I Wanna Maker

I Wanna Maker is a precision platformer fangame in the I Wanna Be The Guy series, featuring a robust level editor inspired by Super Mario Maker that allows players to create, customize, and share deadly levels online. Players control customizable versions of The Kid through a challenging single-player campaign spanning diverse worlds like Green Grasslands, New Maker City, Frosty Fortress, cosmic voids, forgotten foundries, ghastly gardens, and Scribble’s Domain, filled with traps, puzzles, bosses, and side-scrolling 2D action.

I Wanna Maker: Review

Introduction

In the brutal, trap-laden world of I Wanna Be The Guy (IWBTG) fangames—where a single misplaced pixel can spell instant doom—I Wanna Maker emerges as a beacon of creative liberation, transforming masochistic precision platforming into a communal canvas of infinite possibility. Released into Steam Early Access in February 2020 and fully launching in November 2023, this free-to-play gem from The Elephant Crew doesn’t just pay homage to the IWBTG legacy; it supercharges it with a Super Mario Maker-inspired level editor that has birthed over 240,000 user-generated levels. As a game historian chronicling the evolution of fangame culture, I argue that I Wanna Maker is nothing short of revolutionary: a hobbyist triumph that democratizes game design, fosters a thriving online ecosystem, and cements its place as the ultimate evolution of the “I Wanna” series’ unforgiving ethos.

Development History & Context

I Wanna Maker was born from the fervent IWBTG fangame community, a niche subculture thriving on free tools like JTool and I Wanna Record My Jumps since the early 2010s. The Elephant Crew—a passionate collective including lead developers Patrick Traynor, Freedom “YoYoYoDude” Garcia, and Klazen108, alongside artists Tralexium and Dribix, and a handful of moderators and contributors—embarked on this as a non-monetized hobby project. Inspired directly by Nintendo’s Super Mario Maker (2015), they aimed to replicate its level-sharing magic but tailored to IWBTG’s hallmark precision physics, humorous traps, and “fair-unfair” brutality.

Development began around 2018 with closed betas, leveraging GameMaker Studio 1.4 for its 2D prowess and rapid prototyping. The core level editor evolved organically: starting with basic drag-and-drop “activators” (triggers like player jumps or bullet hits) and “actions” (responses like movement or destruction), it ballooned to support 70+ objects, path-following, timers, and inter-object communication. Playtesting from IWBTG veterans refined features like the Paint Roller tool for event copying and Follow Path for complex boss AI—without blueprints, embracing intuitive chaos over rigid programming.

Launched amid the 2020 pandemic, Early Access capitalized on Steam’s indie boom, but technological constraints like GameMaker’s 50 FPS lock (ensuring physics consistency) and server instability initially challenged the online sharing backbone. The full release in 2023 added a polished campaign, 46 Steam achievements, and multilingual support (English, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese-Brazil), exiting Early Access debt-free and stronger. In the broader 2020s gaming landscape—dominated by live-service giants and AAA layoffs—this free, community-driven outlier echoes the DIY spirit of early Flash platformers like Super Meat Boy prototypes, positioning it as a counterpoint to homogenized user-generated content in games like Roblox.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

While I Wanna Maker‘s heart beats in its editor, the 2023 campaign mode weaves a lightweight yet evocative narrative across seven worlds, serving as both a tutorial showcase and a meta-commentary on creation and adversity. You control The Kid—customizable via achievements-unlocked cosmetics—in a journey from idyllic Green Grasslands (tutorial, Mellow Hills, Walker Woods, culminating in the Walker Council boss) to urban New Maker City (casino coin chases, sky pirate bosses), icy Frosty Fortress, cosmic The Great Beyond, desert Forgotten Foundry, haunted Ghastly Gardens, and the finale in Scribble’s Domain against Mr. Scribble himself.

Plot is sparse but thematically rich: worlds progress from natural harmony to mechanical/industrial chaos, mirroring the editor’s shift from simple platforms to event-driven contraptions. Bosses like the Mechanical Angel Prototype or Crusher of Legend embody escalating challenges, with bonus stages (e.g., Flippy Bird, Juggle Struggle) teasing editor ingenuity like gravity-flipping walkers or special creative gimmicks. Dialogue is minimal—signs warn “DANGER”—but themes of persistence shine through optional crystals (collectibles demanding perfection) and escalating gimmicks: vines, teleporters, gravity fields, telekid power-ups.

