Game Maker's Toolkit
{{Short description|YouTube channel about videogame design}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox YouTube personality
| name = Game Maker's Toolkit
| logo = GMTK square logo.jpg
| logo_caption = Game Maker's Toolkit logo
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name = Mark Brown
| birth_date = {{Birth-date|2 May 1985}}
| birth_place =
| nationality = British
| occupation = Video game journalist
| website = {{URL|https://gamemakerstoolkit.com/}}
| pseudonym =
| channel_handle = GMTK
| channel_display_name = Game Maker's Toolkit
| years_active = 2014–present
| genre = {{Flatlist|
}}
| subscribers = 1.66 million
| views = 201.6 million
| stats_update = 27 May 2025
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Game Maker's Toolkit (GMTK) is a video game analysis video series created by British journalist Mark Brown. Beginning in 2014, the series examines video game design and aims to encourage developers to improve their craft. It is hosted on YouTube and funded via Patreon.
Additional topics include game accessibility and level design. Since 2017, Brown has also hosted an annual GMTK game jam on itch.io. In 2024, he released a puzzle game, Mind Over Magnet.
History
From 2009, Mark Brown worked as a freelance writer and critic, contributing to GamesRadar,{{Cite news|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/the-top-7-weirdest-music-games-ever/|title=The Top 7... weirdest music games ever|last=Brown|first=Mark|date=5 October 2009|work=GamesRadar|access-date=6 August 2019}} Wired,{{Cite magazine |last=Brown |first=Mark |date=2012-08-22 |title=Amazon announces Glacier, for long-term cloud storage |language=en-GB |magazine=Wired UK |url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/amazon-glacier |access-date=2023-04-14 |issn=1357-0978}} The Escapist,{{Cite news|url=https://v1.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/issues/issue_231/6859-The-Littlest-Biggest-Gift-of-All|title=The Littlest, Biggest Gift of All|last=Brown|first=Mark|date=8 December 2009|work=The Escapist|access-date=6 August 2019|archive-date=6 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190806105059/https://v1.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/issues/issue_231/6859-The-Littlest-Biggest-Gift-of-All|url-status=dead}} Edge, Polygon and Eurogamer{{Cite news |last=Brown |first=Mark |date=2011-11-30 |title=Infinity Blade 2 Review |language=en-gb |work=Eurogamer |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/infinity-blade-2-review |access-date=2023-04-14}} among others. Brown joined Pocket Gamer, a British mobile games publication, in August 2012 as news editor and later as features editor.{{Cite news|url=https://www.pocketgamer.com/articles/044389/mark-brown-steps-up-to-take-over-the-reins-from-pgs-will-wilson/|title=Mark Brown steps up to take over the reins from PG{{'}}s Will Wilson|last=Reed|first=Kristan|date=23 August 2012|work=Pocket Gamer|access-date=6 August 2019|archive-date=20 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920234046/https://www.pocketgamer.com/articles/044389/mark-brown-steps-up-to-take-over-the-reins-from-pgs-will-wilson/|url-status=live}} In September 2013, he released Pixel This!, a nonogram game developed using Codea, on the App Store.{{Cite web |last=Dotson |first=Carter |date=1 October 2013 |title=Pixel This: How Gaming Journalist Mark Brown Made a Picross Game on his iPad |url=https://www.148apps.com/news/pixel-gaming-journalist-mark-brown-picross-game-ipad/ |access-date=2023-08-16 |website=148apps.com |publisher=Steel Media |archive-date=16 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230816223731/https://www.148apps.com/news/pixel-gaming-journalist-mark-brown-picross-game-ipad/ |url-status=live }}
Brown began releasing episodes of Game Maker's Toolkit in November 2014; each discusses a certain issue in video game design and its implementation in specific games. The series was inspired by Every Frame a Painting.{{Cite AV media |last1=Swain |first1=Eric |title=Episode 41 – Every Game a Painting |url=https://www.critical-distance.com/2016/11/30/episode-41-every-game-a-painting/ |website=Critical Distance |date=30 November 2016 |type=Podcast}} Brown launched a crowdfunding profile for the series on Patreon in 2015. He left his position as editor-at-large at Pocket Gamer in January 2017 to focus on Game Maker's Toolkit.{{Cite news|url=https://www.pocketgamer.com/articles/072574/mark-brown-steps-down-as-pocket-gamers-editor-at-large/|title=Mark Brown steps down as Pocket Gamer{{'}}s Editor at Large|last=James|first=Chris|date=3 January 2017|work=Pocket Gamer|access-date=6 August 2019|archive-date=13 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191013133935/https://www.pocketgamer.com/articles/072574/mark-brown-steps-down-as-pocket-gamers-editor-at-large/|url-status=live}}
In 2016, Brown started a segment, Boss Keys dedicated to analysing the layout and design of dungeons in The Legend of Zelda franchise. Brown developed a mapping system to describe layouts of the dungeons.{{Cite magazine |last=Geller |first=Jacob |date=10 July 2018 |title=The New Vid Economy: Making A Living From Crowdfunded Game Analysis |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/2018/07/10/the-new-vid-economy-making-a-living-from-crowdfunded-game-analysis |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190406192011/https://www.gameinformer.com/2018/07/10/the-new-vid-economy-making-a-living-from-crowdfunded-game-analysis |url-status=live |archive-date=6 April 2019 |magazine=Game Informer |access-date=6 August 2019}} In the second season, which began in July 2018, Brown discusses the layout of game worlds in the metroidvania genre, such as those in the Metroid series.