Game Engines: An introduction to open source game engines
Open-source game engines have been gaining popularity in the gaming industry for a while now. These engines are powerful, customizable, and free to use, which makes them an attractive option for game developers. Before we dive into the details, let's first discuss what open-source game engines are. These engines are software frameworks that allow game developers to create video games without building everything from scratch. They offer various features like 3D graphics rendering, physics engines, scripting languages, and more, which makes game development much more accessible and manageable.
Unity
Unity is one of the most popular game engines used today and is known for its ease of use, cross-platform compatibility, and excellent graphics. It offers a free version that is open source under the GPLv3 license. Unity has been used to create games like "Crossy Road," "Temple Run," and "Assassin's Creed Identity."
Godot
Godot is another popular game engine that is free and open-source under the MIT license. It offers a comprehensive set of tools that are perfect for 2D and 3D game development. Godot has a built-in editor, a node-based architecture, and a vast community of developers and users that contribute to its development.
Unreal Engine
Unreal Engine is a powerful game engine that is widely used in the industry, powering games like "Fortnite," "Borderlands 3," and "Gears 5." It offers an extensive set of tools, including visual scripting, and is free for non-commercial use. However, its source code is not available for modification or redistribution, and its license agreement includes royalties for commercial use.
CryEngine
CryEngine is a game engine developed by Crytek and has been used to create games like "Crysis" and "Ryse: Son of Rome." It is available for free under the pay-what-you-want model, and its source code is available for modification under the MIT license.
Conclusion
Open-source game engines have made game development much more accessible and manageable. They offer a comprehensive set of tools, and developers can modify them to suit their needs. However, each game engine has its own set of features, limitations, and license agreements that must be considered before choosing one. This article provides an overview of some of the best open-source game engines and their license associations.