How to Install GameMaker on Linux

GameMaker has long been a favorite tool for indie developers and hobbyists building 2D games. For years, Linux users had to rely on workarounds — Wine, virtual machines, or simply switching to another OS. That changed when YoYo Games officially added Linux as a supported target platform and development environment. If you're on Linux and want to get GameMaker running natively, here's what you need to know.

What Linux Support Actually Means for GameMaker

GameMaker's Linux support comes in two distinct forms, and mixing them up causes a lot of confusion:

• Building games for Linux — exporting a finished game so it runs on Linux machines
• Running the GameMaker IDE on Linux — using GameMaker itself as your development environment on a Linux system

For a long time, only the first was officially supported. As of GameMaker 2022.1 and later releases, YoYo Games introduced a native Linux IDE, meaning you can now develop directly on Linux without Wine or emulation layers. That said, the experience and requirements differ depending on which Ubuntu-based distribution you're running.

System Requirements Before You Start

GameMaker on Linux isn't resource-light. Before downloading anything, check that your system meets the general baseline:

GameMaker's Linux build is officially tested against Ubuntu LTS releases. Other distributions — Fedora, Arch, Debian, Mint — may work, but you're moving outside officially supported territory. Stability and feature behavior can vary significantly on non-Ubuntu systems.

Step-by-Step: Installing GameMaker on Linux 🐧

1. Create or Log Into a YoYo Games Account

GameMaker requires an account even for the free tier. Go to gamemaker.io and sign up or log in. Your license (Free, Indie, or Enterprise) is tied to this account and determines which export targets you can use.

2. Download the Linux Installer

From the GameMaker website, navigate to the Downloads section and select the Linux version. The installer is distributed as a .AppImage file or occasionally as a .deb package, depending on the release. AppImage is the more common format for GameMaker on Linux.

3. Make the AppImage Executable

Once downloaded, you need to grant the file execute permissions. Open a terminal in the directory where you saved the file and run:

chmod +x GameMaker-<version>.AppImage 

Replace <version> with the actual filename. This step is required — without it, the file won't launch.

4. Run the AppImage

./GameMaker-<version>.AppImage 

On some desktop environments, you can also right-click the file, go to Properties → Permissions, check "Allow executing as program," then double-click to open.

5. Complete the Setup Wizard

The first launch walks you through:

• Agreeing to the license terms
• Logging in with your YoYo Games account
• Selecting your IDE preferences
• Installing the runtime components GameMaker needs to compile projects

Runtime installation happens separately from the IDE itself and can take several minutes depending on your connection speed.

6. Install Required Dependencies

GameMaker on Linux depends on several system libraries. If the IDE fails to launch or throws errors, the most common fix is installing missing packages. Run:

sudo apt update sudo apt install libssl-dev libcurl4-openssl-dev libglu1-mesa 

Exact dependencies can shift between GameMaker versions, so checking the official release notes for your specific build is worth doing before troubleshooting blindly.

Building and Testing Linux Games from the IDE

Once installed, you can set up a Linux build target directly in GameMaker. This requires configuring the Local target (testing on your own machine) or a remote build server if you're cross-compiling.

For local Linux builds, GameMaker uses GCC under the hood. Confirm it's installed:

sudo apt install build-essential 

Without a working C compiler chain, the IDE will fail when trying to compile and run projects.

Where the Variables Come In

Getting GameMaker installed is one thing. Getting it running well is where your specific setup starts to matter more:

• Distribution: Ubuntu users generally have the smoothest experience. Non-Ubuntu users may hit dependency mismatches, missing library versions, or display server conflicts — especially with Wayland vs. X11, which can affect how the IDE renders and how input devices behave.
• GPU and drivers: OpenGL performance varies considerably between integrated graphics, open-source Mesa drivers, and proprietary GPU drivers. This directly affects how your game previews inside the IDE.
• Subscription tier: The Free tier supports a limited number of export platforms. Linux export specifically requires checking which tier includes it at the time of your download, as YoYo Games has adjusted platform access with different license tiers over time.
• GameMaker version: The Linux IDE is newer than the Windows version and has historically lagged slightly on features or had platform-specific bugs. Checking the release notes and known issues list for your downloaded version is practical, not optional. 🔍

One Thing That Catches People Off Guard

GameMaker on Linux does not support the same extension ecosystem as Windows. Many Marketplace extensions and third-party plugins are Windows-only or require additional configuration on Linux. If your project depends on specific extensions, verifying Linux compatibility before committing to a Linux-only workflow will save significant frustration later.

Whether the Linux version of GameMaker fits cleanly into your development process depends heavily on which distribution you're running, what your project actually needs, and how much tolerance you have for occasional rough edges compared to the more mature Windows IDE experience. 🎮