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I think GameMaker is a good suggestion. Other than that, have you looked at RPG Maker? Sure, it's a lot more restricted than GameMaker, let alone Unity or Unreal, but it's also a lot easier to handle for a kid, I think, and it requires very little in the way of actually programming. It also has a lot of built-in assets that can be used to make a game.
I have fond memories of messing around with it when I was younger. Back then, there was a pretty big community, which also provided free spritesheets, music and other assets - don't know how it is these days.
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I'll take a look at it. Thanks. 
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If you get him started on GameMaker one of the best things you can do for him is to give him the link to
Tom Francis's Youtube Channel
He has made some excellent games using GameMaker and is very good at describing how to do it.
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I was just about to suggest this
I followed the making of Gunpoint from the start when I'd heard about this videogame reviewer, with zero development abilities, who was going to have a go at making his own videogame using GameMaker.
Gunpoint's a really good, clever game - well worth spending a few pennies on.
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Spoon Of Doom wrote: I have fond memories of messing around with it when I was younger. Back then, there was a pretty big community, which also provided free spritesheets, music and other assets - don't know how it is these days.
Man, I think that was what got me into programing at all. I remember spending hours at a time on the brazilian/portuguese forums discussing and learning map making and some light events/scripting. The lengths I would go to make the real time battle system (not ABS, the one that was based on events on a map) do what I wanted...
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I would try Construct 2 (dont get Construct 3 unless you want to pay a subscription!), it has a free version (very limited), and you dont "need" to know programming. It all drag and drop to do the logic.
Here is the website:
https://www.scirra.com/construct2
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GenJerDan wrote: All of that adventure to save mom
From being possessed by a demon
They never want to save father. 
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I think that started in Dune. "For the Father, nothing."
(The quote may not be exact, but the sense of it is.)
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Okay, I will admit I don't write games, and like you, I have ZERO interest in doing so.
But at 9 years old, I would hope to drive the creative process with your kid.
Help them organize the game, and learn successive refinement.
Help them Identify the colors/graphics (find out if they have talents here), or
they can search the internet and get "Like this, but bigger... Like this, but scarier" examples.
Take the time to teach about organizing, thinking, and problem solving. Writing the script.
Finding similar games, with similar modes of play.
Is it to publish, or to learn? Or to express? (Why create the game?).
Is it really a game, or a digital story?
Can we tell the digital story first, using powerpoint, and graphics?
Using Flash? (eek)
==
The challenge is that the TYPICAL 9yr old isn't ready to program, and probably does not want to.
But BEING CREATIVE is something they crave.
Sharing something they make is AWESOME.
Making Mom proud. Being Unique/Popular.
Which are great drivers. But so is having fun, and learning in general.
I (and this is JUST ME, who has a daughter that was published by like 14) had to learn that she wants to write, and not always a BOOK or a NOVEL or something I recognize as a goal. Sometimes it is just an expression of art, that gets you a step closer.
So, like Piano Practice... Help them learn to play the chords they will use in future endeavors. This too may pass. Success is just having had some level of experience until they get bored and move on...
Good for you!
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I'd strongly recommend Phaser.js it's a powerful framework that comes with tons of samples, demos and video tutorials.
It's fast, fun to use and all you need is their library, a recetn version of any browser and a text editor to start using it!.
Let me rephrase that, it's free to learn but if you want to sell your game I don't know if they charge you for that, Ihacen't sell anything. The best part is that after completing their first training tutorial you end up with a very cool game to play with and that sparkles creativity and lights the kids enthusiasm. I thaught my nephew to program with that and we both enjoyed it.
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Your best bet for your child is probably "Game Guru" from The Game Creators in the UK.
The Game Creators
It has a very simply interface when compared to Unity or any of the other major engines and has a lot of flexibility.
Unity & Unreal would very likely be over your child's head in terms of complexity.
Steve Naidamast
Sr. Software Engineer
Black Falcon Software, Inc.
blackfalconsoftware@outlook.com
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You can do quite a bit with Unreal.
