Bitsy Game Maker (Game Engine)

 Bitsy Game Maker

- Bitsy is a free, open-source game engine designed to make small games or as the developer states, "a little editor for little games or worlds". It is very bare-bones but an excellent option for game design newcomers due to its extreme ease of use. The engine was built by Adam Le Doux and functions completely in your web browser allowing for games to be crafted and tested quickly. The engine crafts games that are exportable to HTML making it a perfect option for those looking to showcase their games directly on a website for browser based gameplay.

Website: https://bitsy.org/

Itch.io: https://ledoux.itch.io/bitsy

Twitter: @adamledoux

Krikzz (EverDrive Developer)

 krikzz

- krikzz is responsible for the creation of the EverDrive which is a stunning line of flashcarts which allow you to run retro games on their native hardware. This is an excellent tool for developers looking to craft and test their games for older hardware such as the Super Nintendo, N64, and Game Boy. When you combine tools like this with game engines such as GB Studio, you're only limits are your imagination and the hardware itself. Working on older hardware also gives you a skill sorely lacking in the modern mainstream video game industry, learning to work within strict limitations. Working within strict limitations can often lead to greater creativity and imagination in your game creations.  

Twitter: @krikzz

Website: https://krikzz.com/

ED Website: https://everdrive.me/cartridges/

GameFromScratch (Tutorials and Resources)

 GameFromScratch

- When it comes to game development, the more sources of information available the better. GameFromScratch covers a wide variety of game development information including news, tutorials, and resources. While other game development sites tend to focus on a specific engine, GameFromScratch has a much broader approach giving you a taste of just about everything available making a perfect site for developers looking to keep up with the latest in the independent game development scene.

Twitter: @gamefromscratch

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/gamefromscratch

Website: https://gamefromscratch.com/

HeartBeast (Tutorials)

 HeartBeast

- A good teacher can make a big difference for those looking to get into game development, especially for an autodidact. HeartBeast is an excellent teacher for those looking to expand their horizons into engines such as Godot and Game Maker Studio. The HeartBeast YouTube channel offers a wealth of content from an experienced game developer covering topics across all stages of game development making it an amazing resource for newcomers. They are dedicated to teaching people how to make games (specifically in the Godot engine currently) and this dedication shows in the quality of their tutorials which even include options for paid expanded courses with support from the HeartBeast Gamedev Academy. 

Twitter: @uheartbeast

Website: https://www.heartgamedev.com/

Gamedev Academy: https://learn.heartbeast.co/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/uheartbeast

Krita (Image Editing Software)

 Krita

- Krita is a free and open source image editing program designed by artists for artists. It's especially great for digital painting and 2D animation needs. While not quite as robust as Photoshop in terms of extra features, Krita is equally as powerful. Being open source also gives it a massive advantage in terms of support from the community. Another major plus is its price giving it a major step up over the atrocious subscription based pricing model that Adobe forces on its users. Krita is also very cleanly designed making it easy to use for both professionals and newcomers. Krita, when combined with GIMP, offers any digital artist a very powerful (and free) set of tools.

Twitter: @Krita_Painting

Website: https://krita.org/en/

Playdate Pulp (Game Engine)

 Playdate Pulp

- The Playdate is a portable game console that feels like an indie take on the classic Game Boy only in the modern era complete with a unique crank control mechanism. It has a unique game delivery method of "seasons" where you get games each week for 12 weeks. The Playdate was developed by Panic, publisher of indie game hits Firewatch and Untitled Goose Game. Pulp is a web based game editor specifically designed for the Playdate system. It runs within your web browser and allows you to build a full game for the Playdate. It keeps things very simple making it a perfect option for those with no experience looking to make a game for free.

Pulp Website: https://play.date/pulp/

Playdate Website: https://play.date/

Panic Website: https://panic.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/PanicVideo

Panic Twitter: @panic

Playdate Twitter: @playdate