fights, Metroidvania-style elements, and environmental storytelling, as well as the game’s exploration of the topic of climate change.
The Aquatic Adventure of the Last Human was developed by a 2-developer indie team, YCJY Games (YCJY), and released in 2016 for Windows, Mac, and Linux PCs. The port for PS4 and Xbox One arrived in 2018, followed by the Nintendo Switch release in 2019. YCJY Games was the publisher for the PC games, with Digerati Distribution handling the console porting. Development time till the initial release spanned roughly 5 months, with the game partially funded through its Kickstarter, which raised about $6,000. GameMaker allowed for the game’s fast development time, as the engine’s ease of use and robust 2D tooling made it ideal for developing the core exploration and underwater combat mechanics, while maintaining the distinct pixel art style.
33. The Red Strings Club
The Red Strings Club is a story-driven point-and-click cyberpunk adventure game with visual novel elements. The player switches between three characters – an information broker, a hacker, and an android – working to stop a megacorporation from releasing mind-controlling software through implants. Play involves a different stage with each character. Players use “psychological bartending” (drink mixing) to gain information, build new implants through a pottery wheel, and impersonate executives in order to gain system access. The game’s narrative explores philosophical concepts like the nature of happiness and humanity, and ethical questions around corporate control. The Red Strings Club’s atmospheric synthwave and piano music was praised by players, along with its strong writing and detailed pixel art.
The Red Strings Club was created by Deconstructeam and published by Devolver Digital, released in 2018 for Windows, Mac, and Linux PCs. The game was ported to the Nintendo Switch in 2019. GameMaker’s simplicity minimized the technical challenges the team had to face, facilitated the pixel art style, and allowed for the smooth transitions between the different game stages. This allowed the team to focus on the game’s creative aspects and minimize the technical struggles of development.
34. Police Stories
Police Stories is a tactical top-down shooter where the player controls a police officer (or two players control an officer each) tasked with going after criminals resisting arrest. The game focuses on split-second real-time decision-making as well as working strategically to stop threats. Criminals react in different ways, such as surrendering or taking hostages. Players are incentivised to minimize civilian casualties and to arrest criminals rather than killing them, with points provided for non-lethal takedowns and deducted for excessive force or reckless behavior. The use of real-time combat for non-lethal purposes provided a novel appeal for players. Police Stories uses procedurally generated levels, randomizing elements like enemy positions, the availability of traps, and the types of doors rooms contain, to make each replay unique. The game was inspired by police television shows and the SWAT 4 game.
Police Stories was developed by Mighty Morgan and published by Hype Train Digital. An alpha version of the game was released in 2017 on Itch.io. A closed beta was made available in 2018 as a tiered reward for Kickstarter backers. The game released an updated alpha version with new assets later the same year. The full release arrived in 2019 for Windows, Mac, and Linux PCs and the Nintendo Switch. Support was added for PS4 in 2020 and for Xbox One in 2021. The game’s development took over three years before its initial release, raising $26,679 toward its funding on Kickstarter. GameMaker allowed for easy development of the top-down layout and the procedurally generated elements. The engine enabled the team to create the complex AI that determines criminals’ responses. The game’s cross-platform porting was supported by GameMaker.
35. Wandersong
Wandersong is a 2D side-scrolling adventure game that uses music to solve puzzles. The player takes on the role of a cheerful bard on a quest to gather pieces of a song that will save the world. Kindness and singing are used to connect with characters, resolve conflict, and even affect nature, such as making plants grow and directing winds. The game gained popularity due to its non-violent gameplay, its heartwarming message, and its use of music as a gameplay mechanic. The game’s gentle “paper cutout art” added visual appeal for players.
Wandersong was made by developer and artist Greg Lobanov, with a small team for the game’s sound and music design, and published by Humble Games. The game was released for PC, Mac, and Nintendo Switch in 2018, and PS4 and Xbox One in 2019. The Switch and PS4 launches included physical releases by Limited Run Games. Wandersong’s development took roughly 3 years before its initial release, receiving $21,936 in funding from its Kickstarter campaign. GameMaker provided Lobanov with the technical tools to create the game as a solo developer, including facilitating the game’s unique visual aesthetic. Lovanov used built-in grid data structures in GameMaker to create the pointed shapes that make up the game’s art. GameMaker’s GML scripting language was used to create the complex “singing wheel” used for all interactions. Lobanov used GameMaker to facilitate the different platform ports.
