Action Game Maker is RPG Maker’s sprintier, jumpier sibling
With 2D functionality provided by Godot Engine
Gotcha Gotcha Games, creators of the RPG Maker series, have announced Action Game Maker. Much like its predecessors, it aims to allow users to create games in its chosen genre without any programming experience, using a “node-based visual scripting system” (draggable arrows and concepts, basically). Could this finally be the opportunity to create the legally distinct Little Shop Of Horrors management sim of my dreams? No, of course not. The technology does not yet exist powerful enough to manifest it. Also, it's not an action game. Also, I don't know how to make games. Also it's Friday and I'm tired. Also, AGM isn't out yet. Still, I’m intrigued!
Here are some action-facts:
Advanced Engine Technology With Godot Engine!
Take advantage of the excellent 2D functionality provided by Godot Engine, the popular open source engine powering ACTION GAME MAKER!
- UI design based on the existing Godot UI
- Support for GDScript is provided for those who want to move beyond visual scripting.
- A complete 2D pipeline
- Tile Map Editor with auto-tile function
- Supports both sprite and 2D bone animation systems
- Access to Godot's rich particle and shader systems as well as support for dynamic lighting and shadows, enabling a full suite of graphics features!
The toolkit ships with “everything you need to build your first game" from "character art to tiles, music, and sound effects!" What's more, “if you already have your own assets it’s easy to import them – and high resolutions are supported!”
My immediate thought here is whether the tools are going to robust enough to offer as wide an array of projects as RPG Maker? Everyone’s got a story to tell, but does everyone have a distinctive double jump to unleash on the world? Are we going to get action-y equivalents of Lisa: The Painful or To The Moon? Will I cave and settle for a lesser version of the legally distinct Little Shop Of Horrors management sim of my dreams? Anything is possible, it seems, as long as it involves chaining verbs together. RPG Maker XP, by the by, is currently 90% off on Steam, although it has been cheaper than that in the past by a good 10%. You can find Action Game Maker on Steam here, release date TBC.