15 Game Design Tools for Kids
It is an open secret that game design tools for kids are taking the world by storm and what cooler way do you know to get a child excited rather than letting them create their own unique games? Let’s take a look at some tools with which kids can design games.
1. Kodu Game Lab
Kodu is a drag and drop game development tool for kids which is specially developed for 3D computer gaming purposes. It lets kids design simple games by choosing and changing a premade 3D world (or going for a blank map to shape it as they want). Then, they can select objects or characters to live in their world and mix multiple blocks into when/do commands to program these objects. The coolest thing about this platform is that it runs on Xbox 360.
Age: +6
Cost: Free on windows
scripting/markup language: C#
Available for: Windows- Xbox 360
Learning resource: Online Classes- YouTube Tutorials- School Programs
2. Gamestar Mechanic
This one-of-a-kind platform on our list of game design tools for kids is basically a drag and drop web-based video game that allows children to design 2D games. At first, kids only have a few “sprites” and “avatars” (one for “good guy” and one for “bad guy”) to create games in their “workshop”. As they participate in “quests” they unlock more sprites and avatars to use in their games, and finally, they get to share their games with other children on Game Alley.
Age: 8-14
Cost: Fully Free as of October 2020
scripting/markup language:
Available for: Windows- Mac
Learning resource: Online Classes- YouTube Tutorials- School Programs
3. Roblox
This game development tool is currently one of the most popular ones that kids use to design games. It is a platform where children play each other’s games, build theirs, and even earn money (Robux). And the most fantastic thing about this game design tool for kids is that it teaches them the basics of the Lua programming language.
Age: 9-14
Cost: Free to download
scripting/markup language: Lua
Available for: Windows- Mac- Android- iOS- Amazon Fire-
Learning resource: Online classes- YouTube Tutorials
Embassy.education offers a great online Roblox course at a suitable price.
4. Gamemaker Studio 2
A 2D drag and drop game development environment for beginners that is perfect for children who want to create fantastic games via the powerful C programming language without writing a single line of code. However, they have access to codes and can alter them or choose what they need from the YoYogames library.
Age: 13+
Cost: Free trial for 30 days
scripting/markup language: C
Available for: Windows, macOS, Ubuntu, Android, iOS, tvOS, fireTV, Android TV, Microsoft UWP, HTML5, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S
Learning resource: Education coursework on YoYogames
5. Codea
Codea is a Lua code editor for software programming, creating simulations, and making any visual idea on iOS devices which means kids can use it as a game development tool too. It’s perfect for building simple games involving touch or input but it needs prior experience with an easier platform like Scratch. Children can also tinker with the existing examples and come up with their own games.
Age: 8-12 (for tinkering) 12-18 (for making new games)
Cost: 10$
scripting/markup language: Lua
Available for: iOS
Learning resource: Codea Wiki
6. Gdevelop
Gdevelop is an open-source 2D game engine that uses a point-and-click system that allows complete beginners and kids to design games without knowing how to code. There are lots of templates like shooters, RPGs, and ready-made behaviors to implement in the games. Those who know how to code can extend the game with JavaScript extensions.
Age: Not Assigned (But prior knowledge in coding with Minecraft helps a lot)
Cost: Free
scripting/markup language: JavaScript
Available for: macOS, Windows, Linux, and web
Learning resource: Gdevelop Wiki- YouTube
7. RPG Maker
RPG Maker is a kids’ game design tool for developing role-playing video games (RPGs). Kids can choose anime-like characters and change their skills, appearance, names, and assign enemies and battle states to them. Currently, there are 6 different versions for pc: RPG Maker MZ, RPG Maker MV_which opens the game to more platforms (Android, iOS) and offers a higher resolution_ RPG Maker VX Ace that is beginner-friendly and provides an awesome library, RPG Maker VX (allows adding music) and two versions for Manga and visual novel making.
Age: Not Assigned (10+)
Cost: Free trial for 30 days
scripting/markup language: JavaScript
Available for: macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
Learning resource: Tutorials on their official website, YouTube
8. Pygame Zero
Pygame Zero is an educational platform designed to teach kids game development with no boilerplate code (repeated lines of code). It’s basically an easier version of the famous Pygame and an excellent way to pique your kid’s interest in coding with Python as they can see the logic at work. Best suited for programming 2D arcade games.
