9 Best Games Made Using The GameMaker Engine

Highlights

• GameMaker is a beginner-friendly engine that allows aspiring developers to create high-quality indie games.
• OTXO is a top-down shooter that perfects the action-packed gameplay of Hotline Miami with a roguelike twist.
• Downwell is a mobile game that combines shooting gameplay with platforming and is a gem in the mobile gaming market.

Aspiring developers who want to get into the art of creating video games will need to learn how these game creation engines work, with mainstream ones like Unreal Engine and Unity being pretty popular in their own right. However, these engines can be extremely challenging to understand, which is why easier engines like GameMaker are arguably better instead.

These engines allow players to learn the art of video game design in a more accessible manner without compromising on the quality of these titles. The fact that so many great indie titles were made in the GameMaker engine is a testament to how malleable this tool really is, and players can have a great time checking out the many games that push this engine to its very limits.

Updated on December 7, 2023 by Ritwik Mitra: There are many great engines that aspiring developers can strive to learn if they want to break into the industry. GameMaker is one of the more approachable and beginner-friendly engines that many indie developers have used to great effect. The sheer number of fun and imaginative games made with this engine is a great argument for why game development should be as accessible as possible, and players will have a great time checking out some of the best games ever made with this engine.

9 Barkley, Shut Up And Jam: Gaiden

Metacritic: N/A

Barkley, Shut Up And Jam: Gaiden may be a freeware title, but don’t let that take away from its truly bizarre and entertaining nature. The game takes the sport of basketball very seriously, with the entire world being plunged into an apocalypse after the protagonist, Charles Barkley, unleashes a Chaos Dunk that is so powerful that it kills many spectators and causes basketball to be banned.

After another Chaos Dunk is unleashed in Manhattan, Barkley must go on a quest with his family and friends to clear his name and figure out the mystery behind this attack. It’s a truly ridiculous game that is made even more bizarre by the fact that the developers called this title a sequel to Space Jam!

8 OTXO

Metacritic: 81

Hotline Miami is certainly a great game that was important for the rise of indie gaming, but it’s far from a perfect title. There are certain impossibilities that players need to make peace with, and getting shot off-screen is always a pain, especially in the second game.

All of this is rectified by OTXO, a game that perfects the frenetic top-down shooting action of Hotline Miami with a roguelike twist. It’s extremely satisfying to master the combat of this game and take out bosses in a flash who were giving players a tough time.

7 Downwell

Metacritic: 81

Many people frown upon mobile gaming as an inferior medium that is littered with half-baked cash grabs and microtransaction-littered experiences that are pretty vapid. However, while the market does need some regulations to prevent any developer from releasing the laziest games ever, there are gems like Downwell that deserve all the praise in the world.

The title makes the most of the mobile medium, combining shooting gameplay with platforming to make for a fun experience in every way. Players who want to mess around with an entertaining game on their phones can’t go wrong with Downwell!

6 Katana Zero

Metacritic: 83

Another game where players only have one shot to clear an entire level is Katana Zero, where players control a mysterious katana-wielding assassin who slowly uncovers a scintillating plot that is presented in a unique manner. The gameplay is a thing of beauty, with players using slow-mo to make things more manageable as they clear rooms of enemies in each level.

The soundtrack is amazing and the combat is truly exhilarating when it hits its many highs. Players should be ready to die over and over again since Katana Zero takes no prisoners and will force players to either improve their skills or give up altogether!

5 VA-11 Hall-A

Metacritic: 83

A poignant visual novel that allows players to take on the role of a bartender in a bleak cyberpunk world, VA-11 Hall-A is a beautiful game that uses its pixel art visuals to great effect. Each and every character that players interact with in this game are all well-written and lovable in their own way.

Players looking for a totally unique experience where they don’t have to play the role of a hero — a rare occurrence — will love what VA-11 Hall-A brings to the table. It’s a one-of-a-kind title that most people will find to be a powerful experience in many ways.

4 Hyper Light Drifter

Metacritic: 84

The idea of combining fast-paced action-packed gameplay with elements from The Legend of Zelda series is a winning combination that Hyper Light Drifter executes with great panache. The game’s difficulty can be slightly overbearing at the start, but it won’t take long for players to get used to the groove of this title.

Dodging enemy attacks and landing powerful counters will become second nature for the player, with exploration being a key focus of Hyper Light Drifter‘s gameplay as well. This, coupled with a striking art style, shows why this game became so popular upon launch.

3 Hotline Miami

Metacritic: 85

Hotline Miami is a violent, tough-as-nails top-down shooter where players control a contract killer who decimates hideouts full of maniacs, strategizing their attempt to clean up a room without taking damage. A single hit is enough to kill players, forcing them to learn with each failed attempt to kill every hostile enemy in a level.

The game was a smash hit, with players loving the surreal story and excellent gameplay. The title was so big that a sequel was developed for the same, but it lacked a lot of what made the first game so special.

2 Nuclear Throne

Metacritic: 89

Players wanting to go through a roguelike full of non-stop action will find Nuclear Throne to be right up their alley. Mastery in this game takes a while, with each death serving as a lesson for the player.

Once players understand how the game works, they’ll be able to breeze past enemies and take them out in stylish ways all the time. However, death is always mere moments away, and Nuclear Throne loves to punish players who aren’t focused during each run.

1 Undertale

Metacritic: 92

An indie gem that fans still can’t stop talking about to this day, Undertale absolutely blew up on launch because of its charming story and unique gameplay. The title deconstructed many tropes present in the role-playing genre, with players being encouraged to not kill any monster in the game and to solve conflicts by talking instead.

It’s this insistence on treating everything in the world with kindness that makes Undertale such a marvelous example of what indie games can achieve if they’re creative enough. The game spawned a massive fandom that is highly active and can’t wait for its sequel to be released in its entirety.