Game Development is the art of creating games and describes the design, development, and release of a game. It may involve concept generation, design, build, testing and release. While you create a game, it is important to think about the game mechanics, rewards, player engagement, and level design.
Many game development systems allow you to create games without any coding. However, learning to code gives you more control over the development process and allows you to create more sophisticated games.
Developing a game without code can be more challenging. You may find that learning a programming language is easier in the long run, and you'll get better results overall.
Below are the best programming languages for Game Development:
1. C++
C++ is a powerful object-oriented language widely used in game development. While it can be difficult to learn, it earns its position through ubiquity. It’s supported by most game development kits and frameworks.
Pros
Fast and efficient
Widely supported by GDKs and frameworks
A large community of programmers and open-source code
Cons
Complex and difficult for beginners
Many game developers specifically have moved on to newer languages
2. Java
Java is a versatile language commonly used by small game development companies. It's powered some of the world's top iOS and Android games including Minecraft and Mission Impossible III. Plus, Java is a cross-platform language, so it runs on nearly any system including Microsoft and Linux
Pros
Easy to learn and use
Cross-platform; games can be played on multiple platforms
Cons
Slower than some other languages due to how it’s interpreted
Older language and deprecated in some developers’ eyes
3. C#
C# is a highly expressive, object-oriented programming language used for a broad range of multi-platform software. Developers often write in C# to build projects intended for long-term use, simply because it’s easy to maintain its code. Apart from its universality, the strength of C# lies in the fact that it is a modern C language, making it easy to update, upgrade, and rebuild your software’s backend.
Pros
C# has amassed an enormous following, which translates to reliable community support and comprehensive libraries.
The support C# receives from its expanding community allows it to grow continuously as a language. And with this growth comes the necessity to keep up with trends in technology — regardless of industry. One particularly relevant industry for C# is video gaming.
Cons
Can be complex and difficult to learn, especially compared to languages like Python or JavaScript
4. Python
Python is a widely used, easy-to-learn language that offers high readability. It is frequently used in game development and is also popular for artificial intelligence and machine learning applications.
Pros
Gaming developers reuse basic templates to speed up the development process.
Clean and readable syntax.
Having lots of third-party libraries and a massive number of built-ins.
Cons
Slower than some other languages due to how it’s interpreted.
Because it is dynamic typed language, it is difficult to find errors.
5. JavaScript
JavaScript is a great language for game development, depending on the type of game you want to create. JavaScript is best for web-based and mobile games. It's also a great language for kids to learn because it's generally easy to understand and has plenty of resources for coders readily available online.
Pros
Fast because it runs immediately within the client's browser
Easy to learn as compared to other programming languages.
Possible to develop an entire javascript app from the front end to the back end
Developers can extend the functionality of web pages by writing snippets of JavaScript for third party add-ons.
Cons
As JavaScript is executed on the client-side, bugs and oversights can be exploited.
While server-side scripts always produce the same output, different browsers sometimes interpret JavaScript code differently
6. Lua
Lua is a lightweight, easy language popular in game development. It is frequently used as a scripting language for games — especially simpler games that may not require intense visuals or in-depth programming.
It consists of two parts - the functioning software system and the Lua interpreter.
The functioning software system is the actual computer application that can interpret programs written in Lua.
The Lua interpreter is the engine that interprets Lua code (readable by humans) and translates it into machine code (readable by computers).
Pros
Simple than python. It is easy to write functions, conditional statements, loops, etc.
Uses embedded scripts.
Free and open-source software.
Cons
Doesn’t have the capabilities of many other, more robust languages
7. Swift
Swift is a new language created by Apple. It is frequently used for iOS game development, but it can be used to create many types of mobile applications. It’s frequently sought after by game development companies because it is relatively new.
Swift is the compiled programming language for developing IOS, WatchOS, MacOS, TvOS and Linux applications.
Pros
Swift is really easy to Read and Write because it is a clean and expressive language that has simplified Syntax and Grammar.
Swift projects are very easy to scale because Swift is future-proof and you can extend the functionalities when new features are needed.
you can add new features using swift to your existing Objective-C project or you can incorporate objective-C elements in your new swift project.
Cons
swift cannot be used on older projects running on older versions of the IOS Operating System.
swift is a young language. There are many issues that need to be fixed.
8. GameMaker Language (GML)
GML is a proprietary language used in the popular game development system GameMaker Studio. It is easy to learn and use, making it popular for beginner programmers. Unfortunately, GML is only used in GameMaker Studio, so these skills don’t transfer to another platform.
Pros
Easy to learn and use
Can be used to create games for multiple platforms that GameMaker Studio will compile to
Cons
Can only be used with GameMaker Studio (proprietary language)
9. HTML5
HTML5 uses JavaScript language in which the games are programmed. HTML5 game development helps in delivering APIs for new solutions such as WebGL, Canvas, WebAudio Which are regarded as vital components. These components also facilitate in smooth functioning of games.
HTML5 offers the ability to create cross-browser and cross-platform games. It means you'll have to code once and can deploy the game anywhere. It'll not only save you effort but lots of money as well. It's because you won't have to create different games for different platforms.
Pros:
Multimedia support
Short and simple syntax
Improved security features
Inlcude semantic tags
Cross-platform support
Cons
Client-side rendering
Local storage is less secure
Different video supports for different browsers
Media licensing cost
Doesn’t support old browsers
Tough to handle responsiveness on the range of devices
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