Underlying motifs draw from IWBTG’s trollish humor and Celeste-like precision: creation as rebellion against rigidity (user levels subvert campaign fairness), community as salvation (online sharing heals solo frustration), and mastery through failure (replays visualize deaths). The final gauntlet critiques overambitious design, positioning Scribble as the ultimate maker-god. Characters like Walker Jr., Jump Phantoms, and Crushers feel archetypal—familial foes evolving into cosmic threats—while power-ups (shields, swords, size-shifting) add RPG-lite progression. It’s no Hollow Knight, but as a fangame benchmark, it masterfully balances accessibility for beginners with veteran sadism.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

At its core, I Wanna Maker delivers IWBTG’s hallmark precision platforming: pixel-perfect jumps at 50 FPS, variable jumps (ground, double/triple via stars/jump refreshers), shooting, sword power-ups, and shields (stackable to 3, but lasers insta-kill). Controls are “incredibly precise”—responsive to sub-pixel inputs, with gamepad support and customizable Kid physics (e.g., big kid doubles speed/jump).

Core Loops revolve around three pillars:
– Play: 240,000+ levels via filters (difficulty, tags like “needle” or “boss,” popularity). Speedrun leaderboards with replays, live multiplayer spectating/chat, playlists, and follows for makers.
– Create: Editor shines with 83+ objects (blocks, killers like cherries/lasers/danmaku, vines, conveyors, cannons). The events system—activators (On Create, Player Jump, Trigger Hit) paired with actions (Move To Position, Toggle Collision, Play Sound)—enables bosses without code: health bars from water blocks, infinite jumps via follower cannons, even Super Hexagon clones or Undertale fights. Tools like undo/redo (up to 20), group select, path editing, and roller-copying streamline iteration; test-play via spacebar.
– Challenge: Modes like Scribble Quest (15 high-rated levels, 200 lives), Roulette (endless randoms), Expeditions (new maps), and Custom (tag-filtered) add roguelite replayability.

Flaws? No variables/functions limit ultra-complex logic (workarounds via object positions/cannons), map size caps at 6 screens, and kid-ceiling glitches persist. UI is intuitive yet dense—veterans thrive, newcomers need tutorials. Progression unlocks cosmetics/achievements (e.g., “flawless” no-death boss clears). Innovative: Gems for optional objectives; no ads/monetization preserves purity.

World-Building, Art & Sound

User levels span infinite variety—from grassland caves to haunted mansions—but the campaign’s hand-crafted worlds build immersive atmospheres. Green Grasslands evokes pastoral IWBTG starts with crumbly caverns and swamps; New Maker City pulses with neon casinos and dreadnoughts; Frosty Fortress chills via ice vines/crates; cosmic voids and foundry pyramids add scale. Props (trees, lamps, hearts), lights/particles, and color-HSV customizable sprites (28 block styles, thorns) yield polished pixel art—more refined than raw fangames, evoking Celeste‘s vibrancy.

Backgrounds/foregrounds layer dynamically; effects like Spotlight (darken map, light player) or Color Cycle enhance mood. Sound design immerses: 150+ royalty-free tracks (Waterflame, DM DOKURO, ParagonX9) span chiptune bosses (“Battlezone”) to jazzy eccentricity (“Corncob”); 20 pitched SFX (pianos to lasers). Campaign hubs boast world maps, immersive FX (bubble pops, teleports). User content amplifies: custom BGM/pitch-shifting crafts bespoke hells, from serene Another Dawn to dread Hadopelagic Pressure. Collectively, it forges “grounded” cohesion—abused events feel native, not hacked.

Reception & Legacy

Launch reception was muted on mainstream sites (MobyGames: 2/5 from 1 rating), but fangame hubs exploded: Delicious Fruit averages 9.6/10 (“game-changing,” “proudest achievement”), praising accessibility and scope. Steam’s 94% Very Positive (4,952 total, 1,587 English) lauds the editor’s depth (“superior to Mario Maker”) and community (“infinite pit”). Playtesters hailed organic evolution; post-2023 campaign drew “work of art” raves for length/polish.

Commercially, zero revenue belies impact: 50,000+ maps by mid-2020, weekly mixes sustain engagement. Influences I Wanna successors (I Wanna be the King!, Wanna Get Lucky?); broader echoes in Pizza Tower‘s editor dreams. Legacy: Revitalized IWBTG fandom, onboarding kids/newcomers (patience urged for “begging”), global reach (20+ countries via leaderboards). As free Steam darling, it proves sustainable passion projects endure, inspiring indie tools amid AI homogenization.

Conclusion

I Wanna Maker transcends fangame novelty, forging an exhaustive platformer sandbox where brutal precision meets boundless invention. The Elephant Crew’s labor—organic editor, stellar campaign, vibrant community—delivers endless highs/lows, from flawless WRs to trollish despair. Flaws like logic limits pale against its gifts: free, polished, influential. In video game history, it claims throne as IWBTG’s magnum opus and user-gen content pinnacle—a 10/10 essential for platformer aficionados, creators, and masochists alike. Long live the makers.