catch_error for GameMaker

Quick links: documentation · GM Marketplace (costs more there) · source code
Versions: GameMaker: Studio, GameMaker Studio 2 (<2.3)
Platforms: Windows, Windows (YYC)

GMS2.3/GM2022+ note: this extension is incompatible with GMS2.3/GM2022+ and is no longer necessary - see try-catch and exception_unhandled_handler.

Error messages display can be considered one of the weaker points in GameMaker - default error dialog boxes look unappealing, confusing to player, and give no incentive to actually copy the error, having you often hear that the game "had shown an error message and closed" without ever getting to know what the error message was.

This extension addresses that - you can choose how to present the errors (and whether to present them at all), as well as having the option to not have the game close upon encountering majority of "fatal" errors.

Combined with Sentry, you can even have automatic error reporting!

Examples of what you can do with this:

• Show custom messages for GML errors, or hide them entirely
• Relaunch the game after a fatal error occurs
• Save error messages on exit for viewing or later use
• Pass error messages to external applications
• Automatically collect errors  from players
  (don't forget to write a privacy policy)
• Use the system as makeshift try-catch

Have fun!