Help on How to Make a Game

[ArmoredSalmon]

I've been looking to make a simple game but i don't have any program to help me do it, and I have about no experience. The only stuff i know is from The Games Factory 2, found on NewGrounds. But that wont help me make the kind of game i want. Can anybody help me or suggest a free program to help me accomplish this? It's not important enough for me to pay to get a program, but rather just to waste some time. If you need more info/ are interested in helping me (please!), just PM me and ill send some info. I have far too much time on my hands and a lot of free space on my computer (though my computer is a 5 years old, but it runs decently).

[Gaiacarra]

I suggest you choose between either Flixel, Flash or GameMaker.

But first of all: do you even know how to program? In fact, do you know what programming even IS? If the answer to either of those questions is no, I would start there. Download a BASIC interpreter or compiler and learn how to write BASIC programs. I would use Liberty BASIC because they have a free version.

1. Flash.
Flash costs like 500 dollars, so you'll have to pirate it. It's easy to find on torrent sites. Once you've downloaded it, buy Beginning Flash Game Programming For Dummies or follow online tutorials. I can't vouch for the quality of the online tutorials though as I learned with the For Dummies books.

2. Flixel
Flixel is actually just Flash. It's a code library that's used to make Flash games. The advantage is that you can make games in it just using FlashDevelop, which is free software. So you won't need to pirate any huge, complex programs like you would with traditional Flash game programming. The reason I've separated Flixel from Flash is because using Flixel isolates you so much from the usual Flash programming stuff that it really is a whole different way of doing things.
HOWEVER. Using Flixel requires you to use ADVANCED programming features which will be completely incomprehensible to you if you've never programmed before. It also means designing your game with nothing but code - there'll be no nice, friendly visual interface for you to work with. This may be intimidating if you're just starting out.

3. Game Maker
Some may laugh at you for using GM, but frankly fuck those people, you have to start somewhere (can we swear here?). GM allows you to create your game with a visual interface rather than code, and is as such more restrictive than other methods. If you have zero experience with game programming however, it will allow you to get started painlessly. It also allows you to insert a little bit of programming code into your games, meaning it can introduce you slowly to real game programming.
HOWEVER: Game Maker does not produce Flash games. You will not be able to upload the games you make to Newgrounds. Also, Game Maker and the games it makes don't run on Macs.

[noobgamer57]

here is a PDF for the book he guy above metioned

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/23618117/Beginni ng%20Flash%20Game%20Programming%20For%20 Dummies.pdf