Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 27 minutes ago
This basics video tutorial shows you how to make a last position enemy tracker which shoots down a laser. You see this being done via a big laser or mine or explosion on the last postion in boss fights or regular enemies to keep the player moving and to zone the player.
The idea is simple. We need an enemy that runs down a timer( here an alarm) and once the alarm event is triggered we spawn in on the last position recorded of the players x, we create an effect instance that marks a position. We run down a timer in this effect/marker instance and destroy it after 2 seconds. in the destroy alarm even we create a 3rd instance, which is the laser. This one also has an alarm which destroy it after 2seconds also.
That's it!
๐ My assets:
Get some assets at itch.io 1up-indie2.itch.io
๐ Udemy: udemy.com/course/become-a-video-game-developer-with-gms-23/?referralCode=6AB816C3B321FB60C885
๐ Support me and get fresh game art and game maker projects every month:
patreon.com/1upindie
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๐ฆ Twitter: twitter.com/1upIndie
๐ฌ Discord: discord.gg/gvr98nb
This basics video tutorial shows you how to make a last position enemy tracker which shoots down a laser. You see this being done via a big laser or mine or explosion on the last postion in boss fights or regular enemies to keep the player moving and to zone the player.
The idea is simple. We need an enemy that runs down a timer( here an alarm) and once the alarm event is triggered we spawn in on the last position recorded of the players x, we create an effect instance that marks a position. We run down a timer in this effect/marker instance and destroy it after 2 seconds. in the destroy alarm even we create a 3rd instance, which is the laser. This one also has an alarm which destroy it after 2seconds also.
That's it!
๐ My assets:
Get some assets at itch.io 1up-indie2.itch.io
๐ Udemy: udemy.com/course/become-a-video-game-developer-with-gms-23/?referralCode=6AB816C3B321FB60C885
๐ Support me and get fresh game art and game maker projects every month:
patreon.com/1upindie
Follow me on:
๐ธ Instangram: instagram.com/1upindie
๐ฆ Twitter: twitter.com/1upIndie
๐ฌ Discord: discord.gg/gvr98nb

![Spawns + Redirect [#1 Tower Defence in GameMaker ]
This is the 1st video in a short Tower Defence series in GameMaker.
The idea is to make a super simple system that allows thousands of spawns to run in a conga line without much customization or using any path or complicated system. In this video we create a spawner that creates in its looping alarm event a spawn. There you only give the spawn a speed value and direction where to go to. The second part if where we setup a redirection system that redirects the spawns up, down, left or right. So here we simply create a collision event in those redirection instances and change the spawn direction (and xscale) when these bump into each other. Thats it!
๐ง For the future: This series will have 3 videos where all the basics are setup and a 4th optional one where constructors are used as a solid spawning setup. The project can be downloaded and since it is ultra small, is free to use (graphics are free also, check out the notes)
๐ปProject + assets found here:
https://1up-indie2.itch.io/free-tower-defence-project-gamemaker
overworld graphics: Beast CC0
https://opengameart.org/content/overworld-grass-biome
Enemies:
ThKaspar Orga by
https://opengameart.org/content/micro-character-bases-basics
explosion:
JROB774 CC3by
https://opengameart.org/content/pixel-explosion-12-frames
๐ Support me and get fresh game art and game maker projects every month:
https://www.patreon.com/1upindie
Follow me on:
๐ธ Instangram: https://www.instagram.com/1upindie
๐ฆ Twitter: https://twitter.com/1upIndie
๐ฌ Discord: https://discord.gg/gvr98nb
๐ Udemy: https://www.udemy.com/course/become-a-video-game-developer-with-gms-23/ (See youtube about page for discount)
CHAPTERS
0:00 What we will do
1:32 Subscribe
1:44 The concept what we do
4:00 Setting up a spawn/enemy
4:34 Setting up a spawner
6:46 Redirection system Spawns + Redirect [#1 Tower Defence in GameMaker ]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/s-RYjDMlKDA/mqdefault.jpg)
![๐ดDebris/rubble particles - Upgrade your flat explosions [GameMaker | Vfx]
This vfx particle video tutorial shows you how to create debris/rubble for explosions, impacts, hits etc. in GameMaker with just a few mouse clicks.
