The Basics

GameMaker builds games by combining different kinds of assets that work together. Each type has a clear purpose, and together they form the foundation of your game.

Rooms

A Room is like a level or scene. It contains everything that appears on screen, such as the player, enemies, walls, and backgrounds. Every GameMaker project needs at least one room to run.

Objects

Objects are things that carry out instructions in your game. The player, enemies, doors, and coins are all objects. Each object can have unique behavior, which is defined through events.

Events

Events tell objects when something should happen. For example:

• The Create Event runs when the object first appears.
• The Step Event runs once every frame.
• The Collision Event runs when it touches another object.

Objects use events to respond to what happens in the game.

GameMaker Language (GML)

GML is GameMaker’s programming language. It lets you write the instructions that run inside events, such as moving an object, changing a variable, or playing a sound.

Sprites

A Sprite is the image or animation assigned to an object. It controls how something looks but not how it behaves. Giving an object a sprite makes it visible in the room.

Sounds, Backgrounds, and Tiles

You can add sounds for music and effects, backgrounds for visual layers, and tiles to build the environment. These assets don’t control behavior but help your game world feel complete.

How It All Fits Together

You create sprites for visuals, objects for behavior, and place them inside a room. When the game runs, GameMaker draws the room, displays the sprites, runs the events, and updates everything every frame.

It’s like a stage play:

• The room is the stage.
• The objects are the actors.
• The sprites are their costumes.
• The events are their scripts.

Together, they make your game come to life!