Exporting Mac Game Maker

Posted on  by

Here we talk about how you can distribute your finished game.

With the information in the preceding sections of this manual you can begin to create your games, but when your game is finished you obviously want other people to play it. You can of course export a *.gmz file and let them use GameMaker: Studio to play it but this is normally not what you want! First of all, you don't want others to be able to change the game or get access to all your hard work, and secondly you also want people to play the game even if they do not have a copy of GameMaker: Studio. So you would like to create a stand-alone application or package of your game, or upload it as HTML5 to a site on the internet so that everyone can play it!

Creating Your Stand Alone Game

Once you create a game with Buildbox, exporting it is as easy as clicking a button. Create one game and put it on the Android Store, Samsung Store, Amazon Store (with support for the Amazon Fire HD, Fire Phone and Fire TV), iPhone Store, iPad Store, Steam, Mac App Store, Apple TV, Windows and more. Importing Resources This allows you to copy resources from one game to another. In previous versions of GameMaker it was a complicated business to import and export files from one project to another, and if you weren't careful you could end up with a corrupt game or loss of data.

Creating stand-alone applications is very easy with GameMaker: Studio. First you have to choose the 'target' for the files to be made which means choosing whether you wish to create an *.exe for Windows, generate JavaScript and HTML for use in a browser, or create a package for one of the other target modules. Each of the individual targets has their own settings and you must ensure that they are correctly configured in the Global Game Settings and Preferences before you continue.
Once everything is correct, you then go into the File menu and select the item Create Executable or you can press the following button, found on the main IDE toolbar beside the Play and Debug buttons:
Create Executable For Target
Either option will open a save window where you can give the final name that you wish to use for your game file. Once you have done this, the necessary files will be generated so that you can distribute it as you wish.

NOTE: Before doing a final build of your project for release, you should always clear the Asset Compiler Cache (using the green 'broom' icon at the top of the IDE) to ensure that all cached files are recreated and no stale files corrupt your final game.

Target Platform Formats

Each target option saves to a platform specific format:

  • If you have the setting as 'Windows' in the main GameMaker: Studio window, then only a Windows compatible file will be made. This can be an installer, a stand-alone *.exe or a *.zip. The export file type is chosen from a drop-down menu within the 'Save' dialogue itself, as shown by the image below: Please note that the 'Single Runtime Exe' is designed for use only for quick testing and should not be used for distribution (use the Zip or Installer options). When creating a single EXE you can get issues when saving files and it may not run on certain machine conficurations.

  • If you have chosen to build HTML5, then an index.html (default name, but you can give your own name too) along with a folder containing your game's files will be created and saved to the specified location. For your game to work you will need both of these to be uploaded to a server. The index.html can also be customised to show your game with a different background colour, or at a different position etc... but a knowledge of the HTML language is necessary for this (see the HTML5 Tab of the Global Game Settings).

  • For Android devices, a *.apk file will be generated which can be used directly on any Android devices or uploaded to the Google Play or Amazon stores (or any other site that accepts Android apps).

  • For an iOS or Mac build you will need all the appropriate developer permissions and an Apple Mac computer. GameMaker: Studio will create a *.dish file which you will then need to prepare in the Application Oven app on a Mac. This will then generate your iOS or Mac app for you.

  • If you have bought GameMaker: Studio through Steam then you can also compile to the Steam Workshop. For more information see here.

Please note: GameMaker: Studio uses a C++ runner to create all final games and apps. The previous GameMaker versions used Delphi, so this means that any game imported from previous versions may not work without certain changes.
For further information on how to compile a final game for your target platform, and for details on how to upload these to the various app stores available, please see the YoYo Knowledge Base.

Exporting

Distribution

Once you have created a stand-alone application or package for your game you can then give the file to other people or place it on your website to download. You can also upload these files to the different hosting services for individual distribution or to online stores (like Google Play, iTunes or the MS Store) for general distribution and retail.
Further information on these formats and file creation can be found on the YoYo Knowledge Base.
You are free to distribute the games you create with GameMaker: Studio in any way you like, and this means that you can even sell them! Of course, this assumes that the sprites, images, and sounds you used to make it can be distributed or sold as well and that you have the legal rights to all assets. See the enclosed license agreement for more information on this (available on the Licences Tab).


© Copyright YoYo Games Ltd. 2018 All Rights Reserved

If you are just starting as a game developer using GameMaker Studio 2, then you may be left with a feeling of 'what now'? once you've finished creating your first games. To help answer this question, we're going to give you a brief overview in this tech blog of how to export your game as a complete and playable package, and then where to distribute it to people so it can be played.

