2D Game Development: Choosing the Right Game Engine for Your Project
2D game development is not easy by any means. There is the whole ideation, strategy, and research phase that takes a lot of time. The next challenge is selecting a decent game engine. It will determine the possibilities, opportunities, and outcomes, making it a crucial decision.
So, first things first, what is a game engine?
A game engine is a software that offers the necessary tools and features to developers for video game development. It has essential, pre-built systems that provide graphics rendering, physics simulation, audio management, scripting, and more. Instead of building everything from scratch, game engines provide useful tools to perform functions for enhanced efficiency, focus, cross-platform development, and the right support from the community and devs.
Now that the basics are out of the way, let’s first learn about the best game engines for 2D game development. Remember, to get a professional result, it is best to collaborate with the best mobile game development company in USA or hire reliable USA game developers. They will help you from start to finish and ensure you get desirable results.
Let’s dive deeper!
5 Best Game Development Engines For 2D Games
The choice of the right game development engine is essential to get the results you want. We have curated the list of the best ones in the market to help you filter down options.
- Unity
Unity is one of the most reliable and popular game development engines in the world. It offers great compatibility, a vast array of features, and a huge community, ideal for all types and skill levels of developers.
| Best Features | Pros | Cons |
| Cross-platform deployment.Flexible development platform.Automation tools.Integrated workflow. Pre-built components and assets.Advanced rendering and optimization tools.Enhanced multiplayer features. | Cross-platform development.User-friendly interface.A vast pre-made assets, tools, and plugins store.Strong community support. | Requires time and effort to optimize games.Some performance limitations.License costs.High memory consumption. |
- Godot
Godot is a free, open-source game engine that is praised for its capabilities and ease of use. It allows developers to create 2D & 3D games, cross-platform projects, and even XR experiences. Godot is simple to use and low-weight, making it ideal for learners and hobbyists as well.
| Best Features | Pros | Cons |
| Node-based scene system.Powerful graphics and rendering.High-level scripting and extensibility.Free and open-source.Cross-platform support.Comprehensive and integrated tools and workflow. | Free and open-source.Fast and light.Great for 2D game developmentUser-friendly interface.Built-in editor.Vast community. | Limited in 3D development.Smaller asset library.Less and weak industry presence.Some reported bugs and issues. |
- CryEngine
CryEngine is another highly popular game engine and has been used in a number of games. It is built to create wonderful graphics, complicated physical features, and a lot of different tasks. Moreover, it works with scalable technology, so your project remains viable for years to come.
| Best Features | Pros | Cons |
| Photorealistic graphics.Advanced lighting mechanics.Sandbox editor.AI and animation.In-game profiling.High-end physics solution.Multi-platform deployment. | Excellent graphics and features.Seamless world creation.Advanced AI and enhanced audio.Industry-proven. | Hard to learn and master.Small community.Limited mobile support.High hardware requirements. |
- GameMaker
GameMaker is a well-known 2D game development engine that offers a user-friendly interface with powerful features for both beginners and experts. It allows developers to build games for Android, iOS, HTML5, Windows, Mac, Linux, Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and Nintendo Switch.
| Best Features | Pros | Cons |
| Drag-and-drop system.Intuitive and friendly interface.Strong 2D game creation capabilities.Built-in debugger.Networking and monetization.Vast tutorials and documentation. | User-friendly.Built-in GML scripting language that is easy to learn.Rapid prototyping. Cross-platform support. | Limited 3D development capabilities.Publishing is costly.Lacks certain advanced features.Mastering the engine is difficult. |
- Unreal Engine 5
Unreal Engine 5 is a relatively new game engine, but it has secured a huge popularity for its advanced features and next-generation real-time 3D content and experiences. It offers great freedom and flexibility to create powerful games.
| Best Features | Pros | Cons |
| Nanite geometry system.Lumen global illumination.World partition and metahuman character.Advanced editor and animation workflow.Access to a wide variety of high-quality 3D assets. | High-quality graphics.Nanite virtualized geometry system.Advanced features for multiplayer, AI, VR, and animation.Free to use with royalties.Vast platform support. | Difficult to learn and use.Big hardware requirements.Takes up a lot of resources.Licensing costs and royalties. |
How To Choose The Right Game Engine for 2D Game Development?
When it comes to choosing a game development engine, the decision relies on a range of different factors. All these are important to consider if you want to make a confident and right choice. If you feel stuck at any point, it is best to coordinate with a fellow game developer or a professional game development company.
Now, let’s start with the factors that affect the decision.
- Project Needs
Before going into the technicalities, it is best to write out your specific project needs. You must have a clear vision of the type of game you wish to build, for which platform, and what the overall level of complexity is.
- Overall Budget
The next thing to finalize is your budget for the whole thing. It will highly affect the choice you make, because it is not good working under strict financial constraints. You must weigh in the license fees, subscription fees, royalties, or recurring annual fees.
- Skills and Experience
The skills matter a lot in game development, as well as the experience of building games and using game development platforms. The third point is where the expertise of a professional mobile game development company comes in. They have the right game developers for any kind of project and can do your work effectively and efficiently.
- Target Platform
Platform compatibility is high in popularity in the current mobile game development industry. Most engines provide this option, and if you can manage to go for cross-platform development, our recommendation will be to just do it.
- Monetization Requirements
When selecting the mobile game development engine, you should evaluate your monetization needs. This includes the model of monetization and the overall strategy, whether you wish to integrate advertisements, in-game purchases, or any other strategy. This is also a major reason to collaborate with a mobile game development company as they will help you build the best strategy.
Final Takeaway
The mobile game app development industry is rising globally at a massive pace. As the new technologies are hitting the market, the demands and possibilities are growing too.
In order to make a scalable, powerful, and beautiful game, you must choose the right game development engine, and we are sure this blog has cleared some clouds. It is best to work alongside a reliable mobile game development company to ensure nothing goes out of hand. They will help you pick the right platform, build a solid game, and integrate the best monetization strategy to help you succeed in all areas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some commonly asked questions from the public, along with answers.
- What is the cost of the above-mentioned Game Development Engines?
Unity – Personal is free. Pro plans cost $200 per month per seat. Enterprise option available for custom needs with custom pricing. Industry plan starts at $450 per month per seat.
Godot – Free and open source software
CryEngine – Free to use. 5% royalty applies when you ship your project.
GameMaker – Free to use with a non-commercial license. Professional comes at a one-time cost of $99.99 with a commercial license. Enterprise plan costs $79.99/mo or $799.99/yr.
Unreal Engine 5 – Free to use. 5% royalty applies after $1 million USD gross product revenue. Seat-based option available at $1203 per seat per year.
- Which 2D game engine is right for me?
The choice is yours based on your skill level.
- Godot and GameMaker are good for Beginners.
- Unity and Godot are ideal for Indie Developers.
- Unreal Engine 5 and Unity are perfect for Professionals.
- Unity and GameMaker are optimized for Mobile Games.
- Godot is free and attracts Open-Source Fans.
- How can a professional game development company help me build 2D games?
A professional game app development company will help you define your project goals, game concepts, and the overall requirements. Moreover, they have access to advanced technologies and premium features to produce high-quality and the best results. Lastly, you get complete pre- and post-launch support and maintenance.