{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}} A second segment, Designing for Disability, launched in July 2018, explores accessibility in video games. It describes obstacles which may prevent some people from enjoying specific games and presents guidelines and practices that make video games more welcoming for players with disabilities.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.gameinformer.com/gamer-culture/2018/07/16/youtube-channel-game-makers-toolkit-debuts-series-about-accessibility |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180717202208/https://www.gameinformer.com/gamer-culture/2018/07/16/youtube-channel-game-makers-toolkit-debuts-series-about-accessibility |url-status=live |archive-date=17 July 2018 |title=YouTube Channel Game Maker's Toolkit Debuts Series About Accessibility|last=Khan|first=Imran|date=16 July 2018|magazine=Game Informer|access-date=6 August 2019}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/game-maker-s-toolkit-debuts-new-series-on-designing-for-accessibility|title=Game Maker's Toolkit debuts new series on designing for accessibility|last=Kidwell|first=Emma|date=16 July 2019|work=Gamasutra|access-date=6 August 2019|archive-date=27 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827172745/https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/game-maker-s-toolkit-debuts-new-series-on-designing-for-accessibility|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.polygon.com/2018/7/16/17576824/game-design-accessibility-deaf-hard-of-hearing|title=How to design your game for the hard of hearing|last=Kuchera|first=Ben|date=16 July 2018|work=Polygon|access-date=6 August 2019|archive-date=5 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190805220802/https://www.polygon.com/2018/7/16/17576824/game-design-accessibility-deaf-hard-of-hearing|url-status=live}}
In September 2021, he began Developing,{{Cite news|url=https://www.thegamer.com/game-makers-toolkit-developing-series-creative-inspiration/ |title=Game Maker's Toolkit's Developing Series Is Creative Inspiration|last=King|first=Andrew|date=10 February 2024|work=TheGamer|access-date=27 November 2024}} a series focusing on the development of his puzzle game Mind Over Magnet, which released on November 13, 2024.{{Cite|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/how-ten-years-of-game-makers-toolkits-design-analysis-informed-mind-over-magnet|title=How ten years of Game Maker's Toolkit's design analysis informed Mind Over Magnet|last=Reuben|first=Nic|date=11 November 2024|work=Rock Paper Shotgun|access-date=27 November 2024}}
In May 2025, Brown announced his second game, a roguelike scrabble game called Word Play, based on his entry for the GMTK Patreon Jam 2024.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHKRWmfcMBw |title=Sorry I stopped posting, but I made another game |date=2025-05-23 |last=Game Maker's Toolkit |access-date=2025-05-24 |via=YouTube}}
Reception
Brown's Game Maker's Toolkit videos have been covered by video game websites, such as Gamasutra, Kotaku and Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Designing for Disability series is included in Polygon{{'}}s summary of "The best video essays of 2018" and its writer names Brown "one of the most measured and meticulous people" in video game criticism.{{Cite news |last=Schindel |first=David |date=28 December 2018 |title=The best video essays of 2018 |work=Polygon |url=https://www.polygon.com/2018/12/28/18156334/best-youtube-video-essays-2018-watch |access-date=5 August 2019 |archive-date=29 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181229224434/https://www.polygon.com/2018/12/28/18156334/best-youtube-video-essays-2018-watch |url-status=live }} The Telegraph mentions Brown as one of "20 gaming YouTubers you should be following", describing GMTK as "an intelligent look into the design philosophy behind popular games".{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gaming/features/20-gaming-youtubers-should-following/gamemakers-toolkit/|title=20 gaming YouTubers you should be following|last=Yarwood|first=Jack|date=2 October 2017|work=The Telegraph|access-date=6 August 2019|archive-date=6 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190806133747/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gaming/features/20-gaming-youtubers-should-following/gamemakers-toolkit/|url-status=live}} Arts magazine Hyperallergic includes GMTK video "The Challenge of Cameras" in its roundup of web documentaries.{{Cite news |last=Schindel |first=Dan |date=14 May 2019 |title=A Roundup of Web Documentaries on Joan Miró, Stunt Work, and More |work=Hyperallergic |url=https://hyperallergic.com/499824/a-roundup-of-web-documentaries-on-joan-miro-stunt-work-and-more/ |access-date=6 August 2019 |archive-date=5 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190805220802/https://hyperallergic.com/499824/a-roundup-of-web-documentaries-on-joan-miro-stunt-work-and-more/ |url-status=live }}
''Game Maker's Toolkit'' Game Jam
Game Maker's Toolkit has hosted an annual game jam on itch.io since 2017. Competing developers have 48 hours to design and create a video game fitting a theme unveiled at the beginning of the jam. The themes are design challenges.
Works
- {{Cite journal |last1=Brown |first1=Mark |last2=Anderson |first2=Sky LaRell |date=26 October 2020 |title=Designing for Disability: Evaluating the State of Accessibility Design in Video Games |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1555412020971500 |journal=Games and Culture |language=en |volume=16 |issue=6 |pages=702–718 |doi=10.1177/1555412020971500 |s2cid=228982342 |issn=1555-4120|url-access=subscription }}
References
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