What 2D Game Engine to Use for Your Next Game

Choosing the right game engine is one of the most important decisions you‘ll make when starting a new game project. The engine you select will shape your entire development process and can even impact the types of games you‘re able to create.

For 2D games in particular, there are a number of excellent engines and frameworks to pick from, each with its own strengths, features, and ideal use cases. As a full-stack developer and professional coder who has experimented with many different game development tools, I‘m here to break down some of the top options and help you determine which one is the best fit for your next 2D game.

Unity

Let‘s start with one of the biggest names in game development: Unity. While often associated with 3D games, Unity is a highly capable and full-featured engine for 2D as well.

One of Unity‘s greatest strengths is its massive community and wealth of learning resources. As the most widely used game engine in the world, powering over 50% of all mobile games according to Unity‘s own statistics, you‘ll never struggle to find tutorials, documentation, or fellow developers to connect with.

The editor itself is quite complex, with a steeper learning curve than some other engines on this list. You‘ll need to get comfortable navigating its many menus and windows. Coding in Unity is done with C#, so if you don‘t already know the language, add that to the list of things you‘ll need to learn.

While Unity‘s 2D toolset has improved greatly in recent years, some developers still find it clunky and unintuitive compared to engines built solely for 2D. Features like animation, physics, and pixel-perfect rendering can require some finagling to get right. In the 2020 State of the Industry survey from the Game Developers Conference, only 3% of respondents reported using Unity specifically for 2D games.

That said, if you put in the time to learn its quirks, you can absolutely use Unity to make professional-grade 2D games of any scope or genre. It‘s an especially strong choice if you plan to incorporate 3D elements, as no other engine offers such a seamless 2D/3D workflow. Popular 2D games made with Unity include:

• Ori and the Blind Forest
• Cuphead
• Hollow Knight
• Inside
• Night in the Woods

Pricing is another consideration. Unity uses a free/paid model, with the free version including a splash screen. Some high-end features are reserved for the Plus/Pro tiers starting at $399/year.

Godot

On the other end of the spectrum, we have the open source upstart Godot. While lesser-known than Unity, Godot has been making waves recently as a powerful, flexible, and completely free alternative.

What really sets Godot apart is its node-based architecture. Whereas other engines rely heavily on object-oriented programming patterns, Godot projects are built by creating trees of nodes, each with its own properties and behaviors. This allows for a more visual, intuitive way of structuring your game.

By default, Godot uses its own Python-like scripting language called GDScript. However, it also has strong support for C#, C++, and even visual scripting for developers who prefer not to code at all. In a 2022 user survey, GDScript was the most popular language among Godot users at 42%, followed by C# at 33%.

2D is a first-class citizen in Godot, with a robust set of purpose-built tools for sprite animation, tilemap creation, pixel art, physics, and more. It also boasts impressive cross-platform support, with easy deployment to Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, and even the web.

While Godot‘s community is smaller than behemoths like Unity, it is growing steadily every year. The built-in documentation is excellent, and developers praise the engine for its clean, user-friendly design. Some notable 2D games made with Godot include:

• Resolutiion
• Hardcoded
• The Interactive Adventures of Dog Mendonça & Pizzaboy
• RPG in a Box

If you‘re put off by Unity‘s complexity and price tag, or just prefer working with free and open source software, Godot is more than worth considering for your 2D game. Its node-based approach can take some adjusting to, but many developers find it to be a faster, more intuitive way to build.

GameMaker Studio

GameMaker Studio is the granddaddy of 2D game engines, first released way back in 1999. Don‘t let its age fool you though – it‘s still one of the most popular and well-regarded tools for 2D development.

The main appeal of GameMaker is its simplicity and ease of use, especially for beginners and solo developers. The drag-and-drop, no-code-required workflow makes it incredibly friendly for non-programmers. At the same time, the built-in GML scripting language provides plenty of flexibility for more advanced users.

GameMaker was built from the ground up for 2D, and it shows. Everything from the sprite editor to the room/level designer is tailored for 2D games. It‘s especially well-suited for pixel art games, with best-in-class tools for working with low-resolution graphics and retro aesthetics.

Performance is another strong point. GameMaker is known for its speedy, lightweight runtime, allowing even complex games to run smoothly on low-end hardware. Some hugely successful GameMaker titles include:

• Undertale
• Hyper Light Drifter
• Hotline Miami
• Spelunky
• Katana Zero

One potential drawback is the pricing model. GameMaker offers a free trial, but accessing the full suite of features requires a subscription starting at $39/year for the Creator plan. To publish to consoles like Switch or PS4, you‘re looking at a hefty $799/year for the top-tier Ultimate plan.

According to the GameMaker Community Survey 2022, 54% of users are hobbyists making games purely for fun, while 28% are solo indie developers. This highlights GameMaker‘s core appeal: it‘s an engine built for small teams and individuals looking to quickly prototype and release 2D games.

Construct

Like GameMaker, Construct is all about making 2D game development as accessible as possible to non-programmers. The big difference is that Construct games are built entirely in the browser using a visual, drag-and-drop editor.

The goal with Construct is that anyone, regardless of coding skill, can use it to create a game without ever typing a line of code. The event-based system allows you to create complex behaviors and interactions by visually linking objects, conditions, and actions.

Being browser-based, custom coding in Construct is done via plugins written in JavaScript. Plenty of plugins come built-in, and you can create your own, but overall the engine is more limited in scripting compared to other options like Unity or GameMaker.

This simplicity makes Construct a great entry point for complete beginners looking to dip their toes into game development. Within a few hours, you can have a basic platformer or top-down shooter up and running. The browser-based nature also means you can work on your game from any computer without needing high-end hardware.

