If you spend a lot of time playing games, and for you, it’s more than just entertainment, then you’ve probably considered developing your own game. Perhaps you want to improve something in your favorite game, or perhaps you’ve come up with some interesting game ideas, or even a completely new gaming universe just begging to be realized as a real game.
Creating your own computer game isn’t all that difficult if you don’t start from scratch and instead leverage the work of others, more experienced developers. Why bother programming standard game elements if they’ve already been thought of? It’s better to focus on the creative side of the game right away—inventing levels, enemies, characters, and new, interesting events. Special tools—game engines—were created for this purpose.
Let’s look at the most popular game engines.
Select a game engine category:
| The best | 2D (PC) | 3D (PC) | Cross | MMO + Web | Mobile |
Programs for creating 2D gamesGame MakerThe program is designed for creating 2D games without programming languages. Lines of code are replaced with pre-defined actions for game characters. The user simply creates game objects, provides them with 2D sprites or animations, creates rules for interaction between objects, and arranges them within levels. Graphics and animation can be drawn directly in Game Maker, without the need for third-party programs. This program is great for top-down games and side-view platformers. “Game Maker” will also be of interest to advanced programmers; it also allows you to add your own program code. The free version of the program offers no limitations for regular users, unlike the paid version of Game Maker Pro. The paid version provides access to complex software modules of interest only to true professional programmers.
Construct 2A very simple 2D game creator. No programming knowledge required. Unlike Game Maker, Construct 2 lets you create games for iOS, Android, Facebook, Chrome Web Store, Desktop Windows, Windows 8 Apps, Web (HTML5), Kongregate, and many other platforms. This is a higher-quality program, but also more money-hungry. It’s free until you decide to sell your game. In that case, you’ll need to purchase a licensed version. The developers’ website also offers a dedicated store where you can purchase building resources for your game, including sound packs, music, and detailed instructions. We recommend the training course “TDS from A to Z” (creating a top-down shooter game).
3D game creation software (website gamesisart.ru)3D Rad 3D Rad is the cheapest option among 3D game engines. The program is completely free to use, and for $5 you get the latest updates on the day they’re released (the free version doesn’t receive updates for three months). This engine is most often used to create racing games. The program has a simple and clear interface, not burdened with details. “3D Rad” supports the installation of individual plugins and has pre-installed AI models, shadow maps, and textures. It also supports online game creation.
NeoAxis Game Engine SDKAn excellent game engine with a simple interface and high-quality graphics. Designed for creating games in virtually any genre. Built on the Ogre3D engine, it uses C# and C++ programming languages and the .NET platform, but can be used without programming thanks to dedicated libraries of ready-made actions. The engine offers various add-ons and extensions developed by third-party users. Export is available for 3dsMax and Maya, Autodesk Softimage, and Blender. Shaders, lighting, and PSSM (Parallel-Split Shadow Map) shadows are supported. NeoAxis Engine is distributed under 4 license types: Non-Commercial – free for non-commercial projects; Individual License – $95/$295 (single/team); Commercial – $395/$995 (single/team); Source Code License – starting at $9,800. The main advantage of this game engine is its extreme convenience and simplicity. Furthermore, the engine was developed by Russian programmers, allowing it to be natively supported in Russian. When purchasing a licensed version, you receive high-quality technical support in your native language.
Unity 3DA comprehensive tool that contains everything you need to create a game. Unity 3D includes a graphics engine that fully utilizes DirectX and OpenGL, a built-in 3D model editor, dedicated programs for creating and processing shaders, shadows, terrain, physics, and sounds, as well as extensive script libraries. With Unity 3D, you can forget about third-party programs altogether, or keep their use to a minimum. Unity 3D is suitable for creating games of any genre. Supported platforms include desktop computers (Windows XP/Vista/7, OSX), mobile devices (Android, iOS, Blackberry), game consoles (Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox), and internet browsers (Flash, Web Player). There is a special collaborative development system called Asset Server, which allows you to develop a game as part of an entire team directly over the Internet. The only drawback is that using Unity 3D requires at least an intermediate level of computer programming knowledge. Despite a rich library of ready-made practical software solutions and a powerful scripting engine with instant compilation, some code will have to be written manually in JavaScript or C#.
Unreal Development Kit (UDK)One of the most popular game engines among professional game developers, Unreal Engine powers games such as the Unreal Tournament series, the Mass Effect series, XCOM, Borderlands 2, DmC: Devil May Cry, and dozens and hundreds of other smaller titles. “UDK” supports the following platforms: PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, Android. This engine was originally designed for creating 3D shooters, but it also has the potential to create games of related genres: slashers, adventures, and MMOs. The game engine is excellent at creating facial animations, complex building architecture, and handling complex physics objects. UDK includes all the necessary tools for creating animations, textures, sounds, levels, models, and scripts. It also includes a built-in library containing over 1,000 structures, other 3D models, standard textures, and sounds. Programming is also possible using the specialized Unreal Script language (based on C++). You can use UDK completely free of charge until you decide to officially publish your game created with this engine. In that case, you’ll have to fork out for an expensive license.
CryENGINE 3 Free SDKCryENGINE 3 is the pinnacle of modern game engines, delivering photorealistic graphics with support for DirectX 11 and third-generation shaders. The third version of the engine was created in 2009. This engine powers the Far Cry and Crysis series, the online game Aion, and dozens of lesser-known computer games. Crytek has decided to distribute this already popular game engine for free. However, this freebie lasts only until you decide to officially release a game created with this engine. The licensed version is more expensive than all similar programs, but it’s worth the money. With CryENGINE 3 you can create games for the following platforms: PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. You can import textures from the graphics programs 3ds max, Maya, and also from previous versions of the engine. The CryENGINE 3 engine has proven very popular, and it has developed a whole Russian-speaking community. Thanks to this, you can easily find all kinds of training materials, as well as answers to specific questions. |
