SOFTWARE & TOOLS
A selection of software and tools to help you in your game development QUEST!
GAME DESIGN
Core tools for telling stories, learning, concepting, and communicating game features, systems, and economies. With a little UI/UX for good measure
Google Suite
Cloud-based tools for collaborative game design docs, spreadsheets for balancing, and pitch presentations.
Machinations.io
A powerful system design tool used to map out and simulate game mechanics, economies, and progression loops.
Twine
A nonlinear storytelling tool for prototyping branching narratives and interactive fiction - great for narrative design.
Easings
A reference and visualization tool for easing functions, useful for fine-tuning animations, UI transitions, and feel.
Figma
UI/UX design software ideal for wireframing menus, HUDs, and interface mockups with real-time collaboration.
Miro
A digital whiteboard for brainstorming, mind mapping, and organizing design ideas visually with your team.
Deconstructor of Fun
A leading blog offering deep-dive analysis and expert insights on mobile game design, monetization, and player retention strategies.
Game Developer
Offers expert articles, postmortems, and insights into game design, development processes, and the business of making games.
GDC Vault
Contains tonnes of expert talks, case studies, and practical lessons from across the industry. Lots of free learning content.
2D & 3D ART
A collection of Art creation tools, asset libraries and showcase platforms.
Blender
Free, all-in-one 3D modelling, animation, and sculpting tool ideal for indie and professional pipelines.
Maya
Autodesk Maya is a professional 3D software used for modelling, animation, and visual effects in games, film, and TV.
GIMP
Open-source image editor for 2D art, UI design, and texture editing - a free alternative to Photoshop.
Unity Asset Store
Official marketplace offering thousands of game-ready assets, tools, and shaders for Unity developers.
Unreal Marketplace
Comprehensive asset hub for Unreal Engine, including environments, characters, materials, and blueprints.
Photoshop
Industry-standard software for 2D art, texturing, matte painting, and UI/UX asset creation.
SYNTY Store
Stylized, modular 3D asset packs perfect for prototyping or full-game production in Unity and Unreal.
After Effects
Adobe After Effects is a powerful tool for creating 2D animations, motion graphics, and VFX. Great for trailers.
Kenney.nl
A trusted source of free and paid game assets: clean, flexible, and perfect for rapid development.
Substance Designer
Advanced 3D texturing tool for painting PBR materials directly onto models with real-time feedback.
ZBrush
Professional digital sculpting software used for high-detail characters and complex models in AAA games.
Mixamo
Free auto-rigging and animation service from Adobe. Great for quickly adding movement to 3D characters.
Sketchfab
Online platform to discover, showcase, and download 3D models, many available under game-friendly licenses.
Game UI Database
A curated gallery of user interface designs from real games: perfect for UI inspiration and benchmarking.
Artstation
A platform to showcase your art portfolio and sell assets like 3D models, textures, and tutorials for games, film, and entertainment.
PROGRAMMING & DEVELOPMENT
Tools, engines, and learning resources to help you build, debug, and optimise your game - whether you’re just starting out or refining advanced systems.
Unity
A versatile engine ideal for 2D and 3D game development, widely used across indie and mobile games.
Unreal
A powerful, high-fidelity engine with Blueprints for visual scripting and top-tier rendering capabilities.
Godot
Lightweight and open-source, Godot is perfect for 2D and 3D games with a clean scripting language and fast iteration.
GameDev.tv
A trusted source for beginner-to-advanced game development courses in Unity, Unreal, and coding fundamentals.
Refactoring Guru
Clear, visual explanations of design patterns and refactoring techniques every game programmer should know.
GitHub Copilot
An AI pair programmer that suggests code in real-time, helping you write logic and solve problems faster.
VS Code
A lightweight, extensible code editor with powerful features for scripting, debugging, and working across multiple engines.
GAME MARKETING
Essential tools and learning resources to help game developers understand, plan, and execute effective marketing for their games.
Canva
An easy-to-use design tool for creating eye-catching promo images, social posts, and store assets.
OBS Studio
Free and powerful software for recording gameplay or streaming your dev process to build community and visibility.
CapCut
A beginner-friendly video editor great for cutting trailers, TikToks, and devlogs quickly and easily.
How to Market a Game (Chris Zukowski)
One of the most practical and insightful resources on indie game marketing, packed with actionable advice and strategy.
Press Kit Template (Free -Impress)
A free template to create your own press kits. Impress has lots of other cool features to check out too.
Discord Server Template (Free - FutureFriends)
Another free template from FutureFriends! A template to create your own discord server, a foundation for a community.
MARKET RESEARCH
Essential tools to concept, design and communicate features, systems and economies
SteamDB
SteamDB is a third-party site that tracks game performance, pricing, and data trends on Steam.
VG Insights
VG Insights provides market research, sales estimates, and data tools for indie and PC game developers.
GameDiscoverCo
GameDiscoverCo offers deep insights into how games gain visibility and sell across platforms, with a focus on Steam discovery.
AppMagic
AppMagic is a mobile market intelligence tool offering downloads, revenue, and competitor data for mobile games.
Twitch
Twitch is a live streaming platform where developers and players connect through gameplay, community, and game marketing.
Reddit is a massive forum network where you can share progress, get feedback, build communities, and learn directly from players and peers.
PRODUCTION & UTILITY
A mix of day-to-day tools to make your life easier
Remove.bg
Instantly removes image backgrounds, perfect for creating clean thumbnails or mockups.
Pixelsquid
A library of 3D-rendered objects you can rotate and download for mockups, UI, or concept art.
Photopea
A free, browser-based Photoshop alternative that supports PSDs and is perfect for quick edits and asset tweaks.
Coloors
A simple and powerful color palette generator to help you find the perfect aesthetic for your game or branding.
Excalidraw
A hand-drawn-style diagram tool great for wireframes, flowcharts, or sketching out systems quickly.
Trello
A flexible task management board to help plan features, track bugs, and stay organized throughout development.
SOUND DESIGN & AUDIO
Essential tools to concept, design and communicate features, systems and economies
Audacity
A free, open-source audio editor great for recording, mixing, and cleaning up sound effects or voiceovers.
FreeSound
A massive library of user-submitted sound effects and audio clips, all searchable and free to use (with attribution).
ZapSplat
A huge collection of free and premium sound effects, perfect for quickly adding polish to your game’s audio.
Epidemic Sound
A high-quality, royalty-free music and SFX library ideal for trailers, devlogs, and promotional content.
