The best game development software to learn how to make a video game

The best game development software is often a 'platform' of tools to bring your dream video game creation to life. In recent years there have been two game making softwares - or 'game engines' - that have stood out from the rest; Unreal Engine and Unity have been used by large studios and indie game developers alike, which is why these are top of my list.

You can read my guides to Unreal Engine and Unity for more on these two game engines, but they aren't the be all and end all of game creation software. In recent years indie game developers have made use of Godot Engine and GameMaker, which offer easy workflows and asset creation, as well as marketing options and simply ways to submit games to digital stores. Read our Godot versus GameMaker feature for a comparison (but both feature in this guide).

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Buildbox
at signup.buildbox.com

Buildbox has been around since 2014 and is now on its 4th numbered release, though you can also try Buildnbox Classic. It's a drag-and-drop nod-code game creation software ideal for 2D games, and the developer offers templates and ready made assets to get started. Ideal for beginners.

Twine
at twinery.org

Unlike other game making apps on my list, Twine is purely text based and used to create interactive fiction and narrative 'games'. It's an ideal way to get started in writing game content, pathways, choices and experimenting with the game storytelling.

RPG Maker
at rpgmakerweb.com

RPG Maker is a beginner-friendly app used for creating 16-bit style pixel art role-playing games. It offers templates for maps, characters, animation, combat mechanics and more. It's not as flexible as the likes of Godot, GameMaker and Unity but a good place to start.

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Paul Hatton
Writer

Paul is a digital expert. In the 20 years since he graduated with a first-class honours degree in Computer Science, Paul has been actively involved in a variety of different tech and creative industries that make him the go-to guy for reviews, opinion pieces, and featured articles. With a particular love of all things visual, including photography, videography, and 3D visualisation Paul is never far from a camera or other piece of tech that gets his creative juices going. You'll also find his writing in other places, including Creative Bloq, Digital Camera World, and 3D World Magazine. 

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