36. ZeroRanger
ZeroRanger is a fast-paced vertical-scrolling arcade-style shoot-‘em-up game where the player controls a fighter ship and shoots down enemy waves. The player is one of the last remaining fighters against the Green Orange alien invaders, seeking to destroy all life on Earth. ZeroRanger blends traditional shoot-’em-up mechanics with modern weapon systems and accessibility. The game has a beginner-friendly design, while providing the high-intensity, technical play appreciated by experienced players of the genre. ZeroRanger’s storyline has unexpected depth for a shoot-’em-up, involving deep lore, a philosophical approach, and 4th wall-breaking meta-gameplay. The game tackles challenging themes like death, life, reincarnation, and enlightenment, while using minimal dialogue. Narrative is shown mainly through gameplay mechanics, discoveries, and visuals. ZeroRanger’s distinct green and orange appearance gives it a nostalgic (though more detailed) Game Boy-like aesthetic.
ZeroRanger was created and published by Finnish indie duo System Erasure. The team, Eero Lahtinen and Antti Ukkola, were both involved in designing the game, with Lahtinen simultaneously handling the code and music, and Antti Ukkola additionally designing its art. The game was launched for PC in 2018 on Steam and itch.io. The project took over 10 years, from its initial concept art to its release. GameMaker significantly aided the team’s development, as it provided shaders that allowed colors to be changed in post-processing, meaning the designers didn’t have to create new sprites for color changes and were able to simply add color palettes. GameMaker’s 2D-friendly asset editing tools smoothly facilitated art created via the team’s other tools, letting them focus on the game’s core functionality and narrative. System Erasure was stuck with GameMaker throughout multiple engine upgrades during the project’s long development cycle.
37. 10 Second Ninja X
10 Second Ninja X is a fast-paced action-puzzle platformer where the player is a ninja who must prove their speed in order to save forest friends from their pirate captor. Gameplay requires the player to complete each level in 10 seconds, destroying robots through sword attacks and shurikens and leaping onto platforms. Levels require precision and puzzle-solving as players identify the most efficient sequence of jumps and fighting actions. Achieving faster times increases the player’s star rating for the level and unlocks later levels. Stronger enemies and new items, such as grappling hooks, are introduced as the game progresses. Despite the unusual combination of puzzle platformer mechanics with fast action, the game was popular with players, who enjoyed the challenging and addictive gameplay.
10 Second Ninja X was created by Four Circle Interactive, with Dan Pearce as its lead developer. The game was released in 2016 for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox consoles, with a Switch release in 2021. Curve Digital was the publisher for the initial launch, while Thalamus Digital handled the Switch release. The game’s development, including the original 10 Second Ninja game it was based on, spanned multiple years, starting as a project developed over 2 to 3 years while in university. GameMaker facilitated the game’s speed, letting developers create the responsive controls and instant restarts necessary for the experience. The engine handled the assets efficiently, enhancing the game’s necessary high performance. Simple and efficient scripting in GML and GML Visual enabled Pearce, initially the game’s sole developer, to work on it while studying. The ability to prototype and iterate rapidly gave the team more time to refine features like hints, secret paths, and leaderboard tracking.
38. Cook, Serve, Delicious! 2!!
Cook, Serve, Delicious! 2!! is a fast-paced restaurant simulator and management game that involves frantic typing-tutor game controls and levelling up a restaurant to a five-star rating. The game features unique dishes, accessed by keyboard shortcuts, and a large menu of over 180 items. Players make strategic decisions about the restaurant’s menu outside of work hours. The game added a Chef-For-Hire mode, not available in its prequel, which lets the player work at over 30 restaurants, all with different themes and menus. Local co-op mode differs from the original game, having a split-screen “Dual Cook” mode rather than one player as the Chef and the other taking orders. The game’s challenging gameplay, unusual controls, and deep, strategic management elements made it popular with players, including fans of the original. The addictive mechanics and incremental gameplay motivate players to keep playing.
