The best game development software to learn how to make a video game
We test the best game making software for beginners and professionals, including the best free game creation software.
The best game development software offers a 'platform' of tools allowing developers to bring their dream video game creation to life. There are simple visual programs that require little or no coding knowledge, and there are powerful tools, like top picks as the best game engine, Unreal Engine and Unity, which are used by large studios and indie game developers alike.
You can read my guides to Unreal Engine and Unity for more on these two game engines, but they aren't the be all and end all of game creation software. Indie game developers are also making excellent games with Godot Engine and GameMaker, which offer easier workflows and asset creation, as well as marketing options and ways to submit games to digital stores. Read our Godot versus GameMaker feature for a comparison (but both feature in this guide).
If you're looking for a game engine but have no interest in learning how to code, then Stencyl is a fantastic option. The ability to build game logic using a visual interface makes it very easy to use. The final engine in my guide is Construct, which I've picked for its speed relating to runtime power.
While some game building software offer asset creation tools, many rely on you building 3D models and designing 2D pixel art in offer apps and importing your files, so alongside the software on this list, you might want to read up on the best 3D modelling software and the best animation software.
The best game development software: quick list
Unreal Engine 5 is one of the best game engines that doubles up as a real-time creation platform. It has everything you need for game development, visualisation, and VFX.
Unity is a real-time development platform for game creation as well as generation of VR and AR content. Unity runs Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Godot Engine stands out from the likes of Unreal Engine and Unity in that it is open-source and 100% free. It's therefore ideal for games with small budgets.
GameMaker is one of the longest running engines on the market. It's fantastic for beginners thanks to the GM Visual interface and workflow, which require no programming knowledge.
As the name suggests, Stencyl is an easy-to-use drag-and-drop gameplay designer. Create your game in no time at all thanks to hundreds of ready-to-use blocks.
Construct is a fully featured game development tool that enables designers to create unique games with limited effort. It's browser-based UI is one of the fastest to use.
The best game software in full
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Best game development software overall
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
✅ You want to future-proof your project: Unreal's current dominance in game development and its regular updates means reliability and support for many years to come.
✅ You want to produce top-tier games: Unreal offers huge depth and scalability along with cinematic visual, realistic physics, and detailed level designs.
❌ You're making a 2D or mobile game: UE can be used for developing 2D games, but you could face bottlenecks if you're making a mobile game. UE5 doesn't support some lower-end devices.
❌ You have a low-powered computer: We recommend a minimum of 16 GB of VRAM and 8 CPU cores plus plenty of storage space.
🔎 Unreal Engine 5 is shaping game development today, with some big studios adopting it in place of their proprietary engines. it can save time since most developers will already have experience with it, and there's the convenience of Unreal's own development team for support. Cinematic quality, expanding features and regular updates make it a reliable choice for project of any scale for years to come. ★★★★★
Unreal Engine 5 is one of the most popular game engines in the world right now. With the software behind everything from video games to films and visual effects, Unreal Engine 5 is coming to dominate the visual content creation market, not just in gaming.
The real-time digital creation platform has been used on a range of high-profile games, including large open worlds in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 and by smaller studios and indie game development teams (read our breakdown of how The Chinese Room used UE5 to make Still Wakes The Deep). What is most impressive about Unreal Engine 5 is its set of features that deliver photorealistic results. This is particularly notable with MetaHuman's ability to create unbelievably lifelike characters for games, films, and 3D visualisation (read how new studio River End Games uses this technology to craft improved storytelling in Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream).
Epic Games is continuously releasing updates and new features for Unreal Engine, and in my Unreal Engine 5.3 review I covered some of the recent updates, highlighting our this game creation software keeps redefining game development with features like dynamic fog and MegaLights. Part of Unreal Engine 5's success, and Unreal Engine generally over the years, is this kind of security and future-proofing; start making a game now and it'll be supported in years to come. Another big advantage is that it's very artist-friendly thanks to visual scripting and workflows for meshes and materials that will feel familiar to anyone who's used Maya, Blender or other 3D software.
Unreal Engine 5 is free for most people. You'll only need to pay a 5% royalty if your game makes over $1 million, at which point it won't be a massive dent on earnings. So is there any reason NOT to use UE5? Well, its power and cutting-edge tools are most useful for 3D games. For 2D games, I'd recommend considering Godot Engine (see further below) or you could end up in more complexity than you need. And UE could be a hindrance since it doesn't support some lower-end devices, which could limit your audience if you're making a simple mobile title.
UE needs a pretty powerful computer to run on, and it can take a long time to learn. You'll want some knowledge of C++, which means a steeper learning curve in itself (and slower compile times too), and despite the wide adoption of the engine the documentation is limited and it can be hard to find tutorials on every aspect you might want to learn about.
