Play/Test

This activity is included in an 8-part, 1 hour series to learn Game Maker. Short, focused topics with guided practice will give you practical experience building useful logic for creating games.

Begin Game Maker 1

Learn Play Mode & Camera Controls

🟢 EASY

In this activity, you will learn how to create a new Experience in Game Maker, move the camera, and control your avatar, preparing you to play and test your games frequently. These are the same basic controls needed to play in the Game Client. Start by getting in the mindset of the player!

You will learn additional controls for the camera in Build mode and how to place blocks in Activity 2.

Start

Start

• Launch Game Client OR

• Launch Game Maker, create a 1x1 Experience and press TAB to begin Play mode

Camera & Movement

Practice Camera and Avatar Movement

Controls	Keys/Mouse
Tilt camera	↕️
Turn camera	↔️
Zoom in/out	scroll wheel
Move forward / backward	W S
Move left / right	A D
Free movement	↕️↔️ + W A S D

Toggled Actions

Practice Toggled player actions

Controls	Keys
Stand / Crouch	C
Crawl	Hold C
Sit / Stand	X

SHIFT

Try the Shift Modifier

Controls:	Keys
Walk	Hold W A S D + ↕️↔️
Run	Hold W A S D + ↕️↔️ + Hold SHIFT
Walk + Jump	W A S D + Press SPACEBAR
Run + Jump	W A S D + Press SPACEBAR + Hold SHIFT
Run + Slide	W A S D + Hold SHIFT + C

Combat

Test Combat Controls

Controls:	Keys/Mouse
Roll	2 x SHIFT
Attack
Charge & Lunge Attack (moves the Avatar forward)	Hold
Block

Combinations

Combinations to Practice:

• Run and jump

• Run and slide

• Attack, roll, and jump

Follow Up

Remember to let your mouse steer your avatar's camera, then use the W A S D keys to move relative to what you see on screen.

Now you know the basics to start playing in the metaverse or test your creations! Learn more about building in Activity 2.

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➕ Relevant Resources

Ramp of Difficulty

Motivate players without causing frustration. Reward players for overcoming challenges. Think about ramp of difficulty in terms of controls needed to play.

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Forum: Community Ideas & Support

Visit the Forum

A forum post has been created for this learning activity! Visit to:

• Ask or answer questions

• Post ideas about the topic

• Share what you've learned or created

  • from the activity

  • from the bonus resources

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Other "Begin Game Maker" Videos

Play/Test
Build with Blocks
Place Assets
Set Object Actions
Trigger Logic
Craft Quests
Set Up Mechanics
Build Multiplayer Games