The idea is quite easy. You need to create a new Particle System asset and customize it so that you have a burst of particles in a parabollic movement. To do that you need to set the direction of the burst in an upwards arch (here between 20 to 160), give it a random size, add some gravity, apply a sprite of choise or use the pixel/disk shape and give it variable speed values to look organic. This video shows you additionally a dummy emitter as a reference, so you can get a feeling how the particle should like in comparison. Not necessary but a neat trick for fine tuning. Optionally you can increment the orientation, so that you have a spin in it. Thats it
Tldr: - vfx for the win
Note: This only works with the latest update 2023.2 (dropped yesterday) and upwards!
Short quick and dirty video on the new Particle System:
https://youtu.be/IYbxOmnmCwU
Long video on the new Particle System:
https://youtu.be/KB2BOymdTwI
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๐ Udemy: https://www.udemy.com/course/become-a-video-game-developer-with-gms-23/ (See youtube about page for discount)
CHAPTERS
0:00 What we will do, add debris/rubbel to the explosion image
0:37 Subscribe
0:50 How it works
2:15 Create a new particle System asset
2:25 Create a dummy emitter for comparison
3:57 Create the real debris/rubbel particle
2:13 Edit the values inside the Particle Systems Emitter
4:10 Set the debris/rubbel to a disk shape
4:15 Set the emitter for one time burst and reset the emit area
4:40 Reset the size of the particle
5:00 Set to 40 particles per burst
5:10 Give the particles gravity to fly parabollic
5:24 Extent the duration of each particles life
5:46 Give each particle an organic random speed value
6:02 Set the direction in a wide cone shape
6:32 Set the alpha of the third color to 0, this makes them fade out in the end
7:10 Create a new particle system during runtime and place it
8:28 Delete the reference dummy emitter
8:50 Set the colors of the particles to match the levels colors/ground colors ๐ดDebris/rubble particles - Upgrade your flat explosions [GameMaker | Vfx]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/t7TW0E6HAPg/mqdefault.jpg)

![Date, time, timestamps (mobile) [Game Maker Studio 2 | Advanced]
This advanced video tutorial shows you how to utalize the current time, dates or even use time stamps for saving in mobile devices in GameMaker.
Image this, you want to have create a mobile game where you time game your content. The problem is once you close you application you cannot count the time passed directly. How to fix this? With saving in an .ini file the old time stamp/date and read it out (plus compare) once you open the applicaion/game again.
There are different things you can do with the internal time (time_current) or time stamps. First of all you can read out from your local machine (pc/mobile) the time there like minutes, hours up to years if you like, change the time zone or create your own time (stamps) or read out how many days have passed in this year/month/week etc. . That is in most cases not very useful information but you can use those metrics to store them in a time stamp which you create once you close the application. Next time you open the game/application you can compare the old time stored with the current one and even calculate the difference which the most common use case for mobile games. Thats it!
// for clarification
current_time: read out internal time passed in application
current_day/current_hour etc. : local values from pc/mobile
date_get_hour: read out also hour but with a argument time
date_current_datetime: the timestamp of the local machines current time
date_datetime_String: read out a full readable string of the timestamp
date_hour_span: Calculate the difference (here in hours) between two timestamps
// Video on saving with .ini:
https://youtu.be/r6N_mAmpT7s
Official manual on date and time:
https://manual-en.yoyogames.com/#t=GameMaker_Language%2FGML_Reference%2FMaths_And_Numbers%2FDate_And_Time%2FDate_And_Time.htm
// images from the thumbnail:
https://opengameart.org/content/some-phone-templates-ctatz
https://opengameart.org/content/fight-20-kids-game-concept
๐ Support me and get fresh game art and game maker projects every month:
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๐ฌ Discord: https://discord.gg/gvr98nb
๐ Udemy: https://www.udemy.com/course/become-a-video-game-developer-with-gms-23/ (See youtube about page for discount)
0:00 What we will do
1:01 Subscribe
1:12 Use case for storing time
2:32 General uses
6:45 Practical part for mobiles Date, time, timestamps (mobile) [Game Maker Studio 2 | Advanced]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uLF3B7MdG3s/mqdefault.jpg)
![Patch V2022.5 - Weather effect + features [GameMaker Studio 2]
The newest patch V2022.5 comes with some good quality updates like one cool new fx effect (great for weather effects), stability issues with for linux/MacOS users (NET 6 update), structs in instance creation and the new buffed up giga chad alarm called Time Sources.
