Pros & Cons
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- Intuitive and organized development environment
- Lets you develop 2D and 3D games
- Free mobile apps
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- Lacks a visual coding language
- Some features are sold separately
- Lacks native console support
AppGameKit Studio Specs
| 3D Editing | |
| Community Marketplace / Gallery | |
| Platform | Android |
| Platform | iOS |
| Platform | Linux |
| Platform | Mac |
| Platform | Web |
| Platform | Windows |
| Requires Some Coding | |
| Starting Price | $99 |
For more than 20 years, British company The Game Creators has offered various kinds of video game development software, some more consumer-friendly than others. AppGameKit Studio is arguably the team’s most well-rounded package, thanks to its powerful 2D and 3D features and convenient mobile companion apps. While effective and useful, it isn't the most novice-friendly game development app; Editors’ Choice winner GameMaker remains the best tool for beginners to learn how to make video games.
What Is AppGameKit Studio?
AppGameKit Studio lets you make everything from educational Android and iOS apps to rich gaming experiences. Browsing through its showcase page, you’ll find neon shmups, tower defense games, roguelike dungeon crawlers, and casual puzzle games. More impressive is the full support for 3D graphics alongside 2D sprites. Most consumer-level development software, including GameMaker, either heavily limits 3D development or restricts it entirely. The free, open-source Godot is one exception. AppGameKit Studio supports 3D visuals, OpenGL and Vulkan rendering, realistic physics, augmented reality, virtual reality, and other advanced features.
(Credit: AppGameKit/PCMag)I was surprised to see few recognizable games made with AppGameKit Studio, considering the engine's horsepower. This is anecdotal evidence, of course, but Construct, Stencyl, and Twine are more popular game engines on indie marketplace itch.io, despite AppGameKit Studio being more robust.
You can also develop games for Windows, Mac, Linux, and the web via HTML5. Older software versions supported Raspberry Pi computers, but that's no longer true. The PlayStation 5, Switch, and Xbox Series S/X platforms require difficult and expensive porting work.
Price and Platforms
The core AppGameKit Studio costs $99, an affordable price given its functionality. That's a one-time purchase, too, compared with competing services that charge similar prices for an annual subscription. The educational version is free for schools. However, that single purchase doesn’t include everything that the tool offers. You essentially buy DLC directly from AppGameKit Studio or through Steam, which adds new features. The add-ons include enhanced particle and shader effects, new audio and visual assets, and demo games. This replaces the community marketplace you’ll find for most other game development programs. The add-ons frequently go on sale, ranging from $5 to $175.
(Credit: AppGameKit/PCMag)Make sure that you’re using the correct software. AppGameKit Studio is the game engine's most recent version, but AppGameKit Classic is still available. Some add-on packs work across both versions. The Game Creators team sells other specialized game development tools, such as the more accessible 3D engine GameGuru, so keep that in mind.
Developing Games With AppGameKit Studio
AppGameKit Studio requires you to know text-based coding languages. You should eventually learn how to code if you want to become a professional game designer, but other tools ease you into the process using intuitive, visual-coding languages. AppGameKit Studio lacks a visual language.
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Construct and GameMaker have excellent visual coding languages. Godot’s and Stencyl’s visual coding languages are too complex and simple, respectively, but they are available. AppGameKit Classic sells a visual editor add-on, but it’s outdated and incompatible with AppGameKit Studio. If you know how to code, you’ll have a much easier time with AppGameKit Studio. The program has an AppGameKit Studio script and supports familiar C++ languages.
(Credit: AppGameKit/PCMag)AppGameKit Studio’s big upgrade over its predecessor is the revamped integrated development environment (IDE), and I can see why this is a selling point. The intuitive interface makes it easy to quickly browse media files in the asset browser. In addition, the Scene Editor lets you drag and drop objects, adjust basic physic properties and variables, and cut tile sets into sprites that you can draw into a level. You’ll still need to write code to animate sprites or determine game logic, but the IDE workflow hints at the smooth convenience that a full-on visual editor provides.
AppGameKit Studio isn’t limited to app development, but its mobile companion apps are another standout feature. With these free apps, you can write and test code for your projects on your phone. AppGameKit Mobile is for coding, and AGK Player is for playing. I tested the apps on an iPhone, and they’re also available on Android phones. They even offer free game code to study and copy.
You can sync mobile edits with desktop projects through the cloud, using the mobile app to tweak games instead of creating them from scratch. As Fuze4 on Nintendo Switch proves, typing AppGameKit Studio code on a tiny touch screen isn’t the optimal way to write hundreds of lines of precise technical syntax, no matter how streamlined the editor is. Still, even having a flexible option to code on the go is appreciated.
I wish AppGameKit Studio walked you through your first project, but the documentation does a decent enough job of answering many questions. For more help, or just useful socializing and collaboration, you can join the community forums and Discord groups.
Verdict: A Flexible Tool for Coding on the Go
AppGameKit Studio is an intuitive and capable engine that lets you make various games on a PC or mobile device. It's worth checking out if you already have some experience, but between its paid add-ons and lack of newcomer-friendly coding options, it asks a bit too much if you're just starting with video game development. For newbies, GameMaker remains our Editors’ Choice winner for game development software.
Final Thoughts
(Credit: AppGameKit)
AppGameKit Studio
AppGameKit Studio divides its many useful features into pieces, and all require text-coding knowledge. Still, it's capable game development software, especially if you use its mobile apps.