xXx~~an0n_d4_c0d3r~~xXx's guide to game dev


Game Maker:
Great for prototypes, can be used to make solid games if you know it inside out (Hydorah, Spelunky, Hotline Miami, etc)
Pros: Easy to use, decent performance
Cons: Can be limiting for bigger games, GML is not be the best thing ever, Windows only but works in Wine

Construct Classic (free and open source):
Similar to game maker, less known (Noitu love, Iconoclasts were made with)

Flash:
Its 2013, we now have the technology to make flash games that don't run at 15fps! (www.unrealengine.com/flash/ , Unity3D can also export to Flash)
Libraries: Flixel/Flashpunk
IDE:FlashDevelop + Flex SDK (100% free), Flash IDE (don't use it, its also 700$+)
Pros: Everyone has it installed, runs on most browsers, even IE6, cross platform, good game libraries, easy to distribute games on websites, AS3 is similar to modern languages, easy enough to use
Cons: Linux has no hardware acceleration in FlashPlayer11

Unity3D:
Has been very popular lately, it has a free version which can suffice for most games. Can be used to make 2D and 3D games. Uses C# or Javascript for scripting. Easy to use for anyone experienced.
Pros: Exports to Flash Player 11 (for web), Windows, OSX and Linux, also mobile
Cons: A lot of features are only in the Pro version (1500$)

Java:
3 billion people are infected with Java! You can use Slick2D or LWJGL to make 2D and 3D games that are hardware accelerated.
Pros: Cross platform, pretty fast language, hardware acceleration makes things fast, LWJGL is great, has been used in commercial games (Minecraft, Spiral Knights)
Cons: JVM can be a resource hog, managed language so GC might kick in during gamepelay

C#:
Besides Unity3D, you can use XNA or Monogame(cross platform XNA). Many games have been made with it, popular ones are Bastion, Torchlight, Terraria.
Pros: XNA/Monogame are easy to use, cross platform thanks to Monogame, has been used in commercial games.
Cons: Managed language so GC might kick in during gamepelay

Lua + LOVE2D:
Fast engine, SDL backend with OpenGL for graphics, Windows, OSX and Linux, Lua for scripting.
Pros: Easy as shit to use, great engine that uses hardware acceleration for graphics, comes with cool features like Box2D physics. You do not need to recompile for every platform! Lua is easy even for total beginners
Cons: Still in development? I think its stable enough for usage.

HTML5 Canvas/WebGL + Javascript:
Hit or miss honestly, still in development, dependent on the player's browser to have all the features implemented, not many libraries for games. I wouldn't recommend it, in a few years it will most likely be a solid option for development.
Pros: Any browser that runs HTML5 canvas can run your game without plugins, so mobile and desktop
Cons: Totally depends on the user's browser, good luck with IE users

C/C++:
Not for the weak of heart or casuals.
Cross platform Libraries: SDL and SFML are the popular ones, OpenGL for hardware accelerated 3D and 2D graphics
DirectX: Windows only, does more than just graphics (audio, input, math utilities for Direct3D)
Pros: Blazing fast, compiles to native code, cross platform if you use cross platform libraries and make your code portable
Cons: Haha, time for segfaults, requires you to manage your own memory, not easy language compared to higher level languages, requires you to be pretty experienced in programming