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

Best game development software; logos for game development software
(Image credit: Epic Games, Godot, GameMaker)

The best game development software can allow both big studios and indie developers to bring their dream video game to life. Options range from simple visual programs that require little or no coding knowledge to complex and powerful tools like Unreal Engine and Unity, our top picks as the best game engines.

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Paul Hatton, a photo of a smiling man
Paul Hatton

Paul is a regular contributor to Creative Bloq specialising in technology for game development, digital art and 3D. He covers a variety of tech and creative industries, including 3D visualisation and writes many of our reviews of new creative software, testing programs using real-world workflows. He also writes for our sister publications Digital Camera World and 3D World Magazine. 

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Unreal Engine 5 scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

features like Nanite virtualized geometry, Lumen global illumination, and robust physics enable the creation of highly realistic visuals

★★★★★

Usability

Can be daunting, and the steep learning curve requires time and some coding knowledge.

★★★

Versatility

UE5 is highly versatile, also serving for film, architecture, training simulations, and other real-time applications.

★★★★★

Price

Free, unless your game makes it big, in which case the price won't be an issue.

★★★★

Our expert says...
Paul Hatton, a photo of a smiling man
Our expert says...
Paul Hatton

Unreal Engine 5 is transforming game development. Beyond the individual features, which themselves make a lot of things possible or easier to achieve, there's the sense that many of the future technological developments in game development will be built on this foundation.

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Unity scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Broad platform support, solid multiplayer functionality and superb quality visuals.

★★★★

Usability

Unity is relatively easy to pick up and use, but can also get incredibly complicated depending how deep you want to go.

★★★★

Versatility

Unity is great option for all kinds of games, as well as films, animation, architectural visualisation and more.

★★★★

Price

Free personal subscriptions make Unity a great option for indie developers. And the pro subscription price is reasonable.

★★★★

Our expert says...
Paul Hatton, a photo of a smiling man
Our expert says...
Paul Hatton

With over two decades of development, Unity is in the best place it’s ever been. It's addressed a number of issues and put the focus back on what the engine is truly capable of, including great multiplayer functionality.

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Godot scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Scene-driven design, 2D and 2D tools and Comprehensive cross-platform delivery options.

★★★★

Usability

GDScript is a high-level Python-based language, which makes it perfect for beginners to pick up.

★★★★

Versatility

3D capabilities are more limited than with Unreal Engine or Unity.

★★★

Price

Free and open source.

★★★★★

Our expert says...
Paul Hatton, a photo of a smiling man
Our expert says...
Paul Hatton

Godot Engine is the ideal open-source platform for indie developers looking to create games for desktop, mobile and the web. It includes a wide range of features that enable game creators to generate virtual worlds and scenes. 

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GameMaker scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Great 2D tools.

★★★

Usability

Solid documentation and an intuitive drag-and-drop interface makes GameMaker a strong established choice for beginners.

★★★★★

Versatility

Best for 2D games.

★★★

Price

Free version for non-commercial projects only. Console export costs more.

★★★★

Our expert says...
Paul Hatton, a photo of a smiling man
Our expert says...
Paul Hatton

GameMaker is the best game engine for beginners thanks to its GM Visual interface, which removes the need for advanced programming. The visual tools enable users to set up flows that determine how the game progresses based on actions.

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Stencyl scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Easy process for creating games from pre-made assets, including animations, tile sets, background scenery and sound effects.

★★★

Usability

Intuitive, easy-to-use interface is accessible for those with no coding experience.

★★★★★

Versatility

2D games only. Features and customisation options are limited.

★★★

Price

Free version, and affordable price for publishing tools.

★★★★

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Construct scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Browser-based approach can avoid hardware issues. Responsive maintenance and bug fixes.

★★★

Usability

Intuitive visual scripting.

★★★★

Versatility

Limited support for 3D, but JavaScript support allows growth.

★★★

Price

Limited free trial.

★★★

Buildbox

Buildbox
Buildbox has been around since 2014 and now on its 4th numbered release, though you can also try Buildnbox Classic. It's a drag-and-drop no-code game creation software ideal for 2D games, and the developer offers templates and ready made assets to get started. Ideal for beginners.

Twine

Twine
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

RPG Maker
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.

TOPICS
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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