Age: 11-16
Cost: Free trial for 30 days
scripting/markup language: Python
Available for: macOS, Windows, Linux
Learning resource: Tutorials on pygamezero.io, YouTube
Embassy.Education offers a great coding with Python course. Kids learn to build simple applications like a calculator, digital design, creating emojis, and a lot more.
9. Minecraft
Game design for kids has never been easier with Minecraft. Children get to make whatever they want on Minecraft and wander around a world made by themselves. Besides, apart from building and creating unique worlds kids can learn to design Minecraft mods (modifications) that enhance the game experience for the other users.
However, creating new mods isn’t easy for children; it needs some programming skills but everyone can learn that. Here in Embassy.Education we offer a coding with Minecraft course which teaches kids (7-12 years old) how to do so.
Read 16 Minecraft Coding Educational Benefits.
Age: Not assigned
Cost: Free
scripting/markup language: Java
Available for: macOS, Windows, Android, iOS, Linux
Learning resource: Online courses, YouTube
10. Scratch
Scratch may be the most famous one among all game design tools for kids on this list. Kids can design simple 2D games on a drag and drop platform. It’s initially aimed at school children as an introduction to programming, however, it’s a fine starting point for game development too. Like most other drag and drop platforms on this list, Scratch has different sprites that kids can mix together and build their games. They can also modify other players’ projects and present something totally new.
Age: 7-12 (above 13 year-olds can sign with their own email)
Cost: Free
scripting/markup language: Squeak
Available for: macOS, Windows, Android, iOS
Learning resource: Online courses, YouTube, Scratch Community
Embassy.Education offers a great Scratch coding course for kids.
11. Alice
Alice like Scratch uses a drag and drop environment where kids can do various things, including game design. The best thing about this game design tool for kids is that it’s one of the few platforms that allow them to create simple point-and-click 3D games without knowing how to code and it’s free of charge.
Age: 9-14
Cost: Free
scripting/markup language: Java
Available for: macOS, Windows, Android, iOS
Learning resource: Alice website, TextBooks
12. Twine
Twine is an online game design tool that allows kids to build text-based games rapidly. You may ask what a text-based game is?! It is a kind of game in which the player’s choices affect the game’s narrative and ending. For example, a game designed with Twine describes various situations for the hero and players should select one of them to see the result of that decision. All in all, Twine can be a very unique game development tool for kids.
Age: +12
Cost: Free
scripting/markup language: Javascript, HTML5, Supports CSS
Available for: macOS, Windows, iOS, web app, Linux
Learning resource: YouTube, Coursera, textbook
13. Stencyl
Stencyl is very similar to some of the game design tools for kids we introduced earlier. It allows creating 2D flash games for iOS and Android and they can also sell their games on Google Play and App Store. A perfect option for shoot ’em ups, puzzle games, and generally arcade game making. It’s very similar to Scratch in terms of sprites but with Stencyl the players can create and share their own blocks, write their own custom classes, and create libraries.
Age: +12 (After learning Scratch)
Cost: Free for Flash
scripting/markup language: Haxe
Available for: iOS, Android, Linux, Windows, Mac, Web
Learning resource: Stencylpedia
14. Buildbox
Buildbox is a relatively new, drag-and-drop game design platform that is easy enough for kids to use. The significance of this game development tool is in its ability to make both 2D and 3D games of high quality. It has also been nominated for best game engine and best innovation.
Age: +13
Cost: Free for desktop export, 49.99$ for the pro version
scripting/markup language: C++
Available for: iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Steam
Learning resource: Buildbox free courses on their website
15. Godot
Godot is a professional but beginner-friendly game design tool. So, thanks to its incredible ease of use, kids can start professional 2D and 3D game design with Godot once they feel they’ve grown out of the previous platforms. Another reason for Godot’s popularity is that EVERYTHING can be animated. Something you can’t find on the other platforms.
Age: +13
Cost: Free
scripting/markup language: C++, C
Available for: Windows, macOS, Linux, BSD (The games designed in Godot run on almost every platform and console)
Learning resource: Godot Engine website
There are definitely more game design tools for kids out there based on children’s preferences and level of expertise. If your kid is new to this, we highly recommend taking our Scratch course first and carry on with our amazing Roblox course specially designed for game development. After finishing them they can choose one of these platforms to continue their journey on game development.
Editor: Michael Mitryakov | Writer: Negin
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