Regardless of the platform your game targets, exporting starts the same way - by clicking the Create Executable button at the top of the IDE:

What happens next will largely depend on the platform you are targeting and it would be impossible for use to explain it all here in a single tech nlog. However, we have extensive Helpdesk documentation that will take you through all the necessary steps for each platform, which you can find from the following links:

Regardless of platform, at the end you will be left with a file package for your game, for example a .zip on Windows or an .apk on Android. This is what you'll be uploading to the internet for people to play.

Once you've compiled your game you'll want to share it with people, or even sell it on some stores. But how? Well, a lot will depend on the platform that you are working with, as each one will have different strong and weak points. For example, on Windows you might want to sell your game, while on Android you might want to have it as a free (or ad supported) game. We can't help you take these decisions, but we can at least point you in the right direction by suggesting some places where you can upload and distribute your games!

Windows, Mac, Ubuntu

There are a lot of places where you can share your games on the Desktop targets, and most of them support all three of the major platforms. Here's a list of the most well known ones for you to look at (note that some of them will require you to pay a fee to register as a publisher).

To start with, these sites all accept games for all three targets, Windows, macOS and Ubuntu (Linux):

  • Steam - This is a major distribution platform that requires you to pay a fee for publishing games. The setup and integration of the Steam SDK in your app is essential.

  • Itch.io - This site offers a number of benefits for small and independent developers, and has a very loyal and growing fan base. No initial fee required to start publishing.

  • GameJolt - Another site for independant developers looking for an audience. Has no initial fee and monetisation possibilities.

Just for macOS games you can try these as well:

  • Mac App Store - The Apple App Store for Mac. The most used and common distribution system for mac games, but requires a fee to paid for developing and publishing.

  • Mac Game Store - This store has been around longer than the official App Store, and permits you to self publish games through them.

Android

For Android there are two main marketplaces:

  • Amazon App Store - This app store accepts all games for Android (not just those built for the Amazon Fire device) and has a massive reach.

  • Google Play - The biggest of the Android app stores.

However, those are not the only stores available, with the above mentioned itch.io and Gamejolt both accepting Android *.apk files. Below are a few more commonly used stores, but do some research and you'll find a lot more:

  • Samsung Galaxy Apps - Samsung have a huge market share so this store is one that should be considered.

  • SlideME - An independant app store that comes pre-installed on many devices and has a large market share.

  • UpToDown - A small but well known Android app store where all app submissions are personally curated to maintain quality and ensure there is no malware.

iOS

If you want to publish to iOS then there is really only one way to do it and that's through the Apple App Store. If you aren't an Apple developer, then you'll need to make an account and pay a fee before beginning:

Note that there are alternatives to the App Store, but their legality is dubious and many of them host pirated products or malware. We do not recommend trying to publish iOS games through them at all, especially as you may be breaking the Apple Terms of Service if you do.

UWP

Like iOS, the UWP platform is locked to a single store, the Windows App Store. Signing up is easy and there is a one-time fee for joining. You can get full details of the process from the following link:

You can also share your UWP apps outside of the store as - for example - a download from your own site by using Visual Studio to make an App Installer. It's also worth noting that once signed up as a developer for UWP, you will have the additional possibility of publishing your games to the Xbox One platform. To find out more, please see the Microsoft Documentation.

HTML5

Download Game Maker Mac

Of all the platforms available, the HTML5 web platform is perhaps the most flexible when it comes to publishing. Html5 games can be played on just about any device, and can be hosted on your own web pages or pushed to distribution portals. Of these, the above mentioned itch.io and Gamejolt sites are a great place to start but there are many. many more, for example:

Exporting Mac Game Maker Online

  • Poki (It's worth noting that Poki have an extension for integrating their SDK on the YoYo Games Marketplace, as well as a complete, and easy to follow start-up guide).

Exporting Mac Game Maker Games

If you want to host the game on your own page, then see the following helpdesk article:

Exporting Mac Game Maker Download

The hardest part of all this is actually getting a game finished and ready for publishing, since - as you can see - there are a wealth of options available to you to get your game out there in front of people to play it. This article only scratches the surface of game publishing though, and we recommend that you explore all the different options open to you! Not only can you self-publish, but you can contact publishing companies and have them help you or you could consider licencing your game to different aggregate portals and let them publish for you (a great way to get HTML5 games published). Whatever you do, take your time, read through any documentation or licences carefully, and above all else, have fun and if you do publish anything, then maybe consider letting us know about it through our GameMaker Showcase!