Here’s the thing with technology: the longer it’s around, the more people will access it. For instance, 10 years ago, nobody would have dreamed of creating a website without programming knowledge. Now everyone can do it in minutes. You can even build a smartphone app in the same way!

So what about creating computer games? Well yes, it looks like we’re quickly getting there. There are now more and more solutions for complete beginners who have never written a line of code in their life. Sounds good to you? Great! Let’s get started with a quick table of contents.

How should I choose my game engine?

Since you’re here, we’ll assume you know that a game engine is a dedicated software, or program, for creating games. You will also know that you need to download and install them on your computer. Roughly speaking, they offer 4 main kinds of features:

Full game templates: you basically get a ready-made game. You only change minor details. Import your own artwork or move a few sliders to change the colour of the sky, for example.

Drag and drop : very easy to use – no coding necessary. This lets you create events or properties by choosing them from a looooong list. For example, you can add a “solid” property to a platform to make sure your character doesn’t fall through it.

: very easy to use – no coding necessary. This lets you create events or properties by choosing them from a looooong list. For example, you can add a “solid” property to a platform to make sure your character doesn’t fall through it. Visual scripting : this lets you choose different functions that replicate code without having to script. They are more powerful than drag and drop engines and you’ll need more time to get to grasps with their features. However, they are an excellent way to begin understanding how code works without actually typing anything yourself.

: this lets you choose different functions that replicate code without having to script. They are more powerful than drag and drop engines and you’ll need more time to get to grasps with their features. However, they are an excellent way to begin understanding how code works without actually typing anything yourself. Coding: some game engines use their own scripting language, trying to make it as easy as possible for beginners. It’s a great way to learn how to code, especially if you want to later develop complex games. Others rely on well-known scripting languages, and mastering them will give you full control over your game, no matter how complex it is.

Of course, the closer you get to code, the steeper the learning curve gets. But also remember there are other factors to consider. These could be:

Your computer: PC or Mac? Some game engines do not support both – so it will limit your choice. You should also check the spec requirements. Older computers might be too slow to run the more powerful game engines.

Your game genre: Do your research when it comes to genre-specific engines. For example, if you want to create an RPG (Role Playing Game) without any code, you could use RPG Maker. If you want to create an adventure game, you could try Adventure Game Studio.

Your perspective: This is tied into the point above, but some game engines specialise in 2D, while others support 2D and 3D. As you can imagine, 3D game engines tend to be more complex with steeper learning curves.

This is tied into the point above, but some game engines specialise in 2D, while others support 2D and 3D. As you can imagine, 3D game engines tend to be more complex with steeper learning curves. Your art skills: Some engines come with a visual editor that lets you create art directly in them. Usually, this means pixel art or terrain maps (you can always import your characters and backgrounds from other programs too).

Your targeted platform: in other words, this is where your game will be played. Do you want to only publish for the web? Or do you want to create an iOS and Android game? Or maybe PCs, Macs and VR? It is all possible (the technical term is “porting”) , but you need to choose the right game engine accordingly. Also note that if you only want to publish to smartphones, we have a dedicated post on how to make game apps.

The Unity export window – choose where you want to port your game



Your dedication : This is to say: how serious are you about game development? If you are more of a hobbyist, there is nothing wrong with choosing the easiest solution. But if you’re interested in creating a studio and producing games in the long run, you should aim for an engine with a good reputation and skip our whole list straight to Unity or Unreal. You could even use them as your training ground for learning code – a worthwhile investment.

: This is to say: how serious are you about game development? If you are more of a hobbyist, there is nothing wrong with choosing the easiest solution. But if you’re interested in creating a studio and producing games in the long run, you should aim for an engine with a good reputation and Unity or Unreal. You could even use them as your training ground for learning code – a worthwhile investment. Other features: do you need to work on the game by yourself or with a team? Do you want good support from a community? Is it updated regularly? These are all questions worth asking to ensure your engine is future-proof.

Can game engines make any kind of game?

The short answer is yes. But some genres will definitely require scripting. And let’s be honest here, it would be nearly impossible to build a huge MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) by yourself without any programming skills. Similarly, don’t expect to create the next GTA or Skyrim in the comfort of your bedroom without some advanced technical knowledge. So to give you a quick overview, we’ve listed some game genres below to let you see how hard they would be to make.

