Code-wise, it depends on what you want to do exactly. For an RPG, RPG Maker will make your life easier. For a visual novel, Renpy would be a good place to start.
Game Maker is a pretty good general solution for everything 2D in my opinion, especially if you're a new dev or don't have a lot of experience. It has a drag-and-drop mode which allows you to make games with algorithms instead of "pure" code, so if you're still learning i can be a nice tool. But the drag-and-drop mode will show its limits pretty quickly and you will want to switch to GML ; Game Maker Language. You can find plenty of tutorials on youtube which will allow you to make small projects while learning the basics of GML.
The only gripe I have with Game Maker is that it's subscription-based. There's a free version which allows you to run your game locally and export to OperaGX, but if you want to export to Windows, Linux or Mac you will need to buy a license for at least one month.
You can also take a look at Godot, I haven't used it but I know it's a powerful game engine and it's entirely free and open source. It might not be as newbie-friendly as Game Maker, but if I keep making games once I have finished this one, Godot will probably be my preferred choice.
You will find multiple resources on google. Whatever solution you choose to go with (Game Maker, Godot, RPG Maker...), the user manual is your friend. If you're stuck with something, read it. Youtube tutorials are a good way to start short projects and learn. For Game Maker, I liked the videos of Shaun Spalding, PixelatedPope and FriendlyCosmonaut. I even started from one of FriendlyCosmonaut's tutorials for Debucon's menus and dialog system. In a broader sense, DesignDoc and Masahiro Sakurai's channels are also very interesting regarding general game design. Finally, if you're really stuck, you will find various communities on Reddit or on official forums on which you can ask for assistance.
Regarding the graphics, if you're willing to produce your own assets, I have been using Pixlr for a long time. It's pretty much Photoshop, but online. Fatahlia has converted me to Gimp pretty recently, which is a free image editor software. Note that Game Maker comes with a sprite editor, but it's not a very good one and should only be used for small touch-ups.
Otherwise, you can find some assets packs on various sites, including itch.io. Some will cost you a few bucks, others are free of charges.
As a final note, be aware that making a game takes time, especially as a solo developer. I would advise to start with small projects for you to learn the basics and get a hold of how it works, follow a few tutorials and have fun with a small "sandbox" project to experiment on your own. Don't try to make something too ambitious right away, you will just disgust yourself. Take small steps, you'll get there eventually.