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

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

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

Practice Toggled player actions

Controls

Keys

Stand / Crouch

C

Crawl

Hold C

Sit / Stand

X

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

Test Combat Controls

Controls:

Keys/Mouse

Roll

2 x SHIFT

Attack

Charge & Lunge Attack (moves the Avatar forward)

Hold

Block

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.

➕ 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.