List of game engines

Many tools called game engines are available for game designers to code a game quickly and easily without building from the ground up.

Free/libre and open source software

Note: The following list is not exhaustive. It mixes game engines with rendering engines as well as API bindings without any distinctions.

Proprietary

Commercial

• 4A Engine — A 3D game engine developed by 4A Games to power their game series, "Metro". The 4A Engine makes use of multiple third-party middleware such as Nvidia's PhysX for physics support, PathEngine for AI navigation, RakNet for networking and FaceFX for facial animations.
• AGI — Used in Sierra adventure games.
• Alamo — The engine used in Star Wars: Empire at War by Petroglyph Games.
• Antiryad Gx - Unified cross platform and multi core 2d and 3d game engine by Arkham Development.
• Anvil/Scimitar — Developed and used by Ubisoft, mainly for the Assassin's Creed and Prince of Persia franchises.
• Arsys Engine — An early polygonal 3D engine developed and used by Technosoft and Arsys Software, for racing games, action role-playing games and first-person shooters.
• Atomic Game Engine^[8] — A cross-platform 2D/3D game engine with JavaScript scripting, full C++ source on GitHub, for Windows, Mac, HTML5, Android and iOS.
• Aurora Engine — For role-playing games.
• BatteryTech Engine — Modern Lua-driven 2D/3D game engine specializing in iOS, Android, BlackBerry 10 using OpenGL ES 2.0 - develop in Windows or OSX.
• BatteryTech SDK — High performance cross-platform library for C++ games, engines and applications targeting iOS, Android, BB10, Windows, and OSX.
• BigWorld — Server, client, and development tools for the development of MMOG for games that run on Windows, Xbox 360, and PS3.
• Bork3D Game Engine — A cross-platform game engine mostly for iPhone and iPad.
• BRender — A real-time 3D graphics engine for computer games, simulators and graphic tools.
• C4 Engine — A cross-platform game engine developed by Terathon Software for Windows, Mac, PS4, and PS3.
• Cafu Engine — A game engine with development tools for creating multiplayer, cross-platform, real-time 3D games and applications.
• Chameleon — A game engine developed by Criterion Games, used in their Need for Speed installments.
• Chrome Engine — A 3D WYSIWYG game engine developed by Techland.
• Clickteam Fusion — A 2D game development system that can compile a Windows executable, Flash file, HTML5, Mac OS X App, iOS app, Android app.
• Cocos2d iPhone RPG Engine - A 2D, top-down, orthogonal RPG engine for iPhone and iPad.
• Coffee — A game development kit using enhanced C++ scripting.
• Coldstone game engine — An old game creation suite for Macintosh/Windows to create role-playing or adventure-style games.
• Construct 2 — An HTML5 2D game engine with a free edition available. Multiple export options available for mobile devices.
• CopperCube — A game creation engine with authoring tool to produce 3d real time applications for the Web, Windows and Mac OS X.
• Corona SDK — A cross-platform, Lua-based game engine that can build games to the iPhone, iPad, or Android devices from the same set of code.
• CPAL3D — Game creation tools with scene editor, IDE and text server.
• Craftstudio - An entry-level game making program designed around C# and Lua.
• CryEngine — The game engine developed by Crytek and used for the first-person shooter computer game Far Cry.
• CryEngine 2 — The second generation engine developed by Crytek to create the FPS game Crysis.
• CryEngine 3 — The third generation engine developed by Crytek to create the FPS games Crysis 2 and Crysis 3.
• Crystal Tools — Square Enix's proprietary seventh generation game engine.
• Dunia Engine — A heavily modified version of the CryEngine made especially for Far Cry 2 by Kirmaan Aboobaker at Crytek and then Ubisoft Montreal.
• Earth-4 Engine — The graphics engine used in Earth 2160.
• EGO — Ego Game Technology Engine (more commonly referred to as Ego Engine or EGO, stylized ego) is a video game engine developed by Codemasters.
• Ecstasy Engine — 3D, The graphics engine used in Slave Zero.
