Introduction

I remember as a kid there was a brief period in my life when I wanted to be a game creator. I asked my mom to buy me several how-to books on game making and thought I could learn how to create the next big Final Fantasy-like game… until I realized I lacked the skills to make games. Even though I bought RPG Maker for the PS1, I was barely able to make a single scene and accepted that game development might not be for me.

That’s okay—I have a solid career, and I love what I do here at SunsetNerdVerse. Still, I often wonder: could I, now in my 30s, build something simple? That curiosity is what drew me to Action Game Maker. Unlike RPG Maker, this tool allows players to create 2D platformers or action games, and it seems fairly robust. After several hours and many, many failed attempts, does Action Game Maker allow even a noob like me to build a functioning game? Let’s find out.

Gameplay

In the traditional sense, there isn’t much actual “gameplay” in Action Game Maker. The core purpose is to build games—then play or share them online. I won’t dive into the exhaustive (but impressive) menu systems that power Action Game Maker, but know that you can do a lot: add backgrounds, insert scenes, use shaders, and apply visual effects. It’s an ambitious tool aimed squarely at budding developers.

I’m reviewing this not as a game dev but as a casual gamer. And from that perspective, Action Game Maker is not easy to use. Even with lengthy tutorials and help forums, I was only able to tweak pre-made builds by adding minor elements like trees or enemies. I usually pick up software quickly, but this tool humbled me—it’s not as beginner-friendly as you might expect.

Once you manage to get a game running—either one you’ve created or a pre-built demo—you can play it and see how everything works. This is where I encountered some performance issues. Despite using simple visuals and sprites, the load times were frustrating. The pre-made games often required a restart or background processes to be closed. While I don’t own a top-tier PC, I can run modern titles at medium to high settings, so I was surprised by the frequent hiccups. That said, others online report smoother experiences, so maybe it’s just an isolated issue.

Graphics

Action Game Maker doesn’t stand out visually, even for a retro-inspired engine. There are a few cool effects—reflections, bloom lighting, and more—but they didn’t shine in the demos I tested. Maybe a skilled developer could get more out of the visual tools, but I couldn’t bring them to life.

Overall Impression

Action Game Maker isn’t meant to be the next big commercial release—it’s a sandbox for future devs and hobbyists. If you’re not ready to spend hours learning the ins and outs of its systems, you might find it overwhelming. Still, I appreciate the extensive tutorials and support for first-time creators. I doubt I’ll ever produce a finished game using it, but it’s nice to see a platform that at least tries to help you get there.

Conclusion

Action Game Maker probably isn’t for someone like me who lacks the passion—or patience—to learn how to build games from scratch. That said, for aspiring developers looking to create simple 2D action games, there’s a lot here. Between the tutorials, pre-made assets, and overall scope, this could be a great stepping stone into game development.

It’s not perfect, but it has an audience—and I can see that audience appreciating what Action Game Maker offers.

ーAaron