5 Best Game Engine for Beginners on the List

A game engine is a software framework designed to facilitate the development and creation of video games. 

This article explores several top choices for game engines, including Unity, Unreal Engine, Godot, Phaser, and GameMaker Studio 2, outlining their features, advantages, and limitations. By understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each engine, beginners can make informed decisions to kickstart their game development endeavours.

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What is a Game Engine?

A game engine is a software platform that provides developers with game development tools, libraries, and functionalities to create video games. It serves as a foundation for game development by offering features such as rendering graphics, managing physics, handling input from players, implementing artificial intelligence, and more. By using a game engine, developers can focus more on game design and content creation.

Good Game Engines for Beginners

Below are five good game engines for beginners to explore.

5. Unity

Game developers have relied on the Unity gaming engine since 2005. With continuous updates and new significant features added every year, such as Unity Reflect, the engine enjoys an unbelievable level of support. It is not only a popular choice for 2D and 3D games but also virtual reality and augmented reality.

Advantages of Unity game engine

• For beginners with incomes under $100K, it’s free
• Suitable for 2D and 3D games
• Support for the development of mobile games
• SDKs for VR and AR are available
• Free assets at the Asset Store

A few weaknesses of Unity

• Professional licenses are expensive
• Computers with better performance are required for higher-end tech demos
• Changes to the UI

4. Unreal Engine

Today, many of the most popular triple-A games are powered by Unreal Engine, a powerful graphical engine featuring lighting, shaders, and more. The Unreal engine handles several complicated tasks more efficiently due to its wide use in the game development sector. Also, the community is constantly improving the unreal engine.

The visual blueprinting feature of the Unreal engine allows even non-programmers to design games, and it’s an all-around powerhouse that takes VR to new heights. It has been reported that Unreal Engine is a better fit for large projects and projects that you plan to work on as a team. The program also requires a more powerful computer due to its heavy graphics requirement compared to other engines like Unity. 

Advantages of unreal engine

• Graphics enthusiasts will love it
• The engine that performs better than others
• VR’s top pick
• Non-programmers can use visual blueprints
• Unrestricted assets are available on a large marketplace

Disadvantages of unreal engine

• Simple, or solo projects are not recommended
• Computers with high-performance graphics are required
• Gameplay is better in 3D than in 2D

3. Godot

Despite Godot’s game development existence since 2014, the engine has recently become increasingly popular. If you’re looking for something less complex and open-source, You can use the Godot game engine and develop your games the way you like. In addition to supporting both 2D and 3D graphics, the engine is well-suited for making any kind of game.

Godot game development takes a unique approach to representing specific game functions with its node and scene architecture, making it stand out from competitors and more user-friendly. You’ve got a real winner when you pair it with a video game development company. The scripting language Godot uses is called GDScript, which has some weaknesses. Since the language was designed specifically for Godot game development, it is similar to Python (a favourite language for many developers). Still, experienced game developers may find it tedious to learn yet another language. 

Advantages of Godot Game Engine

• Games in 2D and 3D are supported
• Open-source and free to use – even commercially
• A community of passionate individuals
• Developing games with a unique architecture

Disadvantages of Godot Game Engine

• GDScript may not appeal to experienced game developers
• Compared to other engines, it has fewer resources

2.  Phaser

Phaser is primarily based on web development technologies and is a relatively stable framework even as new versions are released. Besides this, Phaser offers physics and all the other kinds of features you’d expect from an engine, so you can make any game with it, including MMORPGs. It’s important to note that Phaser game development relies on 2D graphics, so you may be unable to make a 3D game with it. While Phaser’s framework is cross-platform, some limitations persist that cannot be found in more powerful, stand-alone engines.

Advantages Of Phaser Game Engine

• Playable in browsers and on mobile devices
• The system is highly stable
• With web technologies, game development can be easily expanded

Disadvantages

• Specially designed for 2D games
• Engines with fewer capabilities

GameMaker Studio 2

The popular GameMaker Studio game engine created in 2017 is the newest version of a product that has existed since 1999 under many names and iterations. Games developed using the GameMaker game engine are supported on a wide range of platforms, including Nintendo Switch.

In addition to a visual editor, GameMaker Language can be used to program custom behaviours that go beyond what is available with visual programming. As an easy-to-use game engine, everyone can easily develop games with it. The game engine developed does have some limitations in terms of 3D capabilities, but it cannot compare to the visual editor of Unity, Unreal, or Godot gaming engines. 

Advantages GameMaker Studio 2

• Numerous platforms are supported
• Programming is easy with drag-and-drop
• Easy to use for beginners

A few weaknesses

• Designed primarily for 2D games
• Obtains a price

Conclusion

The beginner game engine market is intensely competitive, with new competitors constantly emerging. Choosing the right game engine is crucial for beginners embarking on their game development journey. The best game engine for beginners depends on individual preferences, project requirements, and desired learning curve.