• Electron engine — Developed by Obsidian Entertainment for their game Neverwinter Nights 2, based on the Aurora engine.
• Elflight Engine — Cross-platform 3D streaming game engine designed from the ground up for use over the Web. Games can play in a web browser window, in a separate window or full-screen. Java and OpenGL based.
• Enigma Engine — A real-time tactics game engine, used in Blitzkrieg.
• Esenthel Engine — A game development suite supporting a wide array of rendering, animation, physics, memory management, and networking features.^[9]
• Esperient Creator — A 3D modeler and engine, used world wide for training, simulation, architecture, and games. Built-in Scripting, C/C++, CScript, or Lisp, Shader Editor, import 50+ 3D formats.
• Euphoria — This is a biomechanical Ragdoll engine by NaturalMotion.
• Flare3D — Is a platform for creating interactive 3D content for Adobe Flash and AIR. With a powerful Stage3D rendering engine and an intuitive IDE.
• Forgelight Engine — Engine developed by SOE for PlanetSide 2 and EverQuest Next.
• Fox Engine — 3D game engine developed by Kojima Productions and Konami.
• FPS Creator — A game engine primarily aimed at the creation of First-person shooter style games. Created by The Game Creators
• Freescape (1986) — Incentive Software; One of the first proprietary 3D game engines, used in Driller and 3D Construction Kit.
• Frostbite Engine — Game engine used for the title Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Battlefield 3, Battlefield 4, Battlefield Hardline and Need for Speed: The Run etc.
• Gamebryo — Cross-platform game middleware for professional developers, notable for its rapid development. Used by Bethesda Game Studios for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim under the name "Creation Engine" after the closure of the original studio behind the Gamebryo. Previously the NetImmerse engine created by Numeric Design, Ltd before being taken over by Emergent.
• GameSalad — A 2D game engine for iOS, Android, Macintosh, and HTML5 developed by GameSalad (company). Has a visual programming interface to aid rapid development.
• Gamestudio — A 2D and 3D game engine for beginners. Uses the Gamestudio development system and the lite-C programming language.
• GIANTS Engine — A 3D cross-platform game engine. Mainly known for its use in the Farming Simulator series.
• Gideros Mobile — A 2D mobile development environment and game engine for iPhone, iPad and Android.
• Glacier, Glacier 2 — Developed by IO Interactive and used for the Hitman series of games. Glacier 2 is a new generation engine currently used in Hitman: Absolution.^[10]
• GrimE — Used in LucasArts graphical adventure games starting with Grim Fandango.
• Hedgehog Engine — Created by the Sonic Team with the capability of rendering high quality graphics at high speed. It is used in Sonic Unleashed (Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions) and in Sonic Generations (Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions).
• HeroEngine — 3D game engine by Simutronics for building MMOs in a live collaborative environment.
• HPL Engine 2 — Used in Frictional Games survival horror games. Earlier versions are free software.
• id Tech 5 — As of 2011 in development by id Software as engine for their games, esp. Doom 4 and Rage, and other ZeniMax titles.
• IMUSE — Specifically designed to synchronize music with visual action.
• InCourse — Specifically designed for webbased games with extended capabilities for analytics and quick mock ups by Islandworks
• Infinity Engine — Developed by Bioware in the mid 90s. Best known for its use in many beloved CRPG titles, including Baldur's Gate and, by Black Isle Studios, Icewind Dale and Planescape: Torment.
• INSANE — Used in LucasArts games.
• IW engine — Created by Infinity Ward its used in Call of Duty series.
• Jade engine — Developed by Ubisoft, originally for Beyond Good & Evil.
• Jedi — A game engine developed by LucasArts for Star Wars: Dark Forces and Outlaws.
• K2 Engine — An engine used in Heroes of Newerth and Savage2 by S2 Games.
• Kaneva Game Platform — A MMOG engine for independent and professional game development.
