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Compiling

Compiling your game can mean one of two things: compiling it for testing, or compiling it to create a finalexecutable package for a specific target platform. This page aims to explain both of those options in detail.

Compiling for Testing

Compiling your game for testing can be done by simply pressing the Play button at the top of the IDE, which will launch the game for testing using the specified target. You can also run the game in Debug Mode by testing using the Debug button . This will run the game, but also open up the Debug Window, where you can monitor how your game performs and see any issues (see the section on Debugging for more information).

Target Settings

By default GameMaker will run and debug using the built in Virtual Machine (VM), which is more or less the same as running on the desktop OS being used. However GameMaker is a cross platform engine and you can test, debug and compile executable packages of your projects on a number of different target platforms (the exact platforms available will depend on the details of your licence). To change the current target platform you can click on the Targets button  to open the Targets Window, which will look something like this (exact details will vary based on your licence type):

At the top, beside the Targets button, you have the current settings which tells you the platform and the specific settings actually being used, and then the rest of the window is taken up with the details and options for all the available targets which you can select to use instead. Each section of this window is explained below:

Platform Platform

This section lists all the available target platforms. The contents of this list will vary depending on the licence you have, but will always have at least the "Opera GX" target. To select a target, simply click on it; this will then update the rest of the options windows to show different details depending on the platform selected.

Specific details on compiling for each platform are given in the "Creating A Final Executable Package" section below.

Output Output

Each target platform can have one or more output formats, the main ones being:

• VM: The VM (Virtual Machine) target uses a generic runner for each platform and then interprets the code for your game. In general this option is used for testing due to its faster build times, but it does not offer the same performance boost that using the YYC option (if available) offers. You can use this to compile executable packages for smaller games or games where performance is not ever going to be an issue.
• YYC: The YYC (YoYo Compiler) takes the normal GameMaker output and compiles it into native code for the target platform, "stripping out" unneeded functions and performing a host of other optimisation techniques to create a smaller and performance enhanced executable package. This can increase your games performance by at least two or three times, especially on logic-heavy games, and is ideal for those larger or CPU intensive projects. Compile times may take longer and you should always clear the compiler cache before building any final complete asset package for a target platform. Note that the YYC target may require extra tools to be installed for the platform selected, otherwise it will not work - you can find further information about this from the YoYo Games Help Center as well as on the individual target Preferences pages detailed in this manual.
• JavaScript: The JavaScript target will only be available for specific targets, like the HTML5 target, and sets the game to be compiled to pure JavaScript. This uses ECMAScript 2015 (or ES6) for the JS it outputs.

Device Device

Certain platforms (like iOS or Android) permit you to associate one or more devices with GameMaker so that games can selectively compile to them. Initially, the device list will be empty and you need to click on the Pencil icon   to open the Device Editor:

Here you can add new devices as well as have GameMaker test for a connection to any device(s) that may be connected. The exact contents of this window will depend on the platform specifics (see the section on the Device Manager for exact details for any given platform). Once a device has been found or added, it will then be shown in this window, like in this example image for Android:

The exact procedure and requirements for setting up devices and troubleshooting issues can be found in the appropriate section of the GameMaker Knowledge Base.

Config Config

As explained in the section on Configurations, you can store certain details for compiling your game as Configs . This section of the Targets window permits you to have GameMaker automatically select a specific configuration for a specific target platform.

There are also a number or preferences that can be set to modify and customise the compile workflow, explained on the following page:

• Compiling Preferences

Creating A Final Executable Package

Overview

You can simply click the Create Executable button in the IDE to start the compiler build or select Create Executable from the Build Menu. Either process will start the build process which will depend on the target platform selected.

On the Opera GX target, it will open a special window allowing you compile and upload your game to GXC; on all other targets it will open a file explorer window where you can give the final name that you wish to use for your game executable, before clicking Save to start the compile and build process. Once you have done this, the necessary files will be generated so that you can distribute it as you wish.

For certain platforms, compiling your game project will require that you have set up the correct build tools (see here) and also filled in the appropriate Platform Preferences.

Depending on your licence, you may have the option to build your game via command line, allowing you to set up continuous integration for your project and streamline your building and testing process. See this page for more information on command line building.

NOTE  Before doing a final build of your project for release, you should always clear the Asset Compiler Cache (using the "broom" icon  at the top of the IDE). GameMaker will cache many of your game files to keep compilation speed to a minimum and these can sometimes get corrupted, so it is safer to clear that cache before doing a release build.