Cook, Serve, Delicious! 2!! was developed and published by David Galindo through Vertigo Gaming Inc, with a team of 5 freelance writers and artists. The game went live for Windows, Linux, and Mac PCs in 2017, PS4 in 2018, and the Switch in 2019. Development took roughly 2.5 years. GameMaker’s ability to rapidly prototype helped Galindo to refine the game’s core mechanics and its new features, such as Dual Cook and Chef-For-Hire. The platform’s flexibility and efficiency in handling 2D graphics allowed him to add the game’s extensive content, such as its recipes and themed restaurants. Galindo has commented on how GameMaker reduces development time on the studio’s projects.
39. Maldita Castilla
Maldita Castilla, or Cursed Castilla, is an arcade-style action platformer that has players controlling a knight and traveling through the cursed land of Tolomera in order to defeat the demons that invaded Castile Kingdom. The game takes inspiration from folk tales of Spain and other European countries. Maldita Castilla pays homage to the visual style of 80s arcade games like Black Tiger, Shinobi, and Ghosts ‘n Goblins. Maldita Castilla is stylized as if played in an arcade – even including insertable coins. The music was even intentionally made to sound like the YM2203 Yamaha sound chip used in old arcade machines, which is noticeable in games like Black Tiger and Rygar. Maldita Castilla has Good, Bad, Neutral, and True endings, with the True ending requiring players to fulfill additional objectives and not use continues (restarts). The game’s retro arcade design gives it a nostalgic appeal among players, while the 2D fighting and platformer mechanics provide an engaging level of challenge.
Maldita Castilla was created by Juan Antonio Becerra, a.k.a “Locomalito”, with music by Gryzor87 and art by Marak Barej. The game was released in 2012 as freeware for Windows, Mac, and Linux PCs. An extended edition, known as Cursed Castilla or Maldita Castilla EX, was released commercially, with new stages, bosses, enemies, and music. This edition, published by Abylight Studios, launched in 2016 for PC, Xbox One, PS4, and Android. 2017 ports added 3DS and PS Vita support, with Switch and IOS following in 2019. The game’s platforms have continued to expand, releasing for Apple TV in 2021, and in 2025, the company announced planned support for the Sega Dreamcast. Maldita Castilla’s initial development took about 20 months. GameMaker’s extensive asset editors enabled the game’s retro-style 2D graphics. Easy GML scripting facilitated the game’s actions and its multiple endings. Beginner-friendliness was a key part of GameMaker’s utility for Becerra, who had limited coding experience.
40. Tower of Heaven
Tower of Heaven is a 2D side-scrolling action platformer game. The player controls Eid, a silent character, climbing the Tower of Heaven in opposition to a god, who makes seemingly arbitrary laws the player must follow. Players are forced to adapt strategies as they progress, as new rules are added at every level and gameplay becomes increasingly restrictive. The game’s difficulty is punishing, as levels require precision and a fast pace, and breaking a law kills the player instantly. Tower of Heaven features retro art and 8-bit chiptune music, both inspired by Nintendo Game Boy consoles. These nostalgic features, along with the evolving and challenging gameplay, made the game popular with players. Tower of Heaven has a speedrun mode, which times the player. A later version of the game for Flash browsers included a stage editor, letting players design their own levels.
Tower of Heaven was developed and published by American studio Askiisoft, with Justin Stander as the game’s lead developer and music by flashygoodness. The game was released as a free game in 2009 for Windows, with the Flash browser version following in 2010. GameMaker’s robust asset tools allowed for the creation of the retro art style and 2D platformer mechanics without the game’s performance and responsiveness suffering. This integrated support let Akiisoft focus on the more challenging game aspects, such as the shifting game rules mechanic. GameMaker provided easy porting to create the browser release. GameMaker’s flexibility even allowed the team to remove traditional elements like the “game over” screen and to use a timer instead of a Lives system, useful in the game’s speedrunning.
41. Iji
Iji is an indie 2D action-platformer and shooter game with strong role-playing game (RPG) elements and Metroidvania-style gameplay. Players take on the role of a woman infused with nanotechnology, who wakes from a coma to discover that aliens have taken over Earth. Gameplay involves progressing through a research station, guided by the protagonist’s brother. Players decide whether to fight their way through or to use pacifist tactics to end the invasion. Choices made during gameplay affect players’ morality and the complex storyline, leading to multiple possible endings. Players enjoyed the open-ended level design, the narrative depth, and the choice and morality aspects. The game’s option to play through without killing was unusual for an action platformer.
