Hi all!
I am PixCube, the Community Manager for Pixel Game Maker MV.
Today I would like to give you some tips so you can start the contest in good conditions!
Making a game can be quite hard, particularly if you are on your own, but don't give up: there are plenty of resources to help you!
First of all, you can download the trial version for free: it lasts 30 days, so that is plenty of time to make prototypes and see if you are comfortable with the engine.
You may even participate in the contest without having to purchase PGMMV, just using the trial! If you do so, just send out the project files to the support mail address (maker_support@activegamingmedia.com) by 17:00 February 4th JST and we will send you the built game.
Of course, without some guidance, the software can be intimidating!
Last year I made a little Steam guide that can be still very helpful, be sure to check it out!
As written in this Steam guide, understanding the integrated tutorials is very important... and if you missed a step or two while doing it, the written version is available on Steam (Side View and Top View ).
There are also a ton of tutorials on YouTube, the most in-depth being the ones made by Baz on his channel.
PGMMV has an active Steam forum and an unofficial Discord where everyone is ready to help each other!
If you cannot find an answer, you can always send us an email to maker_support@activegamingmedia.com too!
And if you need any extra motivation, Extra Credit's streamer Will is also working on a game for the contest and shows his progress on Twitch every Tuesday at 15:00 ET.
If you need some support with finding the assets, we cannot recommend enough to take a look at the Asset section of itch.io!
PGMMV is flexible in the size of the sprites and tilesets and is compatible with most of the 2d resources.
You can also follow us on Twitter (or on Facebook) as we share nice materials there, along with tips, videos about game design, and more!
We can't wait to see what kind of games you will create with PGMMV!