Simple 2D Games: These easy enough to create. You will need to invest time in learning how to use the game engine, and of course in creating your levels, artwork and concept. A few genres are particularly popular with drag and drop game engines, and these are:

Puzzles, Platformers, Arcade Games, Racing Games, Text adventures…

Complex 2D Games: games that rely on physics, AI, multiplayer games or with many features. You should also be able to create them, but expect to spend a lot more time learning the basics for:

RPGs (Role Playing Games, Tower Defense, Adventure Games, Roguelikes, Fighting games…

Simple 3D Games: Things start getting a little bit more complicated when you work in 3D. The game engines are a lot more powerful, and therefore a lot more difficult to learn. You can expect to spend between 3 months – 1 year learning the basics by really studying how to make things happen for:

Adventure games, First Person Shooters, Survival games…

So what about complex 3D games? Well, we don’t want to say they are impossible to make, but it will be very very difficult as a beginner. Expect to spend a few years of your life studying how to create games such as:

MMOs (Massively Multiplayer Online games), Sports games, Sandbox, MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena), Real time strategy, VR (Virtual Reality) Games, Vehicle simulation, War games, Life simulations…

Just remember that the amount of time you put in will always result in better long-term knowledge. Also: the Internet is your best friend in terms of technical resources – there are even full game templates you can download to see how things work under the hood.

So which game engine is the best for me?

Since we are focusing on beginner friendly features, we’ve listed the following game engines in order of ease of use, features and support. We’ve also separated the list into 2D and 3D (although there is a bit of crossover).

A recent Forbes article called GameSalad “the Youtube for Games”, and while the name is slightly misleading, it does tell you that these guys want to be for everyone. Their solution is an incredibly easy to use drag and drop program for creating 2D games that comes with its own physics and simple “rules” you apply to objects. In fact, GameSalad even market their platform at educators who want to teach student how to create games in the classroom. Of course, it is quite limited in terms of features, but it should be enough for mobile apps and addictive 2D casual games.

Watch how to get started with GameSalad in 15 mins



Pros:



Very easy to use

Publishes to multiple platforms

Good community and support

Drag and drop

50% off the pro subscription (usually $25 / month) if you are a student, teacher or in the military

Cons:

Subscription model

Limited features

No official roadmap for new features

Buildbox is slowly making a name for itself as the engine used for some true hits in the last few years. These include dozens of games that made it to the App Store top 100 such as Color Switch and The Line Zen. Their philosophy is to provide users with ready-made templates that let you get started with a game in minutes. However, this puts restrictions on the amount of freedom you can have, and also tends to help create game clones rather than original concepts. Luckily, you can also take control of your game mechanics with more advanced features.

Watch how to get started with Buildbox in 20 mins

Good for Notable examples 2D Puzzle Games Color Switch 2D Clone Apps Dooby Bird 2D Casual Games Impossible Bottle Flip

Pros:

Easy drag and drop interface

Comes with game templates

Good monetization options

Exports to all platforms

Cons:

Templates tend to create game clones

Very expensive license starting at $84 / month (paid yearly)

Construct 2 is a very intuitive drag and drop for creating 2D games. The learning curve is super fast, and the interface looks a lot like Microsoft products, so it makes it an ideal tool for PC users who have never looked at a game engine before. Sadly there is no Mac OS version, and games can only be exported as HTML5. This means that they need to be converted with a 3rd party service to work as native apps for Android or iOS, which comes at a cost in terms of performance. Similarly, games can be played on Windows, Mac OS, Linux, but only in web browsers.

Watch how to make a basic game in Construct 2 in 20 mins.

Pros:

Fast learning curve

Good support community

Regular updates

Free trial edition

Decently priced, starting at $80

Marketplace for extra plugins

Cons:



Only works on PCs

HTML5 is limiting in terms of performance and flexibility

Clickteam Fusion is the engine used by recent popular game such as The Escapists and Five Nights at Freddy’s. The amazing thing is that it’s been around since 1994! This means that it has an extremely active community of super dedicated fans who submit their own extensions and there is no shortage of documentation on the forums. It uses a visual editor, so you won’t need to type in any code, but you will need to learn what each function is. However, if you can do the maths, they released 2 ½ versions over more than 20 years, and you guessed it, they don’t update it as often as they should…

Watch how to get started with Clickteam Fusion 2.5 in 20 mins

Good for Notable examples 2D Platformers Gravity Island 2D / 3D Survival Horror Five Nights at Freddy’s 2D Arcade Freedom Planet

