Free Resources for Making and
Designing Video Games

So you want to make a video game but you are on a pretty tight budget! As a matter of fact your budget is pretty much zero! Well, don't let that discourage you because there are plenty of resources out there that you can take advantage of. And they are all free and all legitimate. Granted, you probably won't get a state of the art game by just using free software and tools but you can really do some amazing stuff. So, don't get discouraged, just look through my list of free resources for making video games.

Ebooks

• My ebook on How to Make a Video Game - Totally free and loaded with articles and a complete tutorial on how to make video games with Reality Factory
• Basics of Computer Game Design eBook
• Beginners Guide to making Flash and Java Script Games
• The Video Game Style Guide and Reference Manual - The ultimate resource for game journalists.

Tutorials

• Reality Factory Game Making Tutorial - Reality Factory is a complete and free Open Source Game Development Software Program
• FPS Creator Tutorial - FPS creator is an easy to use program for making First Person Shooter Video games quickly and easily. The software isn't free but it does have a 30 day trial period.
• MilkShape 3d - This is a program for designing and creating 3d Models and Animations.
• Blender Tutorials - Blender is an awesome 3d Modeling Program and there are plenty of tutorials to get you going on the official website.
• GameMaker 7 Tutorials - These are official tutorials on the GameMaker website
• Box2d and Mekanimo Tutorials -

Software for Game Making

• Adventure Game Studio - Adventure Game Studio allows you to create your own point-and-click adventure games, similar to the early 90's Sierra and Lucasarts adventures. It consists of an easy-to-use editor to create your games, and a run-time engine to play them. You need to learn a little bit of scripting to use this game making software.
• The Platinum Arts Sandbox - This is quite a nice Open Source 3d Game Maker - Platinum Arts Sandbox Free 3D Game Maker is an open source game design program for kids and adults.  The focus is to make the process of creating games and worlds easy enough for kids but powerful enough to create full game projects.  Sandbox is already being used in many schools and colleges throughout the world and included in game design contests. 
• The Reality Factory - Been around a while and is open source. - the freely available toolkit that truly lets you create complete games without knowing any programming. Reality Factory provides a complete toolkit for creating 3D action, adventure, role-playing, machinima and many other types of games straight out of the box.
• GameMaker 7 - Free download of this Game Making Software by YoYoGames.com
• Platform Studio - Create platform based games and other types of 2d Games. Free software

Software for Graphics Manipulation (3d modeling etc.)

• gSculpt - gSculpt is an open source, procedural subdivision modeller. It has a comprehensive set of polygon modelling tools, including most of those found in Wings 3D, and more.
• Blender - the free open source 3D content creation suite, available for all major operating systems under the GNU General Public License .
• Mekanimo - A 2D physics simulator that can be used for rapid game development.
• GIMP - Free software for graphics editing and manipulating

More and Miscellaneous Game Making Software and Tools

• Box2d - Box2D is an open source physics engine written primarily for games. As the name suggests, Box2D is a purely 2D engine. However, Box2D has grown beyond it's humble box simulating roots, and can now handle convex polygons and other shapes coming soon.
• Bullet - A 3d physics engine. It is an open source 3D physics engine created by Erwin Coumans.

Making Games Online

• Roblox - This is an easy to use online game making website that is kid friendly.
• Sploder - Another free online game making website
• PlayCrafter - Make online Flash Games without programming

Newsletters, Email and other Stuff

• The GameCreators Newsletter - This is a great newsletter that I subscribe to. It is published by the Game Creators who bring us FPS Creator and DarkBASIC - Lots of modeling stuff, tips of the month, free models and other stuff. Sign Up here.