A Game Engine (game environment) is a specialized development environment for creating video games. The features one provides depends on the type and the granularity of control allowed by the underlying framework. Some may provide diagrams, a windowing environment and

debugging In computer programming and software development, debugging is the process of finding and resolving '' bugs'' (defects or problems that prevent correct operation) within computer programs, software, or systems. Debugging tactics can involve in ...

facilities. Users build the game with the game IDE, which may incorporate a

game engine A game engine is a software framework primarily designed for the development of video games and generally includes relevant libraries and support programs. The "engine" terminology is similar to the term "software engine" used in the software i ...

or call it externally. Game IDEs are typically specialized and tailored to work with one specific

. This is not to be confused with game environment art, which is "the setting or location in which game takes place." This is also in distinction from

domain-specific entertainment language Domain-specific entertainment languages are a group of domain-specific languages that are used describe computer games or environments, or potentially used for other entertainment such as video or music. Game languages * Extensible Graphical Gam ...

s, where all is needed is a text editor. They are distinct from integrated development environments which are more general, and may provide different sets of features. There is also a distinction from

Visual programming language In computing, a visual programming language (visual programming system, VPL, or, VPS) is any programming language that lets users create programs by manipulating program elements ''graphically'' rather than by specifying them ''textually''. A VP ...

in that programming languages are more general than Game Engines.

Examples

Below are some game engines and frameworks which come with specialized IDEs. * Adventure Game Studio *

Blender Game Engine The Blender Game Engine was a free and open-source 3D production suite used for making real-time interactive content. It was previously embedded within Blender, but support for it was dropped in 2019, with the release of Blender 2.8. The game en ...

(discontinued) *

Construct Construct, Constructs or constructs may refer to: * Construct (information technology), a collection of logic components forming an interactive agent or environment ** Language construct * ''Construct'' (album), a 2013 album by Dark Tranquillity ...

* CryEngine * Game Core *

Game Editor Game Editor is a 2D game authoring package. It supports multi-platform development to iPhone, iPad, Mac OS X, Windows (Windows 95-Windows 10), Android, Linux, Windows Mobile-based Smartphones, GP2X, Pocket PCs, and Handheld PCs. Compatibility w ...

* Game Maker * Gamut from CMU (not Stanford) * Gamestudio *

GDevelop GDevelop is a 2D cross-platform, free and open-source game engine, which mainly focuses on creating PC and Mobile games, as well as HTML5 games playable in the browser. Created by Florian Rival; a software engineer at Google, GDevelop is mainly a ...

* Godot * Goji Editor * Magic Work Station *

PlayCanvas ''PlayCanvas'' is an open-source 3D game engine/interactive 3D application engine alongside a proprietary cloud-hosted creation platform that allows for simultaneous editing from multiple computers via a browser-based interface. It runs in modern ...

* RPG Maker * SdlBasic * SharpLudus * The 3D Gamemaker * Unity * Unreal Engine * Virtual Play Table * VASSAL

References

{{Video game engines Integrated development environments Video game development