Arcade Game Studio has been around for quite some time now, but I only discovered it when it went freeware. Shameful, I know, but definitely handy; especially if you are looking to create something along the lines of an ’80s arcade game. And provided you are running Windows.



Arcade Game Studio, ARGS for short, just like the much more famous Adventure Game Studio is a dedicated tool. You won’t be making any puzzle or strategy games with it (unless, I suppose, you try really hard); you’ll have to stick to traditional action genres: platformers, run and guns, horizontal and vertical shooters, maze games and, if you are really good, beat-’em-ups. Obviously, being such a specific tool, ARGS is really good at what it does and rather easy to get to grips with too.

The interface might strike you as a little old-fashioned at first but, from what little I’ve seen, it is straightforward, very sensible and will allow for the creation of games with no programming or scripting. Implementing all the graphics and sounds seems incredibly easy too, and, should you need further assistance or a few tutorials to get you started, ARGS has you covered.

Oh, and why not have a look at those ARGS games that have already been released (or, well, are close to being so)? You might just get the inspiration you need.