Read more: full Unreal Engine 5 review
Best game development software for mobile
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
✅ You're making a smaller game: Unity is popular among among smaller studios, solo developers and hobbyists. It supports a wide range of devices, and you may find it to be simpler – and easier on your computer – than Unreal with faster load times and smaller files.
✅You want lots of versatility: Unity is great for anything, from a pixel art platformer to a realistic FPS.
✅ You want lots of tutorials: Unity still has a bigger community, making it easier to find tutorials online.
❌ You don't want to learn C#: Unity only supports C#.
❌ You want the highest-end visuals: For AAA games or VFX work, Unreal is becoming the engine of choice for stunning graphics.
🔎 Unity remains a hugely popular game engine for a wide variety of different types of games. The large community and strong documentation can help ease the learning curve, but then you'll need to learn C#. Unlike Unreal, the source code is not available for free, and it's getting to the point where learning Unreal could be more useful career-wise. ★★★★½
Unity is a popular real-time game making software that is known for its ability to generate immersive and interactive content, especially for mobile platforms. This game creation software can be used to generate games, movies, animation, arch-viz and more.
Unity always been a direct competitor to Unreal Engine but has found itself falling behind slightly over the last four years, but the release of Unity 6 last year set a new benchmark for the platform, and refocused on indie developers and mobile game creation.
In my Unity 6 review, I highlighted how the new release makes substantial improvements to rendering, multiplayer tools and photorealistic lighting. The addition of new multiplayer game creation tools in particular ensures Unity 6 can carve out a niche use for indie game developers. It's new Universal Render Pipeline also brings this game building software closer to the photorealism of Unreal Engine 5.
Available on Windows, Mac, and Linux, Unity 6 is able to deploy games across almost all platforms, including iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, and WebGL. To find out what games Unity has been used to create, head over to our guide to the best indie games as well as the upcoming Star Citizen 2 made by solo developer Gareth Damian Martin.
Unity 6 is a great option for creators of all skill levels and even though there is a learning curve, it's not as steep as you might think and many feel it's easier to use than Unreal Engine 5. For more information about Unity, take a read of my article on discovering Unity's next-gen tools.
Read more: full Unity 6 review
Best game development software for 2D
03. Godot Engine 4
Our expert review:
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
✅ You're making a 2D game: Godot is lighter than Unity, which makes it efficient for prototyping scenes, plus it has all the native features needed to make a full game.
✅You want a shallow learning curve: Godot caters well to newbies, and it's bespoke and customisable scripting language, GDScript, is easier to learn than C++
❌ You want to make a more complex game: Godot has limited use for 3D, and Unity is faster for physics and rendering.
🔎 Godot Engine is a fast and lightweight open-source game engine that's ideal for 2D games. With its own scripting language and lots of baked-in tools, it's a great choice for beginners. ★★★★
Godot Engine 4 (now on version 4.4) is a game creator software that is becoming increasingly popular with indie game developers, especially with Unreal Engine 5 and Unity 6 charging royalties for successful games. One of the standout features of Godot Engine 4 is that it's open-source and 100% free. That makes it perfect for indie game developers.
This cross-platform engine has been used to create a range of games, including 'Until Then', 'Of Life and Land', and 'Backpack Battle'. It's 2D features make it one of the best options, alongside GameMaker (below) for creating 2D games, but Godot Engine 4 in particular is optimised for 2D level creation, and you can design sprites, shapes, and simple animations directly in the software. Despite this niche, Godot can also be used to create 3D games, although I would argue that Unreal Engine 5 or Unity 6 would be better options if you're going down that route.
Godot Engine 4 makes it possible to create content for multiple platforms and includes publishing tools. As well as releasing to desktop you can now launch your creations on the best game consoles, although if you opt for the latter, then you will need to make sure your coding skills are up to scratch.
This is a game making software aimed at newcomers, so it features an intuitive, thoughtful features and a bespoke and customisable scripting language - GDScript - that is easier to grasp than C++ (though you can use that too). Read my explainer to Godot Engine to discover its complete feature list and uses.
Best game development software for beginners
04. GameMaker
Our expert review:
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
✅ You're getting started: The simple GM Visual interface is intuitive and requires no programming knowledge, and documentation is excellent,
✅You want to make simple 2D games: Godot is best for pixel art games, traditional puzzle games and classic arcade games.
❌ You want to make 3D games: It's possible with a lot of work, but GameMaker wasn't made with 3D games in mind.
🔎 GameMaker is a well-established and reliable game engine with a visual interface that makes it a great option for simple 2D games. With a simple visual interface and thorough documentation, we think it's the easiest game engine for beginners, but those wanting to develop more complex games will find the tools limiting. ★★★★
GameMaker is a dedicated 2D game engine that has been used by indie game developers for around a quarter of a century. Within that time, the game building software has been used to create indie game hits such as Undertale, Hyper Light Drifter, and Chicory: A Colorful Tale. The breakout 2024 hit Balatro, that was nominated for a The Game Awards gong was also made using GameMaker.
