Students Learn Game Design With This Entry to Programming

Title: Construct 2
Summary: Standout, pro-caliber game dev tool still great for novices

Pros: Tabbed interface lets users easily manage many elements of a game project at once; native web publishing support lets designers share their work easily.
Cons: The initial learning curve can be intimidating, and students won't learn a programming language.
Bottom Line: Robust enough for commercial games yet simple enough for a classroom with proper support, this is a stellar tool for game creation that lowers the barrier of entry without sacrificing depth.