Gone are the days when our mobile was used for calls and texts. Since the invention of the smartphone, we are continuously seeing mobiles being used as a source of entertainment. A spare 5 minutes or a bus/train trip is filled by playing a game.
Some of the most popular mobile gaming apps we have seen have taken over some people’s lives. Candy Crush is 21st-century addiction while Pokémon Go saw thousands of people out and about with their smartphones. And, with virtual gaming, more and more people are using smartphones and tablets to entertain themselves.
The gaming industry is growing at an incredible rate with the help of Android Game Development. People are using mobiles more than desktops nowadays so it makes sense that more games are being developed. Game development for Android is one of the most profitable in the industry. Before imagining how you are going to spend your earnings, you need to master the process of developing an app well using some of the best android game development tools and platforms.
Here is a list of 15 android game development tools and platforms that will help you turn your idea into a reality with no difficulty.
Unity
Unity Technologies released its cross-platform tool, enables Android app developers to build their own games for mobiles. Gaming apps can be developed with both 2D and 3D features. 3D assets can be bought or imported from other applications like Maya. There is a complete guide and tutorials so those novice developers can learn as they go. The highly popular Pokémon Go and Angry Birds 2 were developed through Unity. It can be used with iOS, Windows Phone, Tizen OS, and Fire OS as well as Android.
Unity is free for personal use. The Plus Edition is just $25 per month and a Pro Edition comes in at $125 per month.
AppGameKit
This is another platform that is ideal for both beginners and professionals. It is not complicated to use as the language is rather like that of C++. It is cross-platform so is games that are developed are available at the same time. Android, iOS, Blackberry, and Windows Phone support AppGameKit.
The average price for the packet is around $50
Unreal Engine
This is a great option if you are just starting out in android gaming app development. You don’t need any programming skills because of the user-friendly interface. It isn’t necessary to add codes or make any changes in the programming is you want to modify aspects of the gaming app. Unreal Engine also allows you to create amazing graphics without any stress. When it comes to testing your final product, you can do so from inside the platform. It supports all of the main players like Android, iOS and Windows PC and plenty of others.
The price depends on your earnings. Anything less than $3000 and it’s free. Over the $3000 and there is a royalty fee of 5%.
Corona SDK- the 2D game engine
Corona SDK offers its users a simple language. Lua scripting language is easy to learn and to code with. There are various 2D features you can use or choose from the Corona SDK marketplace. You will appreciate the real-time simulation, allowing you to see how the app looks after each change you make. This cross-platform supports iOS, Windows Phone, Kindle, Android, and both Apple and Android TV. Corona provides excellent support and documentation.
Core functions with Corona SDK are free.
Construct 2
For 2D game creation, you can use this HTML 5 platform that requires no coding. It is packed with features to help you build a game that looks amazing and in a short time. When you think of The Next Penelope, think Construct 2! Construct 2 is multiplatform. Aside from Android, supported platforms are iOS, Windows Phone and several Web Platforms such as Google Chrome.
The price is around $177.
Marmalade
With Marmalade, you can create react native apps for mobiles and desktops with C++ language. There are numerous libraries, codes, and tools to facilitate programming and testing. It will allow you to create 2D and 3D games. Examples of their games are Need For Speed and Shift cut the rope. Along with Android, you have iOS, Windows, Blackberry, Tizen OS and connected TV platforms.
The price of Marmalade is $600
Fusion
Fusion is ideal for creating event-based games and/or static games with a full graphics library and an easy to use interface. If you don’t know any code, you will still be able to develop your app. Apart from Android, it supports iOS and Windows.
There is a free version of Fusion. Paid versions cost from $49.99 to $99.99.
Game Marker Studio 2
Released by YOYO, GameMarker Studio 2 is used to create 2D games with easy to use language and the brilliant drag and drop feature. It supports Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Amazon Fire, PS Vita, and Tizen.
The free version has no features. If you want to buy features the cost ranges from $150 to $800.
Cocoon JS
Cocoon 5 can be used to develop HTML 5 games and it is 100% compatible with Cordova. You don’t need to download any of the Cocoon cloud plugins to be able to use it. iOS, Android Wear, and Amazon App store plugin are all supported by CocoonJS.
It is free for new projects. The silver edition costs $8, the gold edition is $69 and the platinum edition is $199.
MonoGame
Back to a multi-platform, MonoGame uses class architecture and C languages for android game development. It only supports iOS and Windows apart from Android but there are a lot of tutorials to provide assistance whenever needed.
MonoGame is free.
Amazon Lumberyard
Amazon owns and developed this game developing cross-platform. Games created with Lumberyard are visually appealing. There are free tools that people can use, noticeably Lumberyard’s twitch integration. Besides Android, iOS, PC, XBox One, and PlayStation4 are all supported.
Amazon Lumberyard is free.
Cross2D-x
This tool was actually launched by Facebook and is best known for the ability to create small-sized games (1.5MB). It provides a package of 2D development tools. As you can imagine, there is a huge support community and correct documentation to help you. Criss2D-x supports Android, iOS, Linux, and OS X platforms.
Cross2D-x is free.
Haxe
While Haxe only supports iOS and Android, it does have a massive library of APIs and frameworks that will help any game developer. The programming language is similar to Java, C++, and PHP, so well known by most.
There are various price plans for Haxe
Gideros
Gideros is both cross-platform and open-source platform that uses Lua for game development. You can build awesome games that can be launched on all of the platforms at the same time. It supports a number of platforms including Android, iOS, and Windows Phone.
Gideros is free.
If you are looking to build an outstanding Android game, these platforms and tools are some of the best you can use. Before you jump in and choose one, consider your audience, game expectations, and your budget. There is bound to be a mobile gaming app that ticks all of your boxes!