They have a visual scripting language called 'Blueprints' built in, which doesn't sacrifice power for ease of use; so even though he wouldn't be writing an actual language, he'd still be learning key programming concepts.
If he ever got far with it, it maintains features of C++ all in Blueprint, so you can inherit/extend classes without ever really touching code.
It can get tricky with things like character AI, but they have some basic functions built in to make it easier. Definitely enough for candycorn cowboys and fire bats.
There's lots of documentation for it, and a lot of video tutorials that he could use to help him along.
Unity is also a good option, but dealing with raw C# and their semi-convoluted component system can be a tricky thing to wrap your head around. That might be jumping a little into the deep end.
There's also 0 help with AI systems (path finding, finite state machines, etc) last i knew, unless you start buying add-ons for it.
Also, fwiw, there's nothing wrong with writing ye olde text adventure in Basic
... Or C# if you care to be current about it.
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No one has mentioned MakeCode[^] Combines Minecraft and Scratch-like visual coding and the ability to view/modify the source as well.
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Cocos2d-x is good for C++ multi-platform games. It's not for a novice though. The strength is the same code runs on almost all device platforms. While Unity is very popular, it is not free to use like Cocos2d-x. Cocos2d-x is a great 2D game engine to work with and it's well maintained. If you are a single programmer, who has no money, but does have some real world programming experience, it is the best option around.
If you have a little money and no programming experience, GameSalad and BuildBox are drag and drop game designers. The support multiple platforms also.
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PRG Maker MV is probably what your son wants:
www.rpgmakerweb.com
This is a 30 day demo.
I just tried it...drag and drop. Looks easy enough.
I'm guessing he just wants to make a game - the creative part - not really interested in coding.
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I was looking at that last night. For under $100, yeah, I can do that. And it looks like it would suit what he really wants at the moment.
But we're pissed off at him right now. He ate a whole bag of M&Ms yesterday afternoon, after being told not to even open the bag.
So I'll make him wait a little bit. 
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My son, age 15, has just been through the same thing.
He was also making the choice between Unity and Unreal. He started with Unity based on the number of tutorials and other things. What he found is that the while Unity had many tutorials, many of them were old - referred to earlier versions of Unity - and no longer produced runable output. In short they were not helpful. I also recall that he spent an inordinate amount of time trying to get all the versions and dependencies working together. (and that may be related to the first issue as well). On the occasions I tried to help - a lot of the information was aimed at people who had programming experience, and I found my help was mostly filling in the gaps.
Teenagers do not have much patience.
He then switched to Unreal. By comparison, he's been able to get it up and running, and has glued together tutorials and sample code to produce a rough first/third person shooter. It still needs work - but he can see progress. He is much happier with Unreal.
Now - it is possible that all the pain from Unity has given him the skills to get into Unreal with less problems - but I don't think so.
Based on this - if the choices are Unreal or Unity - I would recommend Unreal.
Of course - if your Kids are completely green to programming - I would consider Python and Pygame. There are books on programming games with Pygame, and while it's not Unreal or Unity - it is advanced enough to some 3D. For 3D look up Panda3D and/or Ogre.
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...If you want to blow your boss out of existence - this is the day!
Skipper: We'll fix it.
Alex: Fix it? How you gonna fix this?
Skipper: Grit, spit and a whole lotta duct tape.
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So thats why it sounded like El Almaen last night! 
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Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter wrote: blow your boss out of existence
That only works if (a) you are Catholic, and (b) you want to blow up the Houses of Parliament.
(And Guy Fawkes was caught before he could do it)
If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack.
--Winston Churchill
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a) Out of question...
b) Not out of question...
(And I have a Guy Fawkes mask to avoid capture...)
Skipper: We'll fix it.
Alex: Fix it? How you gonna fix this?
Skipper: Grit, spit and a whole lotta duct tape.
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a) I am
b) That's the Brit's problem, gimme another target.
And borrow me that mask!
I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats.
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Please go easy on the LOUD BANGS!
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And do it to the music of Tchaikovsky!
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