The Best Game Development Frameworks

If you are looking to create a game but perhaps want to craft your own game engine from existing technologies, or you prefer to work at a lower more code focused level, using a game framework instead of a game engine may be right for you. Today we look at some of the best game development frameworks out there, for a variety of different programming languages (as well as a few renderers, which blur the line between library and framework).

C/C++

• SDL – Simple Direct Media Layer
• SFML – Simple and Fast Multimedia Library
• Allegro
• Raylib
• Cocos-2dx
• Orx

C#

• Monogame
• FNA

HTML- TypeScript or JavaScript

• Phaser
• PixiJS
• BabylonJS
• Playcanvas
• Three.js

Rust

• Bevy
• Fyrox (technically shouldn’t be on the list as it includes an editor and is a game engine)

Ruby

• DragonRuby

Lua

• LÖVE
• Gideros
• Solar2D

Java

• libGDX

Haxe

• Shiro Game Stack
• HaxeFlixel

C++ 3D or Rendering

• Kha
• bgfx
• OGRE3D
• The Forge

You can learn more about all of the above game development frameworks, most of which are free and open source, in the video below.