• Kinetica — A game engine developed by Sony for PlayStation 2.
• KRASS Engine — A game engine developed for AquaNox and Aquanox 2 by Massive Development. Used also in Spellforce.^[11]
• Leadwerks Engine — A 3D engine for rendering, sound, and physics in real-time games and simulations.^[9]
• Lemon Engine — Lemon Engine is a modular set of libraries for all aspects of game development across all major platforms.
• LithTech Jupiter Ex — Developed by Monolith Productions to create the game F.E.A.R..
• Luminous Studio — An engine developed by Square Enix, mainly used for Final Fantasy XV.
• LyN engine — Developed by Ubisoft, originally for Rabbids Go Home and Beyond Good & Evil 2.
• M.U.G.E.N — 2D Fighting Engine, created by Elecbyte made for any fighting game genres.
• Marmalade SDK — 2D and 3D game development system, used for commercial cross-platform mobile development. Works with Visual Studio or Xcode. Includes Hub for applying ad, analytics, payments and other integrations and services, setting platform specifications, tools, screen resolutions, accelerometer, location. Users can also debug and compile store specific builds from the Marmalade Hub.
• Maker3D — 3D RPG engine with editor, scripting, large built-in content, character creation, team management and battle system with modern graphics.
• Medusa — A C++ 3D game engine developed by Palestar and used in the DarkSpace MMO. It features distributed world simulation, single tool version control and asset realization, cross-platform compatibility, and an integrated client/server network system.
• Mizuchi — 3D graphics engine developed by Silicon Studio.
• Monumental Technology Suite — A MMOG platform, including server and client technology and development / live management tools.
• MT Framework — Game engine created by Capcom and used for their games on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo 3DS and PC.
• NeoAxis Game Engine — Windows and Mac OS X multi-purpose 3D Engine with Web deployment. For simulation, visualization and games.
• OEngine - A 3D game engine and editor, for Windows, Mac, Linux, Xbox One and PS4. Developed by OSome Studio, used for White Night and Space Run
• Odyssey Engine — Used to create three-dimensional computer role-playing games, used in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.
• Onyx Engine — Developed by Ubisoft.
• Orochi Engine and Yebis — Developed by Silicon Studio.
• Panta Rhei — 3D game engine developed by Capcom.
• PhyreEngine — A cross platform (PC & PS3) graphics engine from Sony Computer Entertainment.
• Pie in the Sky — Used in two internal games by Pie in the Sky Software and then in the 3D Game Creation System and the games made with it.
• Q (game engine) — A fully pluggable, extensible and customisable framework and tools from Qube Software for PC, Wii, PS2, PS3, Xbox, Xbox 360, PSP, iPhone etc. created by the team behind Direct3D.
• RAD Engine — 3D game engine developed by Ready at Dawn.
• Rapid2D — A 2D game engine and editor targeted at Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8. Free version available.
• Real Virtuality — C++ game engine developed by Bohemia Interactive for Microsoft Windows and Xbox, originally called Poseidon.
• REDengine — Developed by CD Projekt RED exclusively for nonlinear role playing video games.^[12]
• RelentENGINE — An FPS engine supporting massive destructable city environments and realistic vehicle control, makes extensive use of shader model 3.
• RenderWare — A 3D API and graphics rendering engine, created by Criterion Games.
• Revolution3D — A 3D graphics engine developed by X-Dream Project.
• RGSS — An engine developed by Enterbrain to create RPGs using RPG Maker XP. RGSS2 was used for RPG Maker VX.
• Roblox Studio — A game development platform developed by Roblox to create online games on their platform. Lua is used for the scripting language.
• RAGE — A game engine created by Rockstar Games to power their upcoming video games on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The system was first introduced in Rockstar Table Tennis and later in Grand Theft Auto IV and Red Dead Redemption.