However, you will quickly run into the limits of what‘s possible with Construct‘s event system, and more complex genres like RPGs or strategy games are not its strong suit. Some examples of successful Construct games include:

• The Next Penelope
• Airscape: The Fall of Gravity
• Mortar Melon
• Skatelander

Construct has a limited free tier, but realistically you‘ll need to pay at least $99/year for a more fully-featured personal license.

Phaser

Phaser is quite different from the other engines covered so far. Rather than an all-in-one development environment, Phaser is a lightweight, open source framework for 2D web games powered by HTML5.

If you‘re already comfortable with web technologies like JavaScript and CSS, you‘ll feel right at home with Phaser. Games are written entirely in code, with no visual editor to rely on. While this allows for immense control and flexibility, it also means Phaser has a steeper learning curve than more beginner-friendly options.

The upside is that Phaser is 100% free and open source under the MIT license. You can use it for any commercial or non-commercial project without restriction. It‘s also highly extensible thanks to a rich plugin and module ecosystem.

In the past, a downside of Phaser was spotty documentation, but this has improved significantly with the latest version (Phaser 3). Helpful guides and examples are readily available, and the community is active and supportive on forums and Discord.

As a code-centric framework, Phaser is best suited for developers who want full control over every aspect of their game. It‘s a great choice for browser-based arcade games, puzzle games, and anything designed for the mobile web. Some well-known Phaser games include:

• Flappy Bird
• Slither.io
• Slime Volley
• CryptoCars
• Marble Mixer

According to npm stats, Phaser averages over 170,000 weekly downloads, making it one of the most popular JavaScript game frameworks. Its rendering performance is impressive, with the ability to handle hundreds of on-screen objects at a smooth 60FPS in most browsers.

Other Options

The engines covered so far are some of the most popular and widely used, but there are plenty of other strong contenders in the 2D space worth considering:

• LÖVE: A free, open source 2D framework built on Lua, known for its simplicity, speed, and ease of distribution. LÖVE is popular for game jams and rapid prototyping.

• MonoGame: An open source implementation of Microsoft‘s XNA framework supporting C#. MonoGame is a solid choice for .NET developers interested in making cross-platform 2D games.

• Pygame: A popular Python library for 2D game creation. While not as full-featured as other engines, Pygame is great for learning game dev concepts and quickly iterating on ideas.

• Solar2D (formerly Corona): A powerful, cross-platform engine with a Lua-based scripting API. Solar2D is known for its ease of use, fast performance, and robust plugins for features like physics and monetization.

• LibGDX: A popular open source Java framework for cross-platform 2D and 3D development. LibGDX is a lower-level framework giving you full control over every aspect of your game, but with a steeper learning curve.

According to the 2022 Game Engines and Languages report from the Game Developers Conference, the top 3 game engines overall are Unity (61%), Unreal (28%), and custom in-house engines (19%). However, for 2D games specifically, GameMaker, Construct, and Phaser see much higher usage compared to 3D-focused engines.

Choosing the Right Engine

With so many excellent options available, how do you determine which 2D game engine is right for your project? Here are some key factors to consider:

Your programming skills and experience. If you‘re new to coding, a simpler engine like Construct or GameMaker may be more your speed. If you‘re already proficient in a language like C# or JavaScript, you might prefer Unity or Phaser.

The type of game you want to make. Some engines are better suited for certain genres:

• GameMaker and Construct excel at retro-style platformers, top-down shooters, and arcade games
• RPGs and adventure games are doable but more complex in visual scripting engines – Unity or Godot may be better choices
• For puzzle games, a framework like Phaser offers quick development with minimal overhead
• If you‘re making a mobile idle game or clicker, Solar2D is a strong option with monetization plugins

The platforms you plan to release on. If you‘re targeting consoles, you‘ll need an engine with the proper licensing and export options like Unity or GameMaker. For web games, HTML5 engines like Phaser are ideal. Want to release on mobile? Look for engines with easy Android and iOS support like Solar2D or Godot.

Your art style and graphics needs. Pixel art tends to be easier in dedicated 2D engines like GameMaker, while Godot has excellent tools for both pixel and HD art. For vector graphics, web-based frameworks like Phaser are a good fit. If you plan to mix 2D and 3D, Unity is the clear leader.

Your budget (if any). Engines like Unity, GameMaker, and Construct offer more features but require a paid subscription for full access. Free, open source tools like Godot, LÖVE, and Pygame are great for small budgets, solo devs, and hobbyists.

Ultimately, the best way to choose an engine is to try a few for yourself. Most offer free demos or trial versions you can use to test the workflow and see what clicks.

"The truth is, there‘s no single ‘best‘ engine out there," says Christer Kaitila, founder of McFunkypants game studio. "Especially when you‘re first starting out, just pick something that looks fun and start making stuff. You can always learn another engine later."

Derek Yu, creator of the hit roguelike platformer Spelunky, echoes this sentiment. In an interview with Gamasutra, he advises aspiring developers:

"I know the anxiety of wanting to find the perfect tools and perfect way of doing things before starting, but the most important thing is just to start making games and finishing them. The tools you‘re using are secondary to developing skills like design and just plain old persistence."

Conclusion

As a full-stack developer, I‘ve found that the key to a successful game project is choosing the tools that let you work efficiently and focus on the fun parts of game dev. There‘s no one-size-fits-all answer – the best engine for you depends on your unique needs and preferences.

My advice? Make a list of your must-have features, and try out a few options that check those boxes. Pick the one that feels most intuitive and gets you excited to create. With the right engine and a stellar game idea, you‘re well on your way to releasing your dream 2D game. Happy developing!