This game development software is easier to use than many on this list because of its GM Visual interface and workflow that requires absolutely no programming knowledge and therefore make it ideal for beginners. The simple UI uses a visual scripting system that enables users to 'drag-and-drop' content into your game's builder.
That being said, if you'd like to take your game development to a whole new level, then you can utilise GameMaker's bespoke scripting language, GML Code. It's customisable so you can write your own blocks and develop those in GameMaker. The GamerMaker community is a lively one and helps here too and it's the best game engines that I've tested when it comes to documentation: clicking on any function or internal variable with the middle button brings up the relevant help page.
GameMaker excels for pixel art games and 2D games, including traditional puzzle games, platformers and classic arcade games. There are no 3D tools or support in GameMaker, and that's not its strength. A focus on 2D style games also means you can prototype and trial game mechanics and ideas quickly. For more, read my GameMaker explainer and get inspired with GameMaker user Stepford's tips for getting started in indie game development and using GameMaker.
GameMaker can be used to deploy to a range of platforms, including PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and Steam. This makes it a particularly attractive option for all types of 2D game developers.
Best code-free game development software
05. Stencyl
Our expert review:
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
✅ You don't want to code: A simple block-snapping interface and hundreds of ready-to-use blocks makes Stencyl a viable option for those with no knowledge of code.
✅You don't mind paying for publishing tools: Stencyl allows publishing for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS, but you'll need a subscription.
❌ You want to publish for consoles: Neither subscription includes publishing on home consoles.
❌ You want to make a 3D game: Simple 2D games only.
🔎 Stencyl has the simplest no-code interface that I've tested, making it great for beginners looking for a shallow learning curve. The downside of this is that the ability to customise is limited. ★★★½
The first thing you'll notice when you start using Stencyl is how simple and intuitive the interface is. Almost all complexities are done away with and as a result, this game creation software can generate fantastic results without too much prior knowledge of game development.
If you only have limited coding knowledge, or none at all, and have little asset creation skill or time to do it, then Stencyl is a good option. While GameMaker and Godot Engine above both feature drag-and-drop workflows Stencyl has been developed with MIT Scratch in mind.
I found it to be the most simple and intuitive drag-and-drop interface I've used, which makes game generation as easy as it can be - ideal for first-timers and a good way to learn how game theory can be implemented without getting caught up in coding or even asset creation. You can literally build a game from pre-made assets, including animations, tile sets for building levels, background scenery, sound effects and AI behaviours.
The drawback of the simplicity is that, although you can edit the Haxe code generated, coding is limited. The engine lacks the depths of customisation options that other game making software offers, and there are no 3D tools.
Another issue is that you'll need a paid subscription for publishing tools: $99 a year for an individual licence, which allows publication for Desktop, and $199 for a Studio licence, which covers Android and iOS and allows the addition of in-app purchases to make money from your game. A subscription is also required to access the private community forums, but there are examples and tutorials on indie game hosting websites Newgrounds and ArmorGames.
Best game development software for prototyping
06. Construct 3
Our expert review:
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
✅ You want a browser-based engine: Construct 3 runs in your web browser and saves projects to the cloud, reducing the need for powerful hardware.
✅You want fast fixes: Construct benefits from fast updates and bug fixes. If something's broken, Scirra tends to fix it quickly.
❌ You want a free game engine: The Concept 3 free trial is limited, with no publishing options. It's hard for hobbyists to justify paying a subscription when there are more powerful free and even open-source engines available.
❌ You want to make a 3D game: Support for 3D games is limited.
🔎 Construct 3 is a powerful browser-based game engine with lots of features. It may seem expensive for beginners and non-professionals, which is why we've rated it lower than GameMaker and Stencyl, but if you're prepared to pay, you're rewarded with good support and fast updates and fixes. ★★★½
Construct 3 is an easy, quick and most powerful game creation software that's also browser-based, so you needn't feel the need to buy one of the best laptops for game development to use it.
Jam-packed with features that make it possible to make, publish and monetise games, Construct 3 uses a drag-and-drop system just like Godot Engine, GameMaker and Stencyl but it's not quite as user-friendly as those, especially Stencyl. Like a lot of beginner game creation software Construct 3 is 2D focused; support for 3D is limited to adding 3D layers for aesthetics alone.
Construct has some pretty impressive stats to back up its success. Nearly two million game creators use Construct every year, with over 200,000 new projects created every month. From this number, over 60,000 games have been exported from the game engine. It's particularly strong for web since it can give you native HTML5 games.
