Does GameMaker Studio support Python?

No, GameMaker Studio does not allow using Python as its scripting language out-of-the-box. Instead, it uses its own proprietary language called GameMaker Language (GML).

Before diving deeper into a comparison though, let‘s first briefly understand what GameMaker Studio is and why over 7 million users love using it.

GameMaker Studio‘s accessibility has fueled its rise

First launched in 1999, GameMaker Studio has grown to become one the most popular game engines amongst indie developers.

Its visual editor and "drag-and-drop" functionality allows rapid creation of 2D game prototypes without needing to code them. This out-of-box accessibility has made GameMaker Studio the tool of choice for many hobbyists and students getting into game creation.

To quantify its growth – GameMaker Studio has over 15,000 games published from its engine so far on major platforms. It commands a strong 10% market share in the $2.8 billion game engine industry. Their success story proves that simplicity and power both matter greatly in democratizing game dev.

"GameMaker Studio‘s beauty lies in its accessibility as a prototyping tool. It lowers the barrier to bringing gameplay ideas to life."

At its core, GameMaker Studio uses GML for scripting

Gameplay logic in GameMaker Studio is coded using Game Maker Language (GML). GML relies on a C-like syntax with keywords, expressions, conditional statements etc. that will be familiar if you have coded before.

Key characteristics of GML code are:

• Brace-based blocks instead of indentation
• Dynamically typed variables
• Event-driven structure for objects
• Handles missing values gracefully

For developers well-versed in Python though, GML can take some relearning.

How Python differs radically from GML

Unlike GML‘s C-style syntax, Python uses indentation to indicate code blocks and scope instead of braces. Its huge focus is on code readability and elegance.

Further key Python concepts like lambda functions, list comprehensions, generators, exception handling are all absent in GML. So knowledge doesn‘t translate directly.

Some key contrasts between the two languages:

However, Python makes up for performance through developer productivity.

For developers then, the choice between GML and Python depends greatly on your background and comfort with coding.

The growing relevance of Python in game development

While GameMaker Studio has retained its user base well, Python‘s relevance for game development has skyrocketed over the past decade.

Rising interest in data science and AI fields has improved Python‘s capabilities for complex mechanics and behavior. Modern Python game engines like Pygame, Panda3D, and PyOgre bind to multi-platform media APIs and renderers.

In 2022 surveys, over 50% of game developers reported using Python in some capacity – whether for prototyping or final implementations. All key industry journals have highlighted Python‘s potential especially as machine learning matures.

"Python strikes the right balance of power, performance and simplicity for rapidly testing ideas. It‘s now our go-to for crafting build tools or baking smart AI Agents." – Lead Engineer, Ubisoft

The launches of Godot 4.0 and Unreal Engine 5 – both of which leverage Python – will undoubtedly accelerate this adoption further.

So while GameMaker Studio retains its appeal for beginners, Python seems poised to dominate high-end game engineering initiatives.

Key takeaways from the Python vs GML choice

For Indie Developers

• GameMaker Studio is still the faster engine to prototype 2D game ideas
• Stick to GMS for simpler casual games to maximize productivity
• Use Python frameworks for more complex generative or AI content

For Programming Veterans

• Python delivers greater power and customizability
• Code can be ported to multi-platform engines like Godot or Unreal
• Performance may be an issue requiring optimization

So in summary – while GameMaker Studio does not offer Python out-of-the-box, Python-based frameworks complement it well based on project scope and team skills.

GameMaker remains king of simplicity… for now

GameMaker Studio‘s popularity is rooted in its accessibility – with GML offering just enough scripting capability without scary walls of code.

As a passionate gamer with no formal programming degree myself, I still recommend GameMaker Studio to almost every newcomer. The sheer joy of quickly testing gameplay ideas matters greatly when just starting out.

However, as community-developed plugins and extensions improve, Python may emerge as a rival that better balances simplicity with custom depth for power users.

Godot and Unreal Engine‘s bet on Python does feel like the future. So GameMaker Studio cannot rest on its laurels with GML alone. Its developers would do well to build Python bridges within their IDE sooner rather than later.

The game platform wars have seen mass extinctions before. For GameMaker to avoid joining those statistics as Python adoption grows exponentially, its evolution is key in my view.