Iji was created and published by Daniel Remar through his studio, Remar Games. The game was uploaded as freeware in 2008 for Windows, later adding MacOS support in a 2017 release. Iji’s development took 4 years. GameMaker was crucial for the game’s development, as it let Remar manage the entire game development process as its solo developer, thanks to its out-of-the-box features and easy GML code and GML visual for creating game logic. The engine allowed Remar to create the game’s nonlethal skill tree and track the progression of non-linear puzzle-solving. Remar was able to add detailed visual feedback, such as bloodstains, through GameMaker’s powerful asset tools. The engine’s added Mac support facilitated the game’s later release for the platform.
42. Dungeon Souls
Dungeon Souls is a top-down roguelike action-adventure dungeon crawler that provides intense and atmospheric gameplay. The player explores levels in timed games, fighting enemies with hack and slash mechanics while collecting loot. The game centres around traps that make enemies appear, activated by runes on the floors, which are used to open the exit portals. Dungeon Souls utilizes permadeath and includes a local co-op mode. The game uses pixel art graphics and a dark fantasy aesthetic, with crumbling gothic architecture and ominous forests. The music is classical and symphonic, alternating between melancholic and unsettling periods and intense and operatic moments. Dungeon Souls features 6 playable characters, procedurally generated levels and items, and addictive mechanics that make players want to continue. Dungeon Souls’ design was inspired by Nuclear Throne, Overture, and Risk of Rain.
Dungeon Souls was developed by Lamina Studios (initially called Mike Studios) and published by Black Shell Media, with the game’s development initially led by Mike Reñevo. The Steam early access version was launched in 2015 for Windows, Mac, and Linux PCs, with the full version coming out in 2016 on Steam, GOG.com, and Humble Bundle for the same platforms. The initial development prior to early access took roughly 13 months. GameMaker simplified the development process, providing graphics tools that supported the game’s pixel art aesthetic, as well as facilitating easy level creation for the top-down design. These tools and the engine’s easy scripting capabilities enabled the development of the levels’ procedurally generated elements.
43. Synthetik: Legion Rising
Synthetik: Legion Rising is a top-down roguelike tactical shooter game set in a 1980s alternative SciFi universe taken over by rogue AI. Players customize and control an android, fight against machines, and collect upgrades, weapons, and equipment. The player’s goal is to reach and destroy the Heart of Armageddon and prevent an apocalypse. The game features detailed weapon mechanics, combining the fast-paced top-down shooting with FPS weapon handling. Weapons require active reloading – manually ejecting and inserting ammunition – and malfunction if jammed or overheated. Firing while moving reduces accuracy and increases recoil. The game’s customization is extensive, with players choosing between multiple classes with distinct abilities, over 90 base weapons, and numerous upgrade configurations. Players appreciate this variety, as it allows for unique and creative gameplay strategies, while the weapons handling mechanics add additional tactical considerations to gameplay.
Synthetik: Legion Rising was created and published by indie studio Flow Fire Games. The game, initially called Synthetik, was released in 2018 for Windows PCs via Steam and GOG.com. The Legion Rising free expansion came later the same year, adding a significant amount of new content in the form of doubling its playable classes, and adding new mechanics and dozens of new items and weapons. A console version, Synthetik: Ultimate, was developed next, which added additional storyline, items, music, enemies, and a final challenge. Synthetik: Ultimate was released in 2020 for Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch varieties. Synthetik’s initial release took roughly 3 years to develop. The developers leveraged GameMaker’s flexibility to add their own customizations, specifically its extension capabilities and scripting language. GameMaker facilitated the game’s cross-platform ports.
44. Sucker for Love: First Date
Sucker for Love: First Date is a visual novel and dating simulator game that parodies the genre’s tropes through humorous Lovecraftian horror themes. Players take on the role of an unnamed male protagonist who summons and dates Eldritch beings. The player finds themself performing summoning rituals, making occasional sacrifices, and experiencing unexpected body changes such as face tentacles. The game’s objective is to win a character’s affection and achieve a kiss. Failing rituals, offending Eldritch beings, or breaking Eldritch rules risk the player becoming insane, warping reality, or ending the world. Players found the gameplay entertaining due to its humorous subversion of both Lovecraftian horror and dating simulators, romanticising terrifying Eldritch beings in cute anime art. The game was even nominated for GameMaker’s “best game” award in 2022.
