Hi! My name's Mark Brown, and I'm the creator of a YouTube series about game design, called Game Maker's Toolkit.

In each episode I strive to reveal the hidden genius of my favourite games, demystify the design process, pass on the philosophies of the world's best designers, or take a critical look at the most recent releases.

I've talked about how Mario's stages are inspired by Chinese poetry, how Spelunky generates levels, how The Last Guardian tells a story through the language of games, how Shovel Knight nails nostalgia, and what Mirror's Edge Catalyst should have learned from Burnout Paradise.

The videos are for both gamers looking to learn more about their favourite games, and new designers looking to find out more about how games use their design to challenge us, deliver experiences, and tell stories.

I've got endless ideas for new episodes - and I want you to help me make them.

What is Patreon?

Patreon is a service where you can pledge to send a regular payment to creators, so they can support themselves and keep making new stuff.

Patreon is better for creators than advertising or sponsorship. The content is 100% uncompromised, payment is more predictable, and creators don't need to stoop to clickbait content or other shady practices.

Patreon means that creators serve their viewers, not advertisers or corporate sponsors. And where the viewers choose what deserves to be made and who deserves a voice.

How often will I end up paying?

You get to decide how much you pledge, how long you want to support the channel for, and how often you pay. You can choose to pay once per month or once per episode of Game Maker's Toolkit.

I will never charge for more than two episodes per month. I don't charge for the Zelda-themed spin-off show Boss Keys, or for bonus episodes, and only charge once for multi-part episodes.

Why do you need the money?

Starting in 2017, I was able to make Game Maker's Toolkit my full time job. So, Patreon is now my primary source of income. I therefore need the money to, like, eat and stuff - all while spending upwards of 100 hours researching, writing, editing, and publishing the latest episode of the show.

I also use the money to purchase equipment for the show (like hard drives to store game captures, better capture equipment, and new consoles), games, online services, and stuff like that.

What's in it for me?

All Patrons pledging $1 or more get updates about the show, behind the scenes stuff, opportunities to help with upcoming episodes, a monthly newsletter about me and my work, and a terrific collection of articles and videos that should be of interest to any fan of GMTK.

Plus, you can take part in our regular GameClub discussions and join our Discord server.

Pledge $3 a video and you'll get a bonus video each month. This is called Game Maker's Playlist and is a collection of three recently released indie games that may be of interest.

And those who pledge $5 will get new episodes of Game Maker's Toolkit 24 hours early and will appear in the credits for every paid-for episode.

Will I get previous Patron-only content when I subscribe?

Yes, but only after your first payment has been processed (which happens at the beginning of the month).

Anything to declare?

I also work as a freelance writer and consultant so I sometimes get paid for that. I sometimes receive free games from developers but will make this clear in the description for any video that talks about the game at length.