Game Maker's Toolkit (GMTK)

Hi! My name's Mark Brown, and I'm the creator of a YouTube series about game design, called Game Maker's Toolkit.

In each episode I strive to reveal the hidden genius of my favourite games, demystify the design process, pass on the philosophies of the world's best designers, or take a critical look at the most recent releases.

I've talked about how the Nemesis System works, how to teach complex games, how your Sims make decisions, and how video game economies are designed. 

And beyond that, I've done a game-by-game breakdown of the interconnected level design of games like Zelda and Metroid, run multiple wildly successful game jams, created a series about designing for different disabilities, interviewed loads of level designers while playing their stages, and I'm currently making my own game and sharing the process.

I've got endless ideas for new episodes - and I want you to help me make them!

What is Patreon?

Patreon is a service where you can pledge to send a regular payment to creators so they can support themselves and keep making new stuff.

It's way better than advertising because it means I can simply focus on making the stuff that matters to me and my audience - I don't have to worry about algorithms, advertisers, or corporate sponsors!

It's also a way for viewers like you to show the world what you want to see. By pledging your hard-earned cash you'll guarantee that Game Maker's Toolkit will continue to exist for a long time into the future.

Why do you need the money?

Game Maker's Toolkit has been my full time job since 2017 and Patreon is my primary source of income. I therefore use the money to, like, pay my mortgage and stuff - all while spending upwards of 100 hours researching, writing, editing, and publishing the latest episode of the show.

I also use the money to purchase equipment for the show (like hard drives to store game captures, better capture equipment, and new consoles), games, and online services. And since making my game I'm also using Patreon cash to pay for artists, composers, and other fees that come from being a game developer.

What's in it for me?

All Patrons get a monthly "Mark's Month" newsletter, where I talk about what I've been up to - giving behind the scenes details on the latest videos and updates on the channel.

You also get access to the GMTK Discord server. This is a very active server, and I'm on there every week day talking about games, GMTK, or game development.

Those who pledge $3 will get a "GMTK Digest" article every month. This is a list of recommended games, articles and videos that any GMTK fan will enjoy.

Those who pledge $5 will get new episodes of Game Maker's Toolkit at least 24 hours early. And those who pledge $10 or more will appear in the credits at the end of every video, and will be named in the credits for my upcoming game. 

Patrons may also get other bonus content if and when I make it - including bonus videos, tutorials, and opportunities to help with upcoming videos.

Will I get previous Patron-only content when I subscribe?

Yes, but it only happens after your first payment has been processed (which happens at the beginning of the month). Once that's done you will have access to 100s of bonus articles and videos.

Anything to declare?

I also sometimes work as a freelance writer, consultant, lecturer, and speaker so I sometimes get paid for that. My YouTube videos have adverts on them, so Google pays me too. My videos are also syndicated on Nebula and Spotify, where I make a little extra money.