Game Develop Editor's Review

Game Develop lets you design, create, test and run computer games. The package is aimed at the novice designer, with a purely visual interface.

If you've ever wanted to create your own computer games, Game Develop could be the answer. You don't need to learn programming -- every single aspect of game creation is visual, handled via the graphical user interface, so you never have to write any code. This package that runs on Linux and Windows.

You can only design 2D games with this software, but within that limitation it's incredibly versatile. You can design your own characters, object such as weapons or vehicles, and backgrounds, which the game then lets you animate and control. The game design is event based. This means that events occur when a certain set of conditions are fulfilled. For example, you can have monsters respond in a particular way when hit, and die when they've been hit a certain number of times. All of the game logic relies on these events, which are very easy to understand and use. It's possible to create everything from a traditional platform game, a shoot-em-up or a fantasy roleplaying game. You can test every single section of your game at the touch of a button, ensuring that everything works in the way you want it to before moving on to the next stage.

Pros: GUI-based, no coding required, free.

Cons: 2D only.

Conclusion: Build your own 2D games with this versatile multi-platform developer tool.