Do you own either the Exclusive Edition of Gunpoint, or the Exclusive Extras DLC, on Steam? If so, you also have access to the first alpha test of the spacejacking sim Heat Signature that got underway over the weekend.

If not, you can still get into the club by simply buying Gunpoint (the Exclusive Edition, remember) now. Do take note, however, that Tom Francis, the man who made both games, doesn't think that anyone should actually do that.

"This is very unfinished, very unoptimised, and time-limited: I will close it down in two weeks and then you won t have it anymore," he wrote. "It exists purely to help me find problems with the game and get people s thoughts, not necessarily to give them the best experience or one I d charge for individually."

Francis also emphasized that this is not the same as an Early Access release, and that having the alpha will not get you the final release. Furthermore, there will be other closed alphas held in the future that anyone can apply for. "This first one is just a perk of the [Gunpoint] Exclusive Edition, part of what I promised to say thanks to those who supported Gunpoint so generously," Francis wrote. "I did the same thing with Floating Point—Exclusive Edition folks got the first alpha, then later ones went to people who signed up."

Unless you're desperate to play Heat Signature right freakin' now, in other words, ponying up $30/ 18 for Gunpoint to get into the first alpha probably isn't the thing to do. Which isn't to say Gunpoint isn't a fine game—we didn't review it, for reasons listed here, but plenty of other places did and they quite liked it—but when even the guy who stands to make money off the deal is recommending a good dose of sober second thought, you'd probably be wise to listen. Last time we played Heat Signature, we thought it was pretty neat.

(Disclosure: Tom Francis used to work here, but we don't think you should hold that against him.)

What time is it? Disclaimer time! Tom Francis used to work for PC Gamer. Also, a portion of PC Gamer UK went to his house on New Year's Eve. Also, we were all at the pub the other night, where he told us, among other things, that he was going to do an absolute beginner's guide to Game Maker. Here's the thing, though: it's January 6. Nothing interesting is happening. So I either write about this—a cool and potentially helpful thing that a game developer is doing—or I tell you how much money Kickstarter has received in total over the last year. Do you really care how much money Kickstarter has received in total over the last year? Because I don't.

Gunpoint creator (and... well, see above) Tom Francis is making a tutorial series showing absolute beginners how to make a game in Game Maker—the tool used to make both Gunpoint and Francis's upcoming Heat Signature. The first episode was released yesterday, and you can see it below.

Tom's own disclaimer states that this isn't a great series if you're looking to be a top programmer. Instead, the point is to show you how to make a game with absolutely no experience, and in the easiest way possible. As he puts it in the video, "once you get something working, you will know if making games if for you."

I imagine for many it could prove a useful resource. One of the big barriers to game development seems to be the first step: actually realising that it's possible to just start making a game. Having someone talk you through that—showing people that with a little effort they can make something—strikes me as useful.

You can find future videos over on Tom's YouTube channel. Previously, while working for PC Gamer, Tom talked to a bunch of indies about their own preferred game making tools. We've also talked to a selection of indies—Francis included—about the smash hit games being made with Game Maker.