Top 5 2D Game Creator Engines

2D gaming is what launched the video game industry into success with the release of the Nintendo Entertainment System back in 1983. Gaming has evolved since then to 3D and VR with support on multiple platforms. Despite this progression, love for the 2D game still holds a place in many gamers hearts and continues to entertain every generation thereafter. Because of this, 2D game creator software continues to be built and maintained for the birth of new 2D games. Here is a list of 5 2D game engines you can use to start building games.

GameMaker Studio 2

GameMaker Studio 2 (GMS2) is a game perfect for beginners who either don’t want to code or want to get their feet wet with programming. GMS2 gives you the option to use their drag-and-drop (DnD) builder or develop with their proprietary language GML.

Any 2d game made with GML can also be done with their DnD builder. There is also a great feature that allows you to see the GML that is being generated as you use the DnD builder. This is a great way to study the code to understand what is happening under the hood.

GMS2 allows you to download their software free of charge to familiarize yourself with it for as long as you like and pay when you’re ready to publish. There are both 12-month and permanent licenses available. GMS2 publishing is available for all major platforms.

Popular titles made with GameMaker Studio include Downwell, Gunpoint, Hyper Light Drifter, and Undertale. See a full list of their showcase here.

Construct 3

Construct 3 is a 2d game engine that runs in your browser and works offline once loaded. Construct 3 is specifically built for those who do not want to code, but you can add JavaScript plugins to extend functionality to the engine.

They offer a free version that you can test out immediately since it runs on the browser, but they disable some features that are available in the paid version. If you want to export to any of there publishing options, you have to pay for the individual license.

Construct 2 is the precursor to Construct 3 and is still available to download, but there will be no more major updates and will only be maintained for bug fixes.

Construct 3 is supported in all major browsers.

Popular titles made with Construct include The Next Penelope, Klang, 8Bit Fiesta, and There Is No Game. See a full list of their showcase here.

Stencyl

Stencyl is a great start for beginning game design enthusiasts. This engine requires no programming skills and is a tool that gets you up and running quickly.

Stencyl comes with an asset archive to use from the start. Each asset includes pre-defined collision masks. You may also use your own assets if you wish and add your own behaviors.

Extended functionality is available by using the Haxe programming language. You can also use their code preview to see all the underlying Haxe code being generated while building your game.

The free version allows you to publish to the Web, but they also have desktop, iOS and Android publishing available with the paid versions.

Popular titles made with Stencyl include Mibibli’s Quest, Space Pirate, Lakeview Cabin, and Tiny Dangerous Dungeons. See a full list of their showcase here.

Godot

If you are a programmer, this is a great option for you. Godot is a free, open-source tool that has a large active community. It supports C++ out of the box as well as the community developed language: GDScript. Various other languages such as Python are supported with help from the community.

Godot does have a visual scripting editor, for non-programmers, but it is not as mature as some of the other game creator engines meant for non-programmers, so it can be a bit overwhelming when dealing with simple logic.

Godot allows you to publish to the Web, desktop, iOS, and Android.

Popular titles made with Godot include Deep Sixed, Stereobreak, Shipwreck, and The Interactive Adventure of Dog Mendonça & Pizza Boy See a full list of their showcase here.

Unity

Unity is a great engine for both 2D and 3D games: an industry standard for many businesses. Unity uses the common language C# and is, therefore, another great option for programmers. Because of its age, Unity’s community is one of the largest. This can be very helpful even for those prospective programmers because it means the community has most likely answered many of the questions you may have.

Unity’s has a version that is free for development and publishing, but revenue cannot exceed $100K. Its highest-paid version has no revenue cap.

Unity can publish to all major platforms.

Popular titles made with Unity include The Room, Ori and the Blind Forest, Hollow Knight, and Cuphead See a full list of their showcase here.

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