Sucker for Love: First Date was developed by Joseph “Akabaka” Hunter and published by DreadXP. A 30-minute prototype with a single love interest was made available on Itch.io and Steam in 2020, developed during the Dread X Collection 2 game jam. The full game was released in 2022 for Windows PCs and the Nintendo Switch. The initial prototype took about 10 days to develop, the duration of the game jam. GameMaker’s easy and fast prototyping facilitated this short deadline. The engine let the solo developer add the 2D art, visual novel mechanics, and the summoning minigame without requiring external tools.
45. Samurai Gunn
Samurai Gunn is a fast-paced 2D arena combat and beat ‘em up game where players brawl using swordplay and limited bullets. Gameplay involves 2 to 4 players facing off in local multiplayer, with the objective of being the first to reach 10 kills. Combat involves 1-hit kills, with only 3 shots issued per life, forcing players to use precision and strategy as well as reflex-based play. Swords are able to deflect bullets, and players use numerous jumping and sliding actions, combos, and character-specific moves. The game’s chaotic and competitive gameplay in local multiplayer made it popular at parties. The different character abilities and combos make the game simple to learn and challenging to master, encouraging continuous play. Samurai Gunn includes a single-player Survival Mode against AI bots.
Samurai Gunn was created by Beau “Teknopants” Blyth and published by Maxistentialism, with sound and music by Doseone. The game was released on Steam in 2013 for Windows PCs, with a later 2015 release for Mac. Samurai Gunn’s initial prototype took about a week, with the full game taking 6 months to complete. GameMaker facilitated fast prototyping and development of the 2D platformer mechanics, level design, and art integration, letting Blyth focus on the creative sword, gun, and combo mechanics. The game’s later OSX release was thanks to GameMaker’s easy porting capabilities.
46. Fenix Rage
Fenix Rage is a hardcore, fast-paced 2D platformer and action-adventure game, with gameplay that has been described as “a cross between Super Meat Boy and Flappy Bird” and “Nintendo Hard”. The player is Felix, pursuing the villain Oktarus, who sent an ice comet to freeze his village. The player navigates 200 levels, fighting minions and bosses, and traversing platforms through reflex-based play. Players collect optional cookies that contain real cookie recipes. Fenix Rage has unique movement abilities, letting players chain infinite jumps and horizontal dashes to traverse through the air. The game features no dialogue or text, conveying its story through gameplay and cutscenes. Fenix Rage won GameMaker’s Showcase Game of the Year award in 2015. Players appreciated the game’s challenging and interesting mechanics and retro flash game appearance, with the character’s design and speed inspired by 90s cartoons and Sonic the Hedgehog.
Fenix Rage was developed by the Costa Rican studio Green Lava Studios, comprised of Eduardo Ramirez, Jose Mora, and Diego Vasque. The game was published by Reverb Triple XP. The prototype was released in 2012, with the full game arriving in 2014 for Windows PCs. A console version called Fenix Furia was released in 2016 for PS4 and Xbox One. Fenix Furia enhanced levels, included local 2-player and easy modes, and added new cookie recipes. Fenix Rage’s prototype took only 1 week to develop. GameMaker’s accessibility, level creation tools, and scripting facilitated this fast prototyping, as well as the full game’s extensive levels and enhanced mechanics. The engine’s accessibility helped, as the team had limited experience at the time.
47. Flywrench
Flywrench is a minimalistic 2D retro arcade-style game where the player pilots a small spaceship through the solar system with the goal of reaching the sun. The game is fast-paced and physics-based, with players balancing gravity, rotational speed, and forward momentum. Players steer through narrow barriers, changing the ship’s color to match the walls it must pass through. Changing color changes the ship’s motion state: White mode makes it fall due to gravity, Red makes it flap and move upward, and Green makes it spin and bounce off of yellow walls. Flywrench’s abstract visual style imitates the “pre-retro” minimal graphics of Atari games. The game has over 170 short levels and an intense EDM track. Gameplay is intense, requiring precision and timing, and often trial-and-error and memorization. Despite the brutal difficulty, the game’s mesmerizing art, addictive mechanics, and instant restarts make it easy to keep playing. Players and critics enjoyed the high-energy music, even considering it the game’s highlight.
