GameMaker Studio 2 makes it easier to create 2D games on the Mac

YoYo Games‘ GameMaker Studio 2 has debuted on the Mac, enabling game developers to make two-dimensional games on macOS.

YoYo Games originally launched GameMaker Studio 2 on the PC and other platforms in March. Now it is chasing after the growing number of Mac developers to fulfill the company’s goal of providing game development tools for everyone.

YoYo Games has ensured that every upgrade and feature addition made to GameMaker Studio 2 since its launch has been preserved in the MacOS version. Programmers who favor the Mac operating system and Mac enthusiasts who are newcomers to the 2D-developing world can access the intuitive base of operations in GMS2.

Above: GameMaker Studio 2 is an alternative game engine.

Image Credit: YoYo Games

“We worked tirelessly to ensure GameMaker Studio 2’s Mac debut would coincide with the needs of game developers that prefer to use platforms outside of Windows and home consoles,” said James Cox, the general manager at YoYo Games, in a statement. “After months carefully considering the feedback we received from beta testing and direct community outreach, we’re confident that developers who prefer Mac can now feasibly create games on the often ignored platform. We’re always looking for ways to expand game creation to as many developers as possible, and we know Mac users will make some standout games with these resources.”

Timed with the MacOS launch, GameMaker Studio 2 is also receiving a comprehensive update with new features and quality-of-life improvements. The 2.1 version update introduces changes that make game development easier.

GameMaker Studio 2 can be purchased for Windows, Mac, and Ubuntu for $100 on the YoYo Games website. To date, the GameMaker Studio family of products has been downloaded more than 10 million times since 2012 and currently has 200,000 monthly active users. YoYo Games is based in Dundee, Scotland, and it has 40 employees.

In an email, Cox said, “GameMaker Studio is a product for all levels of developer. While it has a very high skill ceiling, it goes beyond the confines of the traditional developer market. It’s used in schools and is taught to, and purchased by children as young as eight years old, using the drag and drop features to quickly turn their ideas into living games. So, while the developer community is less Mac focused, across our whole market, there is much more of a mix.”

He added, “GameMaker Studio is a 2D game design platform, but what makes it different is its breadth of application. The drag and drop design features provide beginners with a way into game design without having to become coders first, so the passion that got them into game design isn’t extinguished under a mountain of programming learning; that can come later. The drag and drop approach, creates real code that gives granular control, in our C based GameMaker Language (GML), to more experienced developers. For more established Indies and Studios, our workflow is what sets up apart. It’s really quick to get results with GameMaker, as we remove the repetition, and they can turn their games into amazing audio-visual experiences with our advanced graphic design and sound-mixing functionality.”