Before your first class
Get ready for your first class
A quick, one-time setup so your learner can jump straight into class. No coding or tech know-how needed. Just follow the steps below and your learner will be ready to go.
- Works on Windows or Mac
- Just once, before class
Set up in five steps
Install GameMaker (it's free)
GameMaker is the real, professional engine our classes use, and it's free for everything we do. On the computer your learner will use for class, head to gamemaker.io, download GameMaker for Windows or Mac, and run the installer. The first time it opens you'll create a free GameMaker account, which is normal and required to run it. GameMaker is a large download and install, so it's worth setting it up a day or two before class rather than right before it starts.
Download your Week 1 starter file
Every course begins from a Week 1 starter project that the whole class shares. Open your course and go to its Week 1 page, find the Class file box, and enter your course password to download it. The password comes in your Outschool welcome message. You'll get a .zip file.
Unzip it and save it somewhere easy to find
The file you downloaded is a .zip: a packed-up folder you need to unpack first. On Windows, right-click the .zip and choose Extract All. On a Mac, just double-click it. Either way you'll get a normal folder. Move that folder somewhere easy to find, like the Desktop or a new StarterVillage folder in Documents, since you'll add to it each week. Tip: always unzip first, and don't try to open the project from inside the zip.
Open it in GameMaker
Open the folder you just unzipped and look for the project file, whose name ends in .yyp. Double-click it to open it in GameMaker, or open GameMaker first, choose Open, and pick the .yyp file. GameMaker will load the project.
Check you're ready to go
When the project opens, you'll see GameMaker's workspace with the game's room in the middle. Press the Play button (the ▶ triangle near the top) to run it, and a game window should pop up. If it does, you're all set: close the window and your learner is ready for class. If something looks different, don't worry, just see the note at the bottom of this page.
A few computer basics
Most learners already know these, but since we work with younger kids, it's worth a quick check. None of it is hard, and it all helps class run smoothly.
Left-click vs. right-click
Left-click selects things; right-click opens menus. We say 'right-click' a lot in class, so it helps if your learner knows which is which, including how to right-click on a trackpad.
Copy and paste
Ctrl+C copies and Ctrl+V pastes (on a Mac, Cmd+C and Cmd+V). We copy and paste short bits of code in class, so this one is worth a quick practice.
Undo a mistake
Ctrl+Z undoes the last thing you did (Cmd+Z on a Mac). It is the most useful shortcut there is. Press it and a mistake simply goes away.
Mute and unmute
In Zoom, the microphone button mutes and unmutes. We ask learners to unmute to answer and mute while listening, so being able to find that button quickly really helps.
Share your screen
Know where Zoom's Share Screen button is. Now and then the teacher will ask your learner to share their screen so they can help with something directly.
Stuck on something? You're not alone.
Setup is honestly the trickiest part, and it only happens once. If anything looks different or won't open, join your first class a few minutes early and the teacher will happily help your learner get sorted. Everyone gets set up together, and once you're in, the fun begins.