Defold is a free and open-source 2D game engine designed for rapid development. It features a streamlined workflow with its own integrated editor, supports Lua scripting, and offers a wide range of built-in tools for graphics, physics, animation, and sound. Targeting multiple platforms including iOS, Android, HTML5, Windows, macOS, and Linux, Defold simplifies cross-platform deployment with a single-click build process. Its focus on efficiency allows for small game sizes and optimal performance, making it suitable for a variety of game genres and platforms.
Ren'Py is a free and open-source engine designed for creating visual novels, a genre of interactive storytelling that blends text, images, and sound. It simplifies development with a Python-based scripting language, allowing creators to easily manage dialogue, branching narratives, and character interactions. Ren'Py supports a wide range of features including animated sprites, movie playback, and various transition effects, making it accessible to both novice and experienced developers. It’s cross-platform, meaning games created with Ren'Py can be deployed on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and web browsers, reaching a broad audience. The engine prioritizes ease of use and provides comprehensive documentation and a supportive community, enabling creators to focus on crafting compelling stories.
Hacker News users discuss Ren'Py's ease of use, especially for non-programmers, enabling them to create visual novels with minimal coding. Several commenters praise its accessibility and the large community supporting it. Some note its limitations, especially regarding more complex game mechanics beyond the visual novel genre, though acknowledge its suitability for its intended purpose. The scripting language is described as simple yet powerful enough for narrative-focused games. A few users mention its popularity for adult visual novels, though also highlight its use in more mainstream and non-adult projects. The engine's cross-platform compatibility and active development are also seen as positive aspects.
Summary of Comments ( 70 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43726051
Hacker News users discuss Defold's ease of use, especially for beginners, and its suitability for 2D games. Some praise its small executable size and fast iteration times, while others highlight the active community and helpful documentation. Concerns include its limited 3D capabilities, the small talent pool, and uncertainty about its long-term viability despite its acquisition by King and subsequent independence. Several users share their positive experiences using Defold for both personal projects and commercially released games, citing its performance and streamlined workflow. The editor is lauded as clean and efficient. Some express disappointment in King's handling of the engine after acquiring it, but also optimism about its future as an independent entity once again.
The Hacker News post "Defold: cross-platform game engine" generated a modest number of comments discussing various aspects of the Defold game engine and its place within the broader game development landscape.
Several commenters shared their personal experiences using Defold, highlighting both its strengths and weaknesses. One user praised Defold's ease of use, particularly for 2D game development, and lauded its streamlined workflow and efficient tooling. They contrasted this with the complexities and steep learning curves often associated with more feature-rich engines like Unity or Unreal Engine. This sentiment was echoed by others who found Defold's simplicity and focus on 2D development appealing. The efficient nature of the engine, allowing for development on lower-powered hardware, was also mentioned positively.
Conversely, some commenters pointed out limitations they encountered with Defold. One user specifically mentioned challenges integrating third-party libraries and services. While acknowledging the engine's suitability for certain types of games, they cautioned against using it for projects requiring extensive external integrations. Concerns were also raised about the smaller community surrounding Defold compared to larger engines, potentially leading to fewer readily available resources and solutions for common issues. The acquisition of Defold by King and the subsequent open-sourcing were also discussed, with some expressing uncertainty about the long-term viability and community support for the engine.
One commenter questioned the licensing model for commercially successful games developed using the now-open-sourced Defold engine. This brought up a discussion around potential licensing issues and the importance of carefully reviewing the license terms.
Beyond personal experiences, some comments focused on Defold's technical aspects. One user highlighted the use of Lua for scripting, while another mentioned the engine's built-in editor and efficient handling of 2D graphics.
Finally, some comments provided comparisons with other game engines. Godot was mentioned as a potential alternative, particularly for its open-source nature and thriving community. Other comparisons involved discussions around the relative merits of different engines for specific types of game development, emphasizing the importance of choosing the right tool for the job.
While the discussion wasn't particularly extensive, it offered a range of perspectives on Defold, covering its ease of use, limitations, technical details, and position within the broader ecosystem of game engines.