Target Formats

Each target option saves to a platform specific format, listed below:

• Opera GX - When compiling for the "Opera GX" target, you will see the "Opera GX Packaging" window which will first ask you to sign in using your Opera account:Note that you will not need to sign in here if you have already signed into GameMaker using your Opera account.

  After you have signed in, it will start compiling your game and proceed to upload it to GXC. You can then click on "Edit Game on Opera" to edit it on GXC DevCloud and publish it:
  Please refer to this page on the YoYo Games Helpdesk to learn more about the Opera GX upload process, and this page for information on setting up the YYC export for GXC.

• Windows - Compiling for the general Windows OS will first request that you choose between creating an Installer or a Zip package, where the installer will be a single executable that will install your game, and the Zip file will be a single *.zip format compressed file with all your game files stored within (the files will need extracted for the game to run). If you check the box marked Remember Packaging Option then GameMaker will remember the choice for all future compiles (this can be reset or changed from the Windows Preferences). You can find out more from the YoYo Games Help Center. Please note that the Windows target can compile 32bit or 64bit executables depending on what you have selected in the General Game Options.  Westrongly recommend that all new projects use the x64 Runtime to create 64bit executables as the 32bit runtime will be getting deprecated and removed in the future.
• Ubuntu (Linux) - Compiling for Ubuntu will ask you to choose between creating an .AppImage or a .zip file, containing either an x64 or an ARM executable (however AppImage does not support ARM). You can find out more from the YoYo Games Help Center.
  .AppImage is useful for sharing as a package via any distributor, while .zip is mainly useful for uploading to Steam.
• HTML5 - If you have chosen to build HTML5, then an index.html file (this is the default name, but you can give your own name too in the Platform Preferences) along with a folder containing your game files will be created and saved to the specified location. For your game to work you will need both of these to be uploaded to a server. The index.html can also be customised to show your game with a different background colour, or at a different position etc... but a knowledge of HTML is necessary for this, and you can also specify your own custom index file when you build the package (see the HTML5 Game Options). You can find out more from the YoYo Games Help Center.
• Android - For Android devices, you can choose to build an *.apk or an *.aab (Android App Bundle) file from the window that is shown for saving the game:

  The type of file you choose will depend on the store that you wish to target, with the *.aab file being required for Google Play, while the *.apk file can be used on other stores. You can find out more from the YoYo Games Help Center.

• iOS - Compiling to iOS will create an xarchive file which is then used in Xtools to create the final iOS package. Note that to compile for iOS you will require an Apple Mac computer running OSX or higher as well as the relevant certificates and permissions. You can find out more from the YoYo Games Help Center.
• macOS - Compiling for the macOS target will first request that you choose between creating a DMG or a Zip file:
  "Package as DMG" will build a .dmg installer package which can be used to install the game on a Mac computer. Note that during this build process you will see the installer appear on the Mac, which will disappear once the build process is complete.

  "Package as Zip" will build either an *.app file or a *.pkg file, depending on whether you want to later upload it to the Mac App Store or not. As with iOS you will require an Apple Mac computer running OSX or higher as well as the relevant certificates and permissions. You can find out more from the YoYo Games Help Center.

• Windows UWP - For Windows UWP, GameMaker will create an *.appxbundle package which can then be uploaded to the Windows Store or distributed elsewhere. When you click the Create Executable button you will be prompted to tell GameMaker which type of package you would like to create (can be for ARM, x64 and/or x86 architectures), and you should choose those targets that the game will be supported on (you must select at least one, but can select all three or any combination):

  If you check the box marked Package For Store Upload, then the final package created will be an *.appxupload file, which is what Microsoft specifies should be used for submitting apps to their store, as explained in this article here (all chosen architectures will be included, just like with the*.appxbundle). You can find out more about setting up and compiling to UWP platform from the YoYo Games Help Center.

Once you have created your executable asset package you can then give the file to other people or place it on your website to download, or upload these files to the different hosting services for individual distribution or even to online stores (like Google Play, Apple App Store or the Microsoft Store) for general distribution and retail.

Note that you are free to distribute the games you create with GameMaker in any way you like, including selling them. Of course, this assumes that the sprites, images, and sounds you used to make it can be distributed or sold as well and that you have the legal rights to all assets, and it also assumes that the game complies with the YoYo Games EULA for GameMaker.

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Source: https://manual.yoyogames.com/Introduction/Compiling.htm

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