Note: I have heard of a complaint that the newest version was breaking a project, so please take this with a grain of salt. Please make backup copy of your current project file because once saved on the newest runtime, well you cant go back to previous versions. This does not mean it will break or anything will happen (for now I dont see any issue or changes) but better be save the sorry later.
Video on structs
https://youtu.be/k874pndLJEs
Offical blog and release notes:
https://gamemaker.io/de/blog/slash-release-2022-5
https://gms.yoyogames.com/ReleaseNotes.html
๐ Support me and get fresh game art and game maker projects every month:
https://www.patreon.com/1upindie
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๐ Udemy: https://www.udemy.com/course/become-a-video-game-developer-with-gms-23/ (See youtube about page for discount) Patch V2022.5 - Weather effect + features [GameMaker Studio 2]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ufL4LhKqJqo/mqdefault.jpg)
![Seasons change effect - quick n dirty [GameMaker Studio 2 | Vfx]
This vfx video tutorial shows you how to create a seasons change effect with the fx layer feature in GameMaker Studio 2.
The idea is quite simple, use the Colorize fx layer effect and change the color of this effect with different colors. These colors are being made easy by changing only the hue value. And that is pretty much it. To modify just change the intensity or the resulting colors saturation Xor luminosity value.
Update: The fx layer feature is now offically unlocked for everybody.
0:00 Preview of what we will do - Season changes
0:29 Subscribe
0:39 Theory what we actually do
2:04 Applying changes to the fx layers parameters
In depth video for fx layer:
https://youtu.be/0rHLIh4dR8s
๐ Support me and get fresh game art and game maker projects every month:
https://www.patreon.com/1upindie
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๐ Udemy: https://www.udemy.com/course/become-a-video-game-developer-with-gms-23/ (See youtube about page for discount) Seasons change effect - quick n dirty [GameMaker Studio 2 | Vfx]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/utGg5N4GKqc/mqdefault.jpg)
![Some really good new features [GameMaker Update 2023.8]
The newest patch V2023.8 comes with some good new features. The biggest and best is tile(set) collisions aswell as effects on fonts which were highly requested features.
Now you can add multiple objects or tilesets to all collision scripts (place_meeting, collision_rectangle etc.) which is making collisions more convenient aswell tileset collisions a more reliable alternative to instance collision. YoYo Games added effects like glow, outline and shadow to fonts, a sound compressor ( audios dynamic range, loudest/quietest ajusting), a convenient bug report and more features for the debug overlay where you can have a console as well as customize your own debug window for testing during runtime.
Note:
There have been some issues with the newest update with particle crashing the ide, but they were only happing to the HTML5 runtime. Particles by code or with the particleSystem asset class seem to work as usual for windows as a target platform (self tested, works fine).
Tldr:
- tile and multiple collisions on one line
- draw font with outline, glow and shadow (SDF on!)
- delay on particleSystem assets
- more debug options with a console and custom window
- sound compressor
- easy and convenient bug report and github error site
Offical blog and release notes:
https://gamemaker.io/de/blog/release-2023-8
https://gms.yoyogames.com/ReleaseNotes.html
๐ Support me and get fresh game art and game maker projects every month:
https://www.patreon.com/1upindie
Follow me on:
๐ธ Instangram: https://www.instagram.com/1upindie
๐ฆ Twitter: https://twitter.com/1upIndie
๐ฌ Discord: https://discord.gg/gvr98nb
๐ Udemy: https://www.udemy.com/course/become-a-video-game-developer-with-gms-23/ (See youtube about page for discount)
CHAPTERS
0:00 The newest GameMaker updated 2023.8 has dropped
0:24 Tileset added on all collision scripts
2:32 Effects on fonts
3:42 Delay on particleSystems
4:59 Bug report system
6:06 More debug functionality
7:24 Audio effect - Compressor
8:12 Issues on particles with HTML5, game shown: Broforce Some really good new features [GameMaker Update 2023.8]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vPlzjSUDbwM/mqdefault.jpg)
![Scope and encapsulation [Game Maker | Most know Basics]
This basics video tutorial shows you what scope and encapsulation mean in GameMaker.
These to interlocking concepts are a must know in GameMaker and generally in programming because all programming languages have them in one way or another. In GameMaker scope is being refered to what instances (and their scripts/functions) can read and override from each other.
