I'm new to video game development and working on a Mac, using GameMaker. I will ultimately be publishing Mac and PC version of the game to STEAM... Maybe Apple's game store, not sure yet... but it will be a computer-only game (i.e. NOT an iOS app). I'm now trying to create Development and Distribution certificates so I can export my game and test it on my computer (apparently I have to have these certificates before I can do this). I'm not positive, but I think I'm supposed to be creating certificates for "Mac Development" (not "Apple Development.") Is that right? And then I need to create a Distribution certificate with "Mac App Distribution" (not "Apple Distribution?") I know there are a ton of very dense tutorials on creating certificates, but I can't seem to find a resource that specifically tells me which certificates I'm supposed to create based on my specific situation.
"Apple" or "Mac" Certificates for My GameMaker Computer Game?
I recommend that you use an Apple Development signing identity for day-to-day development. This works for code targeting all our platforms. The platform-specific development signing identities are a legacy thing [1].
On the distribution front, I also recommend Apple Distribution over the legacy Mac-specific signing identity. From an Apple perspective, you only need this if you plan to distribute via the App Store. It’s possible that Steam also requires this; if you need a definitive answer about their requirements, you’ll have to escalate your question with their support channel.
Some final notes…
Don’t attempt to run code signed with your Apple Distribution signing identity locally. See Don’t Run App Store Distribution-Signed Code for more on that.
If you want to distribute a macOS product independently, use Developer ID signing. As I mentioned above, I don’t know if Steam requires this.
If you do use Developer ID, be aware that those signing identities are precious. See my posts on this thread for more.
Finally, for general advice on this whole topic, see:
Share and Enjoy
—
Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple
let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com"
[1] They’re needed if you use Xcode 10 and earlier. Given that we’re currently seeding Xcode 14 beta, so it’s been 3-4 years since this change, I’m assuming that your third-party tools are on board.