But I do not have the coding knowledge required. Is there a way I can make a Mario FanGame without coding knowledge?

Hi, welcome to MFGG! There are ways to do it without using code, but it's going to take some time to learn just like code would. You could use a program like [url=https://www.scirra.com/construct2]Construct 2[/url] or [url=http://www.stencyl.com/]Stencyl[/url] to make games with; neither of those require code. They've actually got some neat and user-friendly features. I would recommend taking a few tutorials to make a simpler game than a Mario game at first, but maybe after you've got a little bit of a grasp on things you could try for it. Most of the people here use [url=https://www.yoyogames.com/gamemaker]Game Maker: Studio[/url], which uses GML code.

Game Maker has an extremely under rated Drag & Drop system, in my opinion. It's great for learning code flow without any real coding, and the optimization shortcomings are negligible in my experience. That said, I wouldn't recommend striving to make a game if you don't want to at least learn the basics of coding. Plenty of game dev programs have a low entry bar, but you won't be able to make something really cool if you don't at least think like a programmer.

[quote="Willsaber"]Game Maker has an extremely under rated Drag & Drop system, in my opinion. It's great for learning code flow without any real coding, and the optimization shortcomings are negligible in my experience. That said, I wouldn't recommend striving to make a game if you don't want to at least learn the basics of coding. Plenty of game dev programs have a low entry bar, but you won't be able to make something really cool if you don't at least think like a programmer.[/quote] I know how they think and those programmers must feel horrible inside. [i]My arms and fingers hurt. I have a throbbing headache because I know too much. Am I there yet?[/i]

Learn how to code

[quote="Noodle"]I know how they think and those programmers must feel horrible inside. [i]My arms and fingers hurt. I have a throbbing headache because I know too much. Am I there yet?[/i][/quote] I half feel this is a sarcastic response, but I'll go ahead and say this if it's not. If you don't know how to code, I would say it's a safe assumption for me to say you have never coded before, and if you haven't coded before, how can you know what programmers feel like :confused: I've been coding ever since I was in 7th grade 10 years ago, and I feel neither arm/finger pain, headaches, or horrible in any sense. In fact, I find it quite fun. I've never used Game Maker's drag-n-drop before, but I've heard it's pretty good. I would still recommend learning at least the basics of programming (Game Maker's included help file is really good from my experiences) to at least give yourself a boost.

Yeah you really have no hope of expecting to make a good fangame if you don't at least know some basic GML Dragging & dropping might allow you to do some basic stuff, but learning the language will teach you some valuable basics of programming that you can apply to your life in the future This will be unpopular advice, but if you want to just "make a game" i.e. put together a standard Mario game with your own level design and title, and you aren't willing to learn programming, then just use Hello's engine and change the graphics. Or buy Mario Maker

There are benefits to learning how to make games without coding though, especially in programs like Clickteam Fusion. There's a lot more to game design than simply being able to code, some people find their strengths in the coding side while others learn that level design or graphics are more their thing. It also teaches a lot about the game development process and where things can falter or go wrong. It might not be "as good" as learning to program but it's an excellent place to learn how to make games as larger process.

Yeah, and if level design/graphics is what this person is interested in, they should use a pre-existing engine and just get right into it. That way there's a chance that what they come up with actually ends up being good, and not the 1,000,000th abandoned unfinished Mario fangame I don't believe it's easy to make a full game from scratch using drag & drop tools, and it would be a waste because none of that experience could be applied to anything else. I guess it could teach some basics behind common programming patterns, but I suggest just learning those patterns right away rather than learning how to use a substitute first

Not really, the only time it'd be a "waste" is if you wanted to get a job as a programmer down the line, otherwise you can still learn a lot using drag and drop programs like Clickteam Fusion. The app in my sig was made using CTF2.5 and it's been quite successful (admittedly the next app will be done in Unity, but still), and there's probably loads of games on Steam that have used similar programs and done well for themselves. Still, it's not a bad idea either to learn programming, especially if you're young and have time, it's probably a good idea to start with basic programming and give yourself a headstart if you think it's something you'll want to do more of down the line.

Drag & Drop helps teach you basic programming logic. However, once you use it for a few weeks, you'll probably find that it has many limitations, and that GML is a much better way to program. [url=https://code.org/]Code.org[/url] is a helpful resource for learning general coding fundamentals. No matter what kind of games you make, and no matter which programming language you use, having a general knowledge of concepts such as variables, loops, and data types will be advantageous when you're getting started as a game developer.