THE TOP 3 MOBILE GAME DEVELOPMENT PLATFORMS AND ENGINES

Mobile game creation has recently grown in popularity due to the fact that virtually anyone can design and create a mobile game. You don't have to be a coder, have coding experience, or have a lot of money. You can create your first game in a matter of hours if you have a decent idea, motivation, and a passion in gaming. 

In this article, we will look at the top gaming engines on the market right now. These are the platforms that thousands of game creators rely on daily. You should have enough understanding after reading it to select a platform for developing your first mobile game. You will also be able to launch your mobile game through the most popular app shops, such as Google Play or Apple App Store.

Let's get started.

1.  UNREAL ENGINE

Well-known gaming engine platform is Unreal Engine. Unreal Engine is mostly used for the creation of 3D games, although it is also used in other industries. It is used in the film industry, for example, to create virtual sets and animated films. 

Unreal Engine is considered user-friendly, and one of its primary benefits is that it does not require programming knowledge. There is also a marketplace where developers can obtain both paid and free shop components for use with the platform. Unreal Engine supports desktop, mobile, and other platforms, which is another useful tool for game makers.

Supported platforms:

• Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux
• Android and iOS
• Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox One & Series X/S] and Stadia
• Magic Leap, HTC Vive, Oculus, PlayStation VR, Samsung Gear VR, and HoloLens 2

       Popular games developed with Unreal Engine:

• Fortnite
• Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood
• The Matrix Awakens

Pricing:

• Free publishing and creators licenses
• Custom license to a custom price
• Enterprise program for $1.000 per seat/year

2. UNITY

With 2D and 3D development features, Unity enables game developers' teams to collaborate and create games. It is a cross-platform game engine that works on a variety of desktop, mobile, and other devices. Unity is popular for indie game creation and is very simple to use for inexperienced programmers. 

Users can develop interactive simulations for video gaming and animation for film production, automotive, engineering, and other industries in addition to 2D and 3D games. Furthermore, Unity allows you to import assets from other 3D software or buy them straight from other stores. Because Unity is one of the most popular and well-known development platforms, users may quickly get help materials, guidelines, and community support.

Supported platforms:

• Mobile platforms like iOS and Android
• Desktop platforms - Windows, Mac and Linux 
• Web platform - WebGL
• Console platforms like PS4, PS5 and Xbox 
• Virtual/Extended reality platforms like Oculus and PlayStation VR

Popular games developed with Unity:

• Pokémon Go, 
• Monument Valley, 
• Call of Duty: Mobile, 
• Beat Saber 
• Cuphead

Pricing:

• Personal - free
• Plus - $399 /yr per seat
• Pro - $1,800 /yr per seat
• Enterprise - $4,000 /mo per 20 seats

3.  SpriteKit – 2D sprite-based games

 SpriteKit is one of the top iOS game development tools. Apple created the gaming engine in-house. Game developers can use the SpriteKit framework to draw graphics, text, objects, and video in 2D. It is regarded as a user-friendly framework for developing games and graphic-intensive apps. SpriteKit has a straightforward programming interface and is most likely the best option for creating Apple-based games. 

There is no need to download additional libraries or sources because it is supported by Apple. SpriteKit also ensures that the apps you create properly complement Apple's existing and forthcoming products.

Supported platforms:

• iOS

Example of games developed with SpriteKit::

• Squashy Bug
• Trestle
• Accelebot

Pricing:

• Free

These are 3 mobile engines you may use right now to make your first mobile game. Try out a few different development platforms and pick the best one for your mobile game design.