Writing computer games normally is a lot of work and requires skill in programming. So wouldn't it be nice if you could make your own games in an easy way? Game Maker was written to do just that. It allows you to make all sorts of 2-dimensional games using some simple clicking and drag-and-drop with your mouse. But even though it is simple to use, Game Maker allows you to make appealing games, with animated graphics, backgrounds, sounds, etc. And with its built-in programming language the possibilities are infinite.
Game Maker comes with a large collection of images and sounds to get you started. Also there are a number of example games.
Any computer that is less than five years old should be able to run Game Maker without any problems.
To be more precise, Game Maker requires a resonably modern PC running Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7, or later. A DirectX 8 (or later) compatible graphics card with at least 32MB of memory is required for most created games. It requires a screen resolution of at least 800x600 and 65000 (16-bit) colors (preferably full color). Also a DirectX 8 compatible sound card is required. Make sure you have the most recent drivers installed. Game Maker requires DirectX version 8.0 or later to be installed on your computer.
If you are currently using an older of Game Maker, this version will remain available and can be used for your old games. Version 8 can read files created with version 6 or 7 without any problem. It can also read files created with version 5 but they most likely require adaptation. For a complete set of changes, see the changes document.