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Choose your game dev destiny..
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If you are developing games independently, it may feel like Unity and Unreal are your only choices. But there are other options out there.
Recently, I began work on a new project and had to make some tough decisions. I had been using Unity for most of my projects, and, overall, I like the engine a lot. It has a wealth of features; it’s user friendly; and it’s flexible—you can make a ton of different games with it. However, sometimes, I feel like Unity can be too general and spread itself too thin.
While working on my last project, I encountered some pretty frustrating bugs in Unity, and it turns out that some of these issues had been in existence for years and across multiple versions without being fixed by developers. It felt like I was fighting the engine every step of the way, even going a different direction for this game. After some research, I decided that I would go with MonoGame.
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Framework: MonoGame is not actually a game engine; it’s a game framework. Game engines have a lot of built-in functionality, such as physics engines, level editors, prefabbed assets, and more advanced user interfaces, that are not present in a framework like MonoGame. If you want physics in MonoGame, you have to code it yourself or borrow someone else’s code. This can be a bit more time-consuming, meaning you have more “under the hood” access to the functionality of your game.
Versus a game engine, where there is a lot going on behind the scenes that you don’t have access to, the higher level of access in MonoGame allows you to clean up a lot of bugs (at least theoretically). Since MonoGame is more “bare bones,” it means that you are building your game from the ground up, which gives you more control on how it ultimately turns out.
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Find The Right Tools: I also felt MonoGame was more suited to the style of games I want to make. Numerous 2D indie titles have been made using MonoGame, including Fez and Bastion. As I said earlier, Unity and Unreal are amazing tools to have in your arsenal because of their flexibility, but that can also be the source of some of their issues. Yes, you can technically cook a dish with a Swiss Army Knife. But, wouldn’t you rather use a chef’s knife?
Sometimes, you need a tool that is specifically suited for the task at hand. If I am cutting vegetables, I am going to go with the chef knife every time. I don’t really need the extra features that the Swiss Army Knife offers, in fact they might get in the way.
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Unlock New Skills: Finally, I decided to go with MonoGame because I wanted to try something new and pick up some skills. MonoGame is more challenging from a coding perspective, which has been a great opportunity for me to sharpen my skills as a programmer. At the end of the day, I am always trying to learn and grow as a game developer, so I like to challenge myself.
It is still early, and I am still learning. Ultimately, I think I made the right choice, and I am happy with the direction I am going in. So, if you are feeling frustrated with Unity or Unreal, just know that there are other options out there: you could go to a different engine; you could choose a framework; do some research; and see what’s right for you.
Don’t be afraid to try something new. Trying new things opens many more doors. Consider that an achievement unlocked.
Game on,
PBJ, Jox Digital Educator
info@jox.digital
A Jox Thought: We made it to the time of the year where the next-gen consoles take over our time in front of the TV screen. Time will tell which console will win. Either way, the player wins because we get to play. For those who got a hold of a powerful console, enjoy. For those still in queue for one, patience is key:
(Image Credit: Giphy)
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