Ever wonder what software everyone else is using for their game development? Curious about what software you should download and start learning? This article will cover the top 10 most used Game Engines, 2D Graphics Tools, 3D Graphics Tools, Audio DAWs, and libraries and APIs!
There are five common categories when it comes to game development. The first is a game engine where the game is created in. Then there are 2D and/or 3D graphics and modeling for the game’s visuals. Next are Audio tools that are used for the game’s soundtrack or sound effects. And finally, libraries and APIs are 3rd party programming code libraries that offer additional features and support so that you can save time using them instead of programming the features yourself.
| Game Engines | 2D Graphics Tools | 3D Graphics Tools | DAWs | Libraries/APIs |
| Unity | Adobe Photoshop | Blender | Audacity | Phaser |
| Construct | Aseprite | Maya | Bfxr | PixiJS |
| GameMaker: Studio | GIMP | 3ds Max | FL Studio | OpenFL |
| Twine | Paint.net | MagicaVoxel | Bosca Ceoil | MonoGame |
| Godot | Krita | ZBrush | LMMS | pygame |
| Bitsy | Adobe Illustrator | Cinema 4D | Logic Pro | SDL |
| RPG Maker | Clip Studio Paint | SketchUp | ChipTone | Haxe |
| Unreal Engine | Pyxel Edit | Wings 3D | MilkyTracker | SFML |
| PICO-8 | Paint Tool SAI | Crocotile 3D | Ableton | Lightweight Java Game Library |
| Ren’Py | GraphicsGale | Hexagon | Renoise | Bullet |
Top 10 Most Common Game Engines
The most common game engines used in the Game Development industry are Unity, Unreal Engine, and CryEngine. Many larger studios will invest in creating their own proprietary engines for better customization over their games, like id Software LLC, id Tech # engine (Doom engine); which focuses on pushing graphical performance.
The top 10 most common engines used by indie game developers are:
- Unity
- Construct
- GameMaker: Studio
- Twine
- Godot
- Bitsy
- RPG Maker
- Unreal Engine
- PICO-8
Top 10 Most Used 2D Graphics Tools
A 2D graphics tool is a type of software that focuses on creating and editing 2D images. In gaming, these types of tools are used to create backgrounds, sprites, textures, etc.
- Adobe Photoshop
- Aseprite
- GIMP
- Paint.net
- Krita
- Adobe Illustrator
- Clip Studio Paint
- Pyxel Edit
- Paint Tool SAI
- GraphicsGale
Top 10 Most Used 3D Graphics Tools
3D graphics software is used to create 3D models and many of them allow you to rig models. Rigging is the process of creating a bone structure for a 3D model; this is not limited to human models as any mode can be rigged. A car could be rigged so that its doors can open and close.
- Blender
- Maya
- 3ds Max
- MagicaVoxel
- ZBrush
- Cinema 4D
- SketchUp
- Wings 3D
- Crocotile 3D
- Hexagon
Top 10 Most Used DAWs (Digital Audio Workstation)
Digital audio workstations, DAW for short, is software that is centered around creating, editing, recording, mixing, and mastering audio. This type of software can be used to create a soundtrack, sound effects, or dialog in a game.
- Audacity
- Bfxr
- FL Studio
- Bosca Ceoil
- LMMS
- Logic Pro
- ChipTone
- MilkyTracker
- Ableton
- Renoise
Resources And API Libraries
Resources are third-party application programming interfaces (APIs). APIs bring additional features into your programming environment. A simple way to think of this is you can write your own rendering engine calling Windows (or Apple’s) internal system calls to access the graphics pipeline, or you can include something like SDL which provides function calls that do all of this for you behind the scenes.
APIs save you time and allow you to focus on the programming you enjoy. Most of the time they are used when creating your own game engine or require extended functionality than what your engine offers.
- Phaser
- PixiJS
- OpenFL
- MonoGame
- pygame
- SDL
- Haxe
- SFML
- Lightweight Java Game Library
- Bullet
Conclusion
There are many game engines, graphic tools, DAWs, and APIs to choose from. Deciding which one to use depends on the type of project you are going to create.
For many Unity, Photoshop, Blender, and Audacity achieve everything they could ever need when developing a game. For others, some of these options may be overkill or not the right choice for the scope of your game.
For myself, I would want a more advanced DAW. I could create what I need in Audacity, but as a musician, I want the more advanced functionality that FL Studio or Logic offers.
There are other cases where people don’t need the complexity or 3D features that Unity offers, so they may use a simpler, more focused, engine like GameMaker Studio.
In the end, choose a tool and stick with it so you learn how to use your tool well and what its limitations are. The more used tools are the most used for a reason; they offer diversity, flexibility, and a community to help you when you’re stuck.
Sources
The data collected was provided by: itch.io