How to make a game for free

Making a game costs nothing if you pick the right tools. Scratch, Godot, GDevelop, Roblox Studio and the Roam app are all free to use. Money only enters when you want your own app in a store, paid art, or a Mac you do not have.

Tools that are truly free

Scratch. Free block coding, created at the MIT Media Lab. You build on the website or the desktop app and share on the Scratch site.
Godot. Free and open source under the MIT license. No fees or royalties. Exports to PC, web, iOS and Android.
GDevelop. Free, open-source no-code engine with event sheets. Some extras, like more AI credits and some export options, are paid.
Roblox Studio. Free on Windows and macOS. Publishing is free and Roblox runs the servers. Opening a game to all ages takes a refundable 1,000 Robux fee or a Plus or Premium subscription.
Unity Personal. Free plan for small creators below a revenue limit. Bigger engine, steeper learning curve.
Roam. A free iPhone app. Describe a game in a sentence or a photo and play it, solo or with friends.

What can cost money later

Store accounts. The Apple Developer Program is $99 a year. Google Play is a one-time $25.
A Mac for iOS. Publishing a native iPhone app needs Xcode, which runs only on macOS.
Art and sound. Paid asset packs are optional. Free ones exist, and many engines include starter assets.
Your time. The real cost. A first engine game often takes weeks, so keep it tiny.

The cheapest way to get it in front of friends

Skip the app stores for your first game. Store fees and reviews make sense once you know people like it.

Free sharing routes: post a Scratch project on the Scratch site, upload an HTML build to itch.io, publish to Roblox from Studio, or make the game in Roam and play it with friends who have the app. All of these can cost zero. Pick the one where your friends already are.

Create it with Roam, for free

The Roam app is free on iPhone. Describe your idea, play it, then change it by asking.

Try: "zombie siege on a school roof, build walls between waves, my friends are the other survivors"

Create it with Roam See Roam

Questions people ask

Can you make a game without spending money?

Yes. Scratch, Godot, GDevelop, Roblox Studio and Roam are free. Costs only start with store fees or paid assets.

Is it free to publish a game on Roblox?

Yes. Publishing from Roblox Studio is free, and Roblox hosts the servers. To reach players of all ages, Roblox asks for a refundable 1,000 Robux fee or an active Plus or Premium subscription.

How much does it cost to put a game on the App Store?

$99 a year for the Apple Developer Program. Google Play costs a one-time $25.

Keep exploring

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