Flywrench was created and published by Nidhogg developer Mark Essen under his studio Messhof LLC. A prototype was released in 2007, with the full release arriving in 2015 for Windows and OS X. A PS4 port of the game was launched in 2017. The project’s development costs received Kickstarter backing, raising $5,070, which reached the campaign’s target of $5,000. GameMaker wasn’t used for Flywrench’s commercial version, however Essen used the engine to create its prototype, including its core mechanics with the 3 ship states. This allowed him to create a working demo and achieve funding for the commercial release’s Kickstarter campaign.
48. Gato Roboto
Gato Roboto is a monochromatic 2D action-adventure and puzzle platformer game where the player controls a cat in a mech suit on an alien planet. The story follows Kiki on her mission to rescue her owner after their spaceship crash-lands. Players explore the world, solve puzzles, and fight alien enemies and bosses in Metroidvania-style gameplay. Players gain upgraded movement abilities, such as enhanced jumps, and new weapons like missiles. The game includes small areas where Kiki must exit the mech, making players vulnerable to 1-hit kills. Gameplay is balanced in terms of challenge, with design elements accessible for beginners, like a simple map system and controls, and less backtracking than traditional Metroidvanias. The music is a combination of synth, industrial, and traditional chiptunes, complementing the retro 1-bit aesthetic. Players found the cute art style, storyline, and protagonist charming. The game features funny “cat” moments, like Kiki finding a cozy spot or being unfazed by surrounding chaos.
Gato Roboto was developed by indie studio Doinksoft and published by Devolver Digital. The game was released in 2019 for Windows PCs and the Nintendo Switch, reaching the Xbox One in 2020. The game was approximately 2 ½ years in development prior to its initial release. GameMaker allowed the development team to create the game’s distinctive 2D art style. The engine allowed for easy platformer-building through the ability to drag and drop room elements and script enemy behaviors through easy GML logic. This let the team focus on the creative level designs and characterful animations. GameMaker offered the necessary support for different platform releases.
49. Deadbolt
Deadbolt is a side-scrolling stealth-action hybrid game where the player is the Grim Reaper, sent on missions to stop an uprising. Missions involve disrupting targets’ activities or being a hitman, mass murdering or assassinating targets. Completing a mission earns the player souls, needed to upgrade weapons. The game involves 1-hit deaths, limited ammunition, and challenging levels. Players are forced to rely on careful planning and precision to kill targets. Gameplay is similar to Hotline Miami’s, while incorporating Gunpoint’s stealth-based play in a similarly gritty film-noir aesthetic. Deadbolt’s strategic, high-stakes style of play is considered punishing but satisfying. The game offers a lot of freedom over the tactics used, as well as a satisfying teleportation “ash dash” for sneaky executions. The music is extremely diverse, with blues, techno, metal, and other genres reflecting different undead factions. Deadbolt has a surprisingly deep and emotional story, which reveals the tragic pasts of the protagonist and his victims.
Deadbolt was created and published by indie studio Hopoo Games, which created the Risk of Rain series. A demo was released in 2015, with the game’s launch happening in 2016 for Windows, Mac, and Linux machines. A console port was released in 2018 for PlayStation and Switch platforms, with the help of Code Mystics. GameMaker’s easy level creation allowed for the construction of the rooms for the game’s 28 missions. The engine’s built-in asset editors facilitated atmospheric and stealth elements, such as the dim lighting and sounds, while the ability to easily code functions facilitated the game’s one-shot deaths. GameMaker allowed for the necessary optimization for the game’s fast and responsive combat. The engine’s architecture facilitated creating the game’s diverse and swappable weapons in an efficient way, allowing simple variable changes for its modular design, rather than requiring the creation of multiple objects.
How to learn to make games with GameMaker?
To learn to make games with GameMaker, visit the engine’s free courses and tutorials via the official GameMaker website, or check out the GameMakerEngine YouTube channel’s playlists of beginner tutorials. Zenva’s YouTube channel offers a complete 1-hour course as an alternative. For in-depth references, the GameMaker Manual, under the engine’s Support section of the official site, is beginner-friendly, with easy explanations and visual references.
