Which Game Engine is Right for You?

As technology becomes more advanced, the game industry is booming. More and more people are devoting time and money to games of all kinds. Who doesn’t love fun? If you’re looking to join the fray and develop a game of your own, you’ve come to the right place. Below are the best programs to give you an edge.

Best for New Creators: Construct 2

Constuct 2 is a drag-and-drop game creator for developing in 2D. Based in HTML5, this powerful little tool allows you to create fantastic 2D games visually, with no programming required. Although it’s only available on PC, your creations can be exported to a variety of platforms, including Android, iOS, OS X, Facebook, and Wii. Construct 2 offers a free trial version with limited functionality, or you can purchase the full version for a one-time fee starting at $129.00 for a personal license.

Interested? Check out what was made with Construct 2: Airscape

Best for Skilled Developers: Unity

Unity is a powerful engine for developing in both 2D and 3D, and my personal favorite. Based in C#, games made with Unity can be developed for developed for a huge variety of platforms including mobile, VR, and consoles. Although the learning curve can be tough, Unity has a fantastic community of support and arguably the best asset marketplace with many free assets available. All core engine features are available for free with a personal license, and start at $35 per month for a Pro subscription with added benefits.

Interested? Check out what was made with Unity: Cuphead 

Best for Seasoned Vets: Unreal Engine

Another hugely powerful engine is Unreal, for developing in both 2D and 3D. Focused on superior graphics and lighting, the C++ based games made with this engine can target an exhaustive list of platforms. The learning curve for Unreal is going to be more difficult than some others, but they have fantastic online resources and a built-in beginner solution. Unreal is free to use, with a 5% royalty on gross product revenue after the first $3,000 per game per calendar quarter from commercial products.

Interested? Checkout what was made with Unreal: Bioshock 

What game engines do you have experience with? Which one is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!