Speed of creation is where Construct 3 comes into its own. Once you know the basics games can be easily made and fast, making this a really nice platform to prototype ideas and gameplay mechanics that you may want to take further in other game making software, like Unity. Or use Construct 3 simply as a way to build your portfolio, which is very handy if you're serious about breaking into the games industry. Construct does also support JavaScript code, so experienced programmers can do more with the software, making it a nice bridge platform.
With only a few clicks, Construct 3 games can be published to a wide range of platforms, including Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, Linux, Steam, and more.
Also tested
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
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 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.
How to choose the best game development software
When deciding on what game development software to use, first you need to consider what you intend to make as well as your skill level, knowledge and how much time you can invest. Below are some things to consider that can help decide which game making software to use, but also remember there are free versions of all the best game development softwares, so try before you commit.
1. What kind of game are you making?
Set your goals and decide whether you're creating a 2D or 3D game, will it be released on mobiles, desktop or consoles? Will it support or be a VR game? Each game creation software is good for different things:
2D games: Godot Engine, Unity 6, GameMaker, Construct and Stencyl.
3D games: Unity 6 and Unreal Engine 5.
Mobile games: Unity 6 and Buildbox (found on my also consider section)
VR/AR games: Unreal Engine 5 and Unity 6.
2. What's your skill level?
Now decide your skill level, as each game creation software is tailored to certain levels of experience:
Beginner: GameMaker, Godot, Construct 3, Stencyl, Buildbox all offer no-code or drag-and-drop workflows.
Intermediate: Unity 6 and Unreal Engine 5, despite advanced tech these are free to try and approachable but you'll need some coding experience.
Experienced: Unreal Engine 5 or Godot Engine (as despite be accessible it can be customised for more complex tasks.
3. What's your budget?
You'll need to decide if you're making a game for commercial use, for fun, as a challenge or two include in your portfolio. This affects how much money you're willing to spend.
Free software: Godot Engine is the only truly free, open-source game development software, and is a great compliment to Blender.
Free non-commercial: GameMaker, Unity 6 and Unreal Engine 5 all offer free versions for personal use, but commercial features will cost.
Paid full software: GameMaker, Buildbox and Construct 3 all offer affordable payment plans for commercial use.
Revenue models: check to the T&Cs of the app you're using, for example Unreal Engine 5 is free but takes 5% royalty after your earn $1 million and Unity 6 has a tiered subscription model. Generally, all game development software offers free entry but tiers costs based on your releases and success.
4. Community, training and support
Before deciding on which game creation software you're going to use it's good to poke around the community and see how friendly it is; can it be helpful and are there available tutorials and docs? Is there a connected store for assets? As a rule Unreal Engine and Unity both offer large communities and regularly release projects to reuse assets from, or learn from. Godot Engine and GameMaker also have lively communities.
How we review game development software
We have over a decade of experience reviewing creative software. Our reviewers test software hands-on and I've personally reviewed a number of the apps on this list for Creativebloq. When we haven't managed to directly review a software, we refer to reviews in our sister websites, which include PC Gamer and TechRadar.
We also regularly talk to the game development community and interview them about their workflows and the software the use to learn what advantages and disadvantages they have encountered. You can read more about how we test software.
Frequently asked questions
What kind of laptop do I need for game development?
If you're wanting to design games, then you'll need one of the best laptops for game development. These machines are fantastic at balancing CPU power, GPU capabilities, memory, and storage. You'll also want to consider what type of games you want to create and which engine is a good fit for you.
Where do I start with choosing a piece of game software?
I think the best question to ask first is, "Do I want to create 2D or 3D games?" This will help narrow your search down significantly. If you're keen on 3D then I'd opt for Unreal Engine or Unity, whereas if you'd like to make 2D games then Godot and GameMaker have simpler and more dedicated tools.
I'm a 3D visualiser, is there a best option for me?
Absolutely. The tools within Unreal Engine and Unity for this field are far superior to almost anything else on the market. It is possible to create games with these engines but more broadly, they include tools for general real-time content creation. This makes it ideal for 3D visualisers who want to render their scenes quickly and have the flexibility to deliver a wide range of outputs.
What's the best game software for mobile gaming development?
Unity is renowned for its mobile game development, although all of the engines in this roundup could be used to create these types of games. Unreal Engine has developed itself in such a way that it's better placed to create a broad range of visualisation content. It's also an ideal solution for AAA game development.
Do I need to know code how to code for game development?
You don't necessarily need to know a lot about programming to develop a game, particularly a basic platformer or a point-and-click adventure, if you're using an engine or framework. So-called code-free game engines like Stencyl and GameMaker use visual interfaces, often with drag-and-drop functionality.
That said most code-free game development software does still support code, and you will be able to do more if you know how to use it. You may need to have at least a general working knowledge of control and data structures, and you may need code to trigger events and animations in most engines. See our guide to no-code game engines for developers' recommendations on some of the simplest drag-and-drop game engines.
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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.
- Ian DeanEditor, Digital Arts & 3D
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