• RPG Maker — An engine to make role-playing video games. Windows versions use a 2D engine for top-down and isometric-style RPG's, while the PlayStation 2 versions use a 3D engine.
• RuneTek — A proprietary 3D game engine written in Java by Jagex for use in RuneScape.
• Fighter Maker and Sound Novel Tsukūru — Created by ASCII for developing fighting games and visual novels, respectively.
• S2 Engine HD — A 3D game engine to produce real-time applications and video games for Windows.
• SAGE engine — Used to create real-time strategy games.
• Scaleform — A vector graphics rendering engine used to display Adobe Flash-based user interfaces, HUDs, and animated textures for games in PC, Mac, Linux, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3, and Wii.
• SCI — Used in Sierra's adventure games.
• SCUMM engine — Used in LucasArts graphical adventure games.
• Serious Engine — The engine by Croteam used in Serious Sam: The First Encounter and The Second Encounter.
• Shark 3D — A middleware solution from Spinor for computer, video games, and real-time 3D applications.
• ShiVa — A game engine with an authoring tool to produce 3D real-time applications for the Web, Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, WebOS, Android, and iPhone.
• Silent Storm engine — A turn-based tactics/tactical RPG game engine, used in Silent Storm.
• Sith — A game engine developed by LucasArts for Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II.
• Solpeo - HTML5 game engine
• Stewart's Opera - standard game engine for l-proofing and stew choreography.
• SunBurn XNA Game Engine — 2D/3D XNA game engine developed by Synapse Gaming.^[13]
• SuperCollider — 2D game engine developed by Cyborgs Anonymous.
• Infernal Engine — Created by Terminal Reality, provides rendering, physics, sound, AI, and metrics for game development. Used in several games such as Ghostbusters: The Video Game, Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars, Bass Pro Shops: The Strike and Roogoo: Twisted Towers.
• Tomorrow Children Engine — 3D game engine developed by Q-Games.
• Torque Game Engine Advanced — A 3D game engine support modern GPU hardware and shaders.
• Torque Game Engine — A modified version of a 3D computer game engine originally developed by Dynamix for the 2001 FPS Tribes 2.
• TOSHI — A fourth-generation cross-platform game engine designed by Blue Tongue Entertainment.
• Traktor Engine — A modern and cross-platform game engine with focus on performance and efficient workflow by Doctor Entertainment.
• Truevision3D — A 3D game engine using the DirectX API.
• Unigine — A 3D engine for Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, PlayStation 3, Android, iOS. Supports DirectX9/10/11 and OpenGL/OpenGL ES.
• Unity Pro – Commercial version of the cross-platform Unity engine.
• Unreal Engine 1x-3x
• V-Play Game Engine — A cross-platform 2D game engine based on Qt supporting iOS, Android, BlackBerry 10, Symbian, MeeGo, Windows, Mac, Linux.
• Vengeance Engine — A video game engine based on the Unreal Engine 2/2.5
• Vicious Engine — Available for Microsoft Windows, Sony PlayStation 2, Microsoft Xbox, and Sony PlayStation Portable.
• Virtools — A 3D engine combined with high-level development framework, used for game prototyping and rapid developments. Available for Windows, Macintosh, Xbox, PSP. Can publish standalone or for the 3DVia Web Player browser plugin.
• Vision Engine — A cross-platform game engine, developed by Trinigy (later acquired by Havok). Used in games such as Orcs Must Die!, Arcania: A Gothic Tale, The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom, Dungeon Hero, Cutthroat, and Three Investigators.
• Visual3D.NET Game Engine — A 3D game engine and tool set, fully written in C#/.NET for Windows. A browser player is roadmapped for v1.1.
• WGAF — The game engine developed by Guild Software which powers their MMORPG Vendetta Online.
• X-Ray — The game engine developed by GSC Game World which powers their FPS series, "S.T.A.L.K.E.R".
• XnGine — Developed by Bethesda Softworks, one of the first true 3D engines.
• Zillions of Games — Used to develop games that happen on a grid, like chess.

