Have you ever wanted to design a game? It's a difficult process, just ask anyone who has ever stepped foot into the business, but that doesn't mean you should give up on your dreams of porting something to the masses. There are a lot of useful tools out there that can help you breath life into your gaming ideas, but some of them will set you back quite a bit, and some are complex and difficult to maneuver.
GameMaker Studio from YoYo Games is not a traditional tool, but is instead an easy-to-use program that can help you quickly create two-dimensional Indie-style games. The best part? You can get it for free.
You're not going to crank out a AAA-title with this creator, but you'll "get a feel" for game design, and you can have a fully-functioning game within weeks according to the company's website. This is a great place to learn the process, and there are hundreds of tutorials online that can help you use GameMaker like a pro.
GameMaker Studio: Standard Edition would normally set you back around $50, but YoYo Games is giving would-be developers a free copy of their popular tool for a "limited time." To get yours, you'll need to go to the following page and download the free edition of the software. Once downloaded and installed, a box will pop up asking you which "update stream" you want to use. Choose the beta stream, and let the program update itself. Once it's all finished you'll be able to upgrade to the Standard Edition, and will be sent an activation code.
We don't know exactly how long this offer will be around, so be sure to secure your copy ASAP.