Pros:

Drag and drop interface and visual editor

Exports to all platforms

Passionate and supportive multilingual community

Tons of extensions

Free version available – cheap license starting at $75

Cons:

Dated interface

Windows version only

Little to no updates

Paying iOS, Android and Mac exporters

Although it’s worth noting that people have used RPG Maker for multiple game genres, you’ve guessed that this engine only does one thing – and it does it well. It comes with a WYSIWYG editor, and you can also create the 2D art directly in it. One confusing thing is that there are 7 different versions of RPG Maker, all of which allow different features, and it’s worth noting that the learning curve is slightly steeper than with certain drag and drop solutions.

Watch how to get started with RPG Maker in 15 mins.

Good for Notable examples 2D RPGs (duh) Clock of Atonement 2D Arcade Touhou Wandering Souls

Pros:

Good for artists

Excellent tile editor

WYSIWYG editor

Helpful and passionate community

Has simplified code

Cons:

Confusing versions with different features

Not all versions can export to all platforms

Slightly difficult for complete beginners

Genre limitation

A few years ago, MIT (the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) developed a visual programming language called Scratch. It’s a fun method to teach students how code works without overburdening them with too much technical knowledge. The way it works is more like a puzzle, where you have to find the right pieces to create actions and reactions in your software. Well Stencyl is based on this model, and as such is an excellent way to create a simple game without coding, but in a way that should give you a good understanding of how coding works! Unfortunately, it is very limited at the moment, so don’t expect to build anything but a basic 2D game (although some people claim you could build Stardew Valley with it).

Watch how to get started with Stencyl in 20 mins



Pros:

Good for simple games

Teaches the basics of code

Has “Kits” (ready made templates)

Create pixel art in it

Has little marketplace

Exports natively for multiple platforms

Cons:

Subscription model

Limited features

Not ideal for smartphone games

Yes it sounds like it’s aimed at mobiles, but you can create all kinds of 2D and 3D games with AppGameKit. Their software lets you port to iOS, Android, PC, Macs, Linux, HTML5 – and even Raspberry PI. It supports a few programming languages, including their own AGK2, based on BASIC (slightly unfashionable, but easy to understand syntax – ideal for beginners).

You can also grow as a developer with the program, and learn how to use C++ as a powerful framework. This may appear intimidating to newbies, but AppGameKit is a great way to get started in the world of game development if you are serious about understanding how everything works under the hood – and maybe even make money from it.

Watch how to get started with AppGameKit in 5 mins

Good for Notable examples 2D Shooters 1982 Educational apps Driving Theory Test 2018 3D Tower Defence games Towerbots

Pros:

Easily port to plenty of platforms

Test the game on different devices thanks to their players

Great for nerdy, dedicated creators

No subscriptions – pay once and own it forever ($79.99)

Very fast compilation

Cons:

Paying DLCs – you need to fork out extra for some shaders or VR support

Not ideal for artists – unless you buy the visual editor for $49.99

Documentation sometimes out of date

Save 60% on AppGameKit here.

Moving on to 3D game engines now, and GameGuru is probably one of the easiest to use. That’s because the engine gives you 20 game templates to start your own, from FPS to horror survival games, and it supports multiplayer. You can easily create maps and manipulate certain settings with sliders. The downside is that all games tend to look the same – also, they only run on Windows.

Watch how to get started with GameGuru in 8 mins

Good for Notable examples 3D First Person Shooter The Big Escape (game template) 3D Horror Game Asylum

Pros:

Games work pretty much out of the box

20 game templates

Has marketplace

Supports multiplayer

Exports natively for multiple platforms

Cons:

Dated graphics

Very limited features

Windows only

Only exports to Windows

Save 60% on GameGuru here

What do games like Hotline Miami, Undertale and Hyper Light Drifter have in common? Yes, they all sold millions of copies, and they were all made using GameMaker Studio. This powerful simplified code engine supports both 2D and 3D, but is more often used for 2D projects. One big advantage is that it lets you create all the assets for your game so you can quickly see how things look (of course you can also import them from Photoshop or anywhere else). The drag and drop interface also makes it ideal for quick prototyping, even for advanced game developers.

Watch how to get started with Game Maker Studio 2 in 20 mins.

