GameMaker just outlined new features coming to the seminal game engine GameMaker in 2024 and there are some pretty massive changes on the horizon. Highlight new features coming to GameMaker include:
New Code Editor
This is actually already available in the GameMaker beta (check it out in action here). This is a new full screen more traditional code editor that also adds LSP support.
Prefab Support
A Prefab lets you make assets in one GameMaker project, and reuse them endlessly in other GameMaker projects. This links those assets to its source project, so if you change something in the original project, it will update the assets wherever they are used.
Plugin Support
We are working on plugin support, which will allow you to create your own tools that work within the GameMaker IDE.
This plugin system is already utilised by official tools like the Sequence Editor and the new Code Editor. We will open this up soon, giving you the power to make GameMaker your own.
New UI System
The UI system will be based on Flex Panels. A Flex Panel can hold items, and position them according to its dimensions, making it responsive.
Perhaps the biggest new announcement is around language support:
Of course, this was only a high level overview of a few of the things coming for GameMaker in the coming year. There will be much more, so stay tuned.
One of the upcoming features includes JavaScript as a first-class language in GameMaker. You will be able to write your scripts and events in JavaScript, within GameMaker, starting later this year.
We’re also investigating similar support for other languages like C#.
Key Links
You can learn more about the upcoming changes to GameMaker in 2024 in the video below.