Overview

Unity

Stacks1.7K

Followers1.4K

Votes78

libGDX

Stacks46

Followers60

Votes3

GitHub Stars24.5K

Forks6.5K

Unity vs libGDX: What are the differences?

Introduction: Unity and libGDX are two popular game development frameworks that offer unique features and capabilities for developers.

Programming Language: One key difference between Unity and libGDX is the programming language they primarily use. Unity primarily uses C# for scripting, while libGDX uses Java, giving developers the flexibility to choose based on their language preferences and expertise.
Platform Support: Unity is known for its robust platform support, allowing developers to export their games to multiple platforms such as PC, mobile, consoles, and VR devices. On the other hand, libGDX is more focused on desktop and mobile platforms, providing a streamlined approach for cross-platform development.
Rendering Pipeline: Unity has a sophisticated rendering pipeline with built-in tools for creating high-quality graphics and visual effects, making it ideal for creating visually stunning games. In contrast, libGDX offers a simpler rendering pipeline that prioritizes performance and efficiency, making it suitable for fast-paced 2D games.
Community and Support: Unity boasts a large and active community of developers, providing a wealth of resources, tutorials, and forums for assistance. LibGDX also has a supportive community but may not have the same level of documentation and resources as Unity, making it slightly more challenging for beginners.
Price and Licensing: Unity has a range of pricing options, including a free version with limited features and paid subscriptions for additional functionalities. In comparison, libGDX is open-source and free to use, making it a cost-effective option for developers looking to create games without any licensing fees.
Learning Curve: Unity has a more user-friendly interface and a visual editor that simplifies the game development process, making it easier for beginners to get started. On the other hand, libGDX requires a deeper understanding of programming concepts and may have a steeper learning curve for those with limited coding experience.

In Summary, Unity and libGDX differ in terms of programming language, platform support, rendering pipeline, community support, pricing, and learning curve, providing developers with distinct choices based on their requirements and preferences.

Advice on Unity, libGDX

Alexey

Software Engineer / Game Developer at Norlin Games

Jun 11, 2020

Decided

When I started to learn game development, I've tried to use Unity multiple times because it's the most popular option. But never get it worked because of the clunky UI which is very hard to understand for a new user. After some time, I've decided to try UE4 despite there was a lot of rumors that it's "heavy" or requires an AAA team. And suddenly it clicked, everything works as I expecting, UI is clear and much more powerfull, no need to build custom tools to work on the game itself. Blueprints are very helpful for beginners, C++ has a lot of "syntax-sugar" - macroses, a lot of convenient in-engine types for everything. Later while working with Unreal, I've realized it has very consistent roadmap with constant improvements and adding new features. At the same time, each major version update is painless so you can upgrade your project during development to get new features. UE4 is free to use with the full list of features and you only have to pay royalty after getting your first $1 million from the project (and that's just the default case, you can always discuss custom license with an upfront fee, if you want to).

92.3k views92.3k

Comments

Arthur

Software Engineer at Value Industry

Mar 1, 2020

Decided

I chose Unity over Unreal Engine because Unity has a more user friendly UI for beginners looking to learn game development. Additionally, as someone who uses a lot of online resources to learn new languages and tools, I found a lot of tutorials covering game development with Unity as the core engine. This doesn't mean Unreal is not a great choice for game development, I just personally found learning game development much smoother with the amount of resources available with Unity.

89.8k views89.8k

Comments

Detailed Comparison

Unity	libGDX
Unity is the ultimate game development platform. Use Unity to build high-quality 3D and 2D games, deploy them across mobile, desktop, VR/AR, consoles or the Web, and connect with loyal and enthusiastic players and customers.	The framework provides an environment for rapid prototyping and fast iterations. Instead of deploying to Android/iOS/Javascript after each code change, you can run and debug your game on the desktop, natively. Desktop JVM features like code hotswapping reduce your iteration times considerably.
-	Cross Platform;Open Source;Feature Packed;Well Optimized;Well Documented;Community Support
Statistics
GitHub Stars -	GitHub Stars 24.5K
GitHub Forks -	GitHub Forks 6.5K
Stacks 1.7K	Stacks 46
Followers 1.4K	Followers 60
Votes 78	Votes 3
Pros & Cons
Pros 17 Because it's a powerful engine, you can build anything 15 C# language 12 Very Popular 8 Easy to Use 7 Cross Platform Cons 4 Clunky UI 4 Closed source 4 Hard to get started with 3 Requires to build a lot of tools 3 No consistency with updates	Pros 1 Java 1 Fully control 1 Knows exactly what happening Cons 1 Full access to OS 1 No GUI
Integrations
No integrations available	Kotlin Android Studio Java Cocoa Touch (iOS)

What are some alternatives to Unity, libGDX?

Godot

It is an advanced, feature-packed, multi-platform 2D and 3D open source game engine. It is developed by hundreds of contributors from all around the world.

Unreal Engine

It is a game engine that helps you make games. It is made up of several components that work together to drive the game. Its massive system of tools and editors allows you to organize your assets and manipulate them to create the gameplay for your game.

Gamemaker Studio 2

It has everything you need to take your idea from concept to finished game. With no barriers to entry and powerful functionality.

Panda3D

It is a game engine that includes graphics, audio, I/O, collision detection, and other abilities relevant to the creation of 3D games.

pygame

It is a cross-platform set of Python modules designed for writing video games. It includes computer graphics and sound libraries designed to be used with the Python programming language.

Corona SDK

It is a cross-platform framework ideal for rapidly creating apps and games for mobile devices and desktop systems. It builds rich mobile apps for iOS, Android, Kindle and Nook. Build high quality mobile apps in a fraction of the time.

Buildbox

It is the easiest drag and drop game maker software.Make your own games without coding and export them to iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, PC and Microconsoles.

AppGameKit

It is an easy to learn game development engine, ideal for Beginners, Hobbyists & Indie developers. It solves many problems caused by mobile device fragmentation. With it you can code your game once and then deploy your game to multiple platforms. Different resolutions and input systems are all easily handled by it.

Amazon Lumberyard

It is a game engine with no royalties or seat fees, frictionless integration with Twitch and AWS, plus much more on the horizon.

Phaser

It is a free open source HTML5 game framework. It uses Pixi.js for WebGL and Canvas rendering across desktop and mobile web browsers. Games can be compiled to iOS and Android apps via 3rd party tools.