Good for Notable examples 2D Sidescrollers Death’s Gambit 2D Roguelikes Hyper Light Drifter 2D Point & Click Games Fran Bow 2D Arcade Games Downwell

Pros:

Fairly fast learning curve

Free trial and decent price tiers ($99 to $399 one of fee)

Advanced features

Great for artists

Good marketplace

Great tutorials and resources

Cons:

Costs extra to export for certain platforms such as Android or iOS

Not fully drag and drop – you need to learn some basic code

Own scripting language called Game Maker Language – if you learn how to script in GMS2, you will be limited

Honorable mention for 2D game engines:

Adventure Game Studio (perfect for 2D point and click games, better suited to small projects)

Another basic engine that lets you click pieces together to create your 3D game. CopperCube 5 comes with a terrain editor and lets you import your 3D assets from elsewhere. Strangely enough, even though it’s not exactly powerful, it has interesting support like the ability to export VR games for the Oculus Rift.

Watch how to get started with CopperCube 5 in 20 mins

Good for Notable examples 3D Survival Games PostCollapse 3D Multiplayer Platformer Painted Legend

Pros:

Easy to use

Visual editor

Terrain editor

Oculus Rift support

Exports to PC, Mac and Android

Cons:

Dated graphics

No console target

Lack of tutorials

Ready to join the big leagues? This is where the action happens. Unity, the game engine developed by Unity Technologies targets 27 platforms including the latest consoles such as the Switch and all mobile phones. This San Francisco company (who started in Denmark) now has more than 5 million registered developers who use the engine on a monthly basis.

While it is an extremely powerful platform that favours coders, there are a number of solutions for beginners who want to use visual scripting instead. These are all paying, but should give you all the tools you need to get started. If this is the road you want to take, you should therefore look at investing in beginner friendly plugins such as FlowCanvas, uScript, Adventure Creator or PlayMaker.

Watch how to get started with Unity in 20 mins

Tip: There are plenty of highly-rated Unity courses for little money on Bitdegree as well as Udemy. These will teach you how to make your first game from scratch.



Pros:

One of the best Asset Stores with tons of free assets

Excellent resources and tutorials

Use it for free until you make more than $100K from your games

Exhaustive list of platforms supported

Good for learning C#

Popular with indie developers

Cons:

Overwhelming for beginners

Need paid plugins to avoid scripting

Not the best toolkit for 2D games

Self-centered engine – Unity users can’t really apply their skills anywhere else

Another hugely powerful engine, Unreal was used to create AAA games such as Deus Ex, BioShock, Borderlands or even the Final Fantasy VII remake. As you can see, it is a trusted platform with a focus on spectacular graphics and lighting effects that is trusted by big companies and indie developers alike.

Of course, you will need a big team of developers to complete big projects like the ones mentioned above, but one advantage is that Unreal comes with a beginner-friendly solution called Blueprint that lets you get started without any coding knowledge.

Watch how to get started with Unreal in 1 hour.

Tip: To find in-depth courses on Unreal, check out Udemy.

Pros:

Built-in beginner solution with Blueprint

Multi-platform export including consoles

Outstanding next-gen graphics

Good online resources

Free to use until your games make a profit

Cons:

Heavy and demanding on performance

Even harder to pick up than Unity

Marketplace not as full as Unity’s

Royalty based payment system

Honorable mention for 3D game engines:

Skyline (still in Beta, drag and drop, growing community, no mobile targets yet)

001 Game Creator (PC only, very basic, dated interface, ready made templates)

CryEngine (highly realistic nature effects, requires knowledge of C++, has marketplace)

PlayCanvas (like Unity’s younger sibling – lightweight and cloud based – very focused on team game development)

Godot (increasingly popular for 2D and 3D, good for animations, has own coding language, hard for beginners)

Final Thoughts

As you can see, the market for beginner game engines is a fierce battle ground, with new challengers popping up all the time. This is particularly the case in the world of mobile app games, where a lot of platforms want to offer you ready made solution, claiming that you can easily create the next App Store hit.

However, if you are serious about game development, the market is shrinking by the day. At the moment, it looks like Unity and Unreal are the two main champions, and they are relied upon more and more by indie developers and AAA studios alike. Sure, the learning curve is a bit steeper, but once you get the hang of these products, you will truly feel like your next game can be anything you want.

Did we miss anything? Have a preferred game engine? We’ll be investigating more solutions in the future, so don’t hesitate to comment / ask questions below!