Create iOS games on Mac for free
If you've ever had a cool idea for an iOS game and wondered how long it would take to turn into reality, the answer is quite a while. In case you aren't an experienced game maker, you have lots of studying in front of you, then you need the right tools to give shape to your vision and lastly, but definitely not least, you need a lot of time to put into your project. In case you haven't changed your mind up yet, here, you will find some free stuff to help you create iOS games on Mac.
Swift
One of the most popular creation platforms, Swift is included in the Apple development resources and it's used for making apps as well as games. What's great about it is that the programming language is quite easy to learn, especially if you have some previous coding experience and there are tons of materials, tutorials, videos, and courses available online whenever you need some additional information. There are also two frameworks called SceneKit (for 3D games) and SpriteKit (for 2D games), which are useful for adding animations, physics simulations, particle effects, event handling, etc.
SpriteBuilder
SpriteBuilder is another open source resource and one of the most appreciated tools when it comes to making characters (officially called sprites) for your games. What's cool about it is that it features its own store where you can purchase graphics and other game assets or sell your own creations. The tool uses the Swift or Objective-C languages and the apps written with it run natively on iOS. Lastly, Swift isn't only simple enough to be usable by those who don't have a lot of experience, but it also features developer guides and a bunch of API documentation to teach you how to perform various tasks.
GDevelop
If you're not an experienced app developer and you're looking for a less code-oriented approach, then GDevelop might be the best option for you. The thing that I like the most about this tool is its ability to create and use events without actually writing any code. GDevelop creates HTML5 content that can be exported for iOS and Android and features a step-by-step tutorial on its websites showing you exactly how to export your content.
GoDot
Last on our list, GoDot is an open-source engine usable in the creation of both 2D as well as 3D games. You can import 3D content from Maya, Blender or 3DS Max and use them into your game and you also have the option to animate every detail of the game. The tool includes Python-like scripting capabilities, allowing you to generate events without any kind of headaches. As far 2D games go, you work using pixels as units and coordinates, but scale to any display size.
Unfortunately, as I said in the beginning, making games for iOS or pretty much any other platform requires a lot of work and know-how, but if you have the patience and time, these resources will help you out without costing anything. Additionally, signing up for the Apple developer program and looking around will also be very helpful in your quest to become a game developer. Finally, if you run out of inspiration, you can always take a look some the best games for Mac and hopefully find some new ideas.