Freeware

These engines are available without monetary charge, but without the source code being available under an open-source license. Many of these engines are commercial products which have a restricted edition available free of cost:

• Arcade Game Studio — 2D engine focused on the creation of arcade games with the look and feel of old '80s classic games like Pac-Man, Commando, Ghosts 'n Goblins and 1942.
• Atomic Game Engine^[8] — A cross-platform game engine with JavaScript scripting, full C++ source on GitHub, for Windows & Mac. The 3D module and support for HTML5, Android and iOS are available in the Pro version.
• BYOND — A 2D engine for making multiplayer top-down, isometric, or side scroller games for Windows.
• CryEngine 3 SDK — CryEngine 3 is an engine developed by Crytek to create the FPS game Crysis 2. The engine has been released with a royalty bearing license model that is similar as with the UDK release of the Unreal Engine 3.
• Defold — Cross-platform 2D game engine with built-in collaboration. Support for iOS, Windows, Mac OS X, Linux.
• DX Studio — A 3D game engine with complete tools for 3D video game development. Upgrading to paid licenses would unlock extra features.
• Future Pinball — A pinball engine.
• Game Editor — A 2D game engine capable of making games for PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, GP2X, Smartphone, Pocket PC, Box2D, and Android Beta. Also uses C as a scripting system.
• GameMaker: Studio — A game engine that uses its own scripting language, GML. A paid upgrade unlocks Direct3D support along with the ability to run native code.
• jPCT and jPCT-AE — A Java and Android engine withOpenGL, transparency, key-frame animation, shader support, built-in primitives, lens flares support.
• Linderdaum Engine — Cross platform engine that supports 3D features such as mesh skinning, raycasting.
• Marmalade SDK — A game development tool for iOS, Android, Windows Phone 8.1, Windows Store, Tizen, BlackBerry, Kindle Fire, Roku, LG, Android TV, Windows, Mac OS X. The free version is feature limited compared to the Community, Indie, Plus and Pro versions of the SDK.
• Murl Engine — A lightweight C++ multimedia framework supporting Windows, OSX, Android, and iOS as target platforms.
• NeoAxis Game Engine — Windows and Mac OS X multi-purpose 3D engine with Web deployment. For simulation, visualization, and games. Free for noncommercial projects.
• NScripter — A 2D engine used to develop visual novels and adventure games.
• Polygon Movie Maker / MikuMikuDance — A proprietary 3D animation program written by Japanese developer Yu Higuchi. Notable for including several models of Vocaloid characters, but lacking any features to create new models.
• Papaya Social Game Engine — A cross-platform 2D OpenGL game engine developed by PapayaMobile for Android and iOS.
• PlayCanvas — A cloud-hosted game development and publishing platform powered by HTML5 and WebGL.
• Project Anarchy — Project Anarchy is a mobile game engine for iOS, Android, and Tizen. It includes Havok’s Vision Engine along with Havok Physics, Havok Animation Studio, and Havok AI. It has an extensible C++ architecture, optimized mobile rendering, a flexible asset management system, and Lua scripting and debugging. In addition to the core suite of Havok’s products, Project Anarchy ships with a growing list of integrated third party game technology such as Autodesk Scaleform for developing powerful UI and fmod for the creation and playback of audio. There are also complete game samples included with the SDK along with extensive courseware on the Project Anarchy site that game developers can use to quickly get up to speed with the engine and bring their game ideas to life.^[14][15][16]
• Real Library — An Irllicht, Irrklang, Havok, Lua, LuaBind wrapper engine.
• Source SDK — Based on the game engine developed by Valve Software for Half-Life 2. The SDK is bundled with any Source game.
• Stencyl — A Windows, Mac, and Linux development tool for 2D games. Physics support is provided through Box2D integration. Stencyl can publish a single project to multiple target platforms, including Flash, iOS, and Android. Certain publishing options are available via yearly subscriptions.
• Unity — A game engine not tailored to a specific game style for web, Windows, Mac OS X, Linux and mobile platforms. The free version is feature limited compared to the Pro version. Support for Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3, and the Xbox 360, and Adobe Flash player is available as add-on licenses.
• Unreal Engine 3 / UDK — Epic games released a free edition, called UDK (a binary release of the engine), which allows use of the engine for non-commercial games and applications for free. Commercial titles are also allowed under specific terms.^[17]
• Vanda Engine 1 — A COLLADA-based development platform for games and interactive 3D on Windows.
• Visual Pinball — A pinball game engine.
• World Builder — A classic Mac OS game engine.
• Wintermute Engine — Development tools for creating 2D and 2.5D point'n'click adventure games (Windows). A "lite" version is also available, but without the 3D Actor function (Windows, Mac, Linux).^[18][19]

With related games

See also

• Physics engine
• Game engine recreation
• List of open-source video games

References