How to develop a GameMaker game for both desktop and mobile

Question

For a few months I have been creating a game using GameMaker Studio 2 Desktop.

It turns out that I would like to launch it also for cell phones, and for that I bought GameMaker Studio 2 Mobile.

That's when my doubt arises.

In GameMaker Studio 2 Mobile, you have the option to open the projects made in GameMaker Studio 2 Desktop, and its interface is the same as in GameMaker Studio 2 Desktop.

There are 2 shortcuts on my computer:

Now I don't know if GameMaker Studio 2 is a new program, or works only as a license that allows me to launch the game on another platform (like a plugin extension).

I remember that in GameMaker Studio 1.4, there was just one version of the editing software, and each version of the game (desktop or mobile) had its own code.

I basically had to copy the game project and edit the copy with its equivalent features.

I remember that one of the adaptations is at the time of clicking on the screen, because on the cell phone you don't use mouse_x or mouse_y.

What I would like to know is if I will need to adapt the code for this mobile version or, when exporting the game for the mobile platform, will the code be adapted automatically?

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Before coming here I looked for solutions in these links:

https://www.reddit.com/r/gamemaker/comments/dgmkld/cross_platform/

https://www.reddit.com/r/gamemaker/comments/5mn0p5/crossplatform_online_multiplayer_with_or_without/

https://www.reddit.com/r/gamemaker/comments/5g2ej2/cross_platform/

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At one point I realized that maybe I was using the wrong term in the search, because the results I was finding revealed different things than what I was looking for: stuff about whether desktop and mobile players can play together, which is not useful for me since the game I am producing is not online.

Answer 1

Going to the official engine forum I got some clarification.

Below I will test a summary of all the recommendations, tips and clarifications that have been presented to me.

The user curato, informed me that the mouse click commands are automatically replaced by the touch command, something that did not happen in version 1.4.

I tested it and it really does happen, no code changes are necessary in this sense.

Important points:

• Take into account that when using the cell phone, interruptions are more common (calls, battery discharging). For this it is interesting that the game has an automatic saving system and that saves with a certain frequency.

• Simplification of graphics, due to the lower graphic potential of cell phones in relation to computers (this is not the case with my game).

• Add keyboard commands in some way (if necessary), usually add a clickable button on the screen.

• How the game behaves in different resolutions.

The bad part is that exporting the apk requires some design changes.

So, every time you update the game:

• You will have to make the modifications in the version you started making the game (in my case for the computer)

• Copy the project

• Make adaptations for the mobile version (buttons, back button compatibility, resizing some text or sprite)

• After that, export.

Not to mention the SDK version issues, the app build, cell phone models it will be compatible, etc.

This can be even more problematic if your game, in the mobile version, has two versions (free and paid). Because everything that is limited in this free version, you will have to redo (assuming that the paid version for mobile is identical to the computer version).

An alternative would be to program each version individually. I don't think this is feasible, the chance of something going different is great. I don't see much how to escape copying and pasting.

Thanks to: kburkhart84, curato and Yal

Link to my forum post:

https://forum.yoyogames.com/index.php?threads/how-to-develop-a-gamemaker-game-for-both-desktop-and-mobile.83426/#post-497667