GB Studio

GB Studio is a lightweight game builder application that is addressing anyone who want to create a retro game, but does not have the programming or coding knowledge.

The application is portable, so you do not need to bother with installation or customization before you get started. In fact, the idea here seems to avoid inhibiting your creativity, so to get started on your first game you solely need to provide a name and choose between the template or start a project from scratch.

The Project Editor or the Game World is your workspace and this task entails combining the scenes, sprites and specifying the triggers. As you probably hinted, you need to establish a connection between these elements, as triggers can be defined by adding interactions or building scripting events.

Each of these elements can be customized by using the menu located in the right side of the main window. You can specify the name, type, background or adding events, actors and extra scenes. The end project can be exported as ROM – that you can run in emulators – or web, so you can enjoy them in the browser. While working, you can hit the Play button to get an overview of your progress anytime.

Unfortunately, the program does not have a dedicated editor to help you create your assets, so you need to use other third-party software to make them. While for the graphics you can use any application that can output PNG, for sprites and more complex UI elements, you need to employ more advanced tools.

Despite the fact that you need to brings you own assets, GB Studio is a straightforward and easy to use utility that provides an intuitive framework to create retro games. If you are nostalgic about games you played in the arcade period or want to make your own version of your favorite retro game, then you should consider giving this tool a try.