The first scope is the default one that all instances have access to each other (instance variables colored in blue or green). These self created variables or pre-set variables shipped with the instance can be accessed and rewritten. The second scope is for local variables (localvariables colored in yellow) that have a limited life time (event, script, function) and are bound to the instance calling it. The third scope is global (global variables colored in purple). These variables are once set static ones and saved in memory, so they dont rely on the instance existence to be access and changed. A sub category of global variables is enums or macro which are one time set and then locked. So you can access them but never change their values.
Tldr:
scope - accessabilty of code/things, which can be normal, local and global
encapsulation - bundling things into a unit, java classes for even hiding /Gamemaker objects, functions
idea is to bundle, hide, seperate interal and external code
Game shown: Nuclear Throne
๐ Support me and get fresh game art and game maker projects every month:
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๐ Udemy: https://www.udemy.com/course/become-a-video-game-developer-with-gms-23/ (See youtube about page for discount)
CHAPTERS
0:00 Tldr of scope and encapsulation
1:43 Subscribe
1:53 Introduction
2:30 Things that are encapsulated (here objects)
2:55 Normal cope, instance variables (self made and pre-set)
3:41 Local scope
5:30 Global scope (global, enum, macro)
7:45 Encapsulation for local scope
9:48 Recap Scope and encapsulation [Game Maker | Most know Basics]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vy_HKAF8SSg/mqdefault.jpg)
![Orbiting bubble shield Megaman style [Game Maker Studio 2 | Basics]
This basics video tutorial shows you how to setup make a radial orbiting instance around a target in GameMaker Studio like you see in Megmana games
The idea is quite simple. You need an anchorpoint from where to simulate a radial movement around it. Next you define a radius that is being increased all the time and a distance from that anchor point. That is pretty much it.
I wasnt sure how to call this, so this could be the same: circular movement, circular movement around given point, object orbit, radial movement. All mean the same thing, you have one fixed point to rotate/orbit around.
Resources free to use found here:
Natural_Privateer cc0
https://opengameart.org/content/pink-bubble-popping-animation-16x16
ansimuz CC0 tileset
https://opengameart.org/content/mega-bot-assets-pack
// full mini project found here:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/megaman-style-60461108
๐ Support me and get fresh game art and game maker projects every month:
https://www.patreon.com/1upindie
Follow me on:
๐ธ Instangram: https://www.instagram.com/1upindie
๐ฆ Twitter: https://twitter.com/1upIndie
๐ฌ Discord: https://discord.gg/gvr98nb
๐ Udemy: https://www.udemy.com/course/become-a-video-game-developer-with-gms-23/ (See youtube about page for discount)
0:00 What we will do
0:46 Subscribe
0:58 Theory how it works
2:19 Setting up the bubble object to rotate
4:10 Creating 4 bubble instance plus passing their own angle Orbiting bubble shield Megaman style [Game Maker Studio 2 | Basics]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/w3EV4HAvpHs/mqdefault.jpg)
![๐ดVignette - The very easy way [GameMaker | Vfx]
This visual effects video tutorial shows you how to create a vignette in GameMaker with a few mouse clicks.
The idea is quite easy. You want to enhance your game by darkening out the edges of your screen. For that you can use the inbuild vfx layer vignette and all you need to do is to play around the edges and sharpness value to get the outcome you are looking. If you have a camera setup, the vignette will be stretching over the cameras view values to fit and look good. Thats it!
Trivia: Vignettes are being used in video games for:
- scopes (hard vignette)
- start screens, cut scenes or overall atmosphere
- to indicate critical health/distress/horror
My old video on vignettes where I show you how create an image of an vignette and draw that on the screen:
https://youtu.be/7GFggYDglmo
Tldr:
1. Use fx layer and select vignette
๐ฎPlay (and wishlist) my newest game Guncade (demo now):
Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2398950/Guncade/
๐ Support me and get fresh game art and game maker projects every month:
https://www.patreon.com/1upindie
Follow me on:
๐ธ Instangram: https://www.instagram.com/1upindie
๐ฆ Twitter: https://twitter.com/1upIndie
๐ฌ Discord: https://discord.gg/gvr98nb
๐ Udemy: https://www.udemy.com/course/become-a-video-game-developer-with-gms-23/ (See youtube about page for discount)
CHAPTERS
0:00 What we will do, create a vignette
0:30 Create vfx layer and select vignette
2:00 The vignette effect will stretch to the view
2:49 Useless infor about vignettes, enjoy!
3:24 My old video on vignettes ๐ดVignette - The very easy way [GameMaker | Vfx]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wPEQLZjX0lY/mqdefault.jpg)