Choosing a game engine with which to develop your 2D game is an important decision that can really have an effect – good or bad – on your game’s future. Here are a few different engines you can use for 2D game development, and best of all, they’re absolutely free to use!
Intersect Engine
If you are looking to create a multi-player online RPG, you might be interested in the Intersect Engine. Intersect is a C# online role-playing game creation toolkit which boasts the familiarity of classic 2D tile-based RPG engines but adds a modern code base and a more user-friendly development suite. The engine’s designers stress that they intended users to be able to create a game with little or no coding experience. Additionally, many popular RPG elements are included in the engine, and the client for Intersect is powered by MonoGame. This means that in the future your game can be ported across multiple platforms. Intersect is free to use, open source, and boasts a very permissive license, so you can distribute your game at a profit. For more details, visit http://www.freemmorpgmaker.com
Unity
Another very popular game engine with a free licensing option is Unity. Many people associate Unity with 3D game development, but its robust suite can be used to create 2D games, as well. In fact, the Unity Editor offers a 2D specific development mode with its own physics and image settings. The functions of the 3D editor are still present, but there are helpful additions in 2D mode to simplify 2D game development. Another feature that Unity is most famous for is one-click deployment to the full range of platforms. The only downside to all of this available customization is that development with Unity can be complex. There are tutorials and a large support community in place to help budding game developers, however. For more information, visit http://www.unity3d.com.
Eclipse Origins
Eclipse Origins is specifically designed to create 2D MMORPGs. Its purpose is to give the user built-in editors and features so that a game can be created with no previous programming knowledge or experience. It includes a full events system and a complete system for online play built in. This engine was designed with ease of use in mind, and tailored toward the beginner game developer. However, two of its drawbacks are that it is Windows only, and therefore can’t be ported to other platforms, and that some of the fuller features require a paid license. For more details about the Eclipse Origins engine, visit http://www.eclipseorigins.com.
GameMaker: Studio
Created by YoYo Games, GameMaker Studio is a popular game engine designed to develop any style of game with minimal programming experience. It utilizes GML, or “GameMaker Language,” which is a programming language based on C but which offers added drag and drop functionality. GameMaker also enables your game to be ported across many different platforms, and offers built-in support for two different physics engines: Box2D or Google’s LiquidFun. Other nifty features include support for adding in-app purchases to your game, real-time analytics, and built in user engagement and incentives. For a complete list of features, check out http://www.yoyogames.com/gamemaker/features.
Construct 2
Construct 2 is another powerful game engine which has been designed specifically for developing 2D games. There is absolutely no coding required, so it’s perfect for beginners. Based in HTML5, Construct 2 allows developers and designers to quickly build games and prototypes without having to write a single line of code. The engine is also expandable via extensions, includes an event system, offers instant previews before committing to changes, and, of course, offers export to multiple platforms. Construct 2 is available as a free download, but beyond a certain number of layers and events you’ll eventually want to purchase a license. For complete details, visit https://www.scirra.com/construct2