Tierlisting the BEST (and worst) GAME ENGINES

The Nugget

The video presents a tier list of game engines, evaluating them based on user-friendliness, expense, tutorial availability, and flexibility, ultimately recommending Unreal Engine, Godot, and Unity as the top choices for game developers due to their versatility, support, and pricing models.

Key quotes

"Unity is probably one of the big three most well-known engines and it's simply also one of the oldest ones."
"Unreal Engine [...] I think unreal is better than unity in a lot of key different ways."
"CryEngine is very powerful [...] but it's hella hard."
"Making your own engine [...] I think it's a bad idea."
"No matter which one you choose, if you are a good developer you can make any one of these work."

S Tier: Unreal Engine, recognized for its technical capabilities, photorealism, and favorable pricing model.
A Tier: Unity and Godot, valued for their accessibility, flexibility, and vast communities.
B Tier: RPG Maker, ideal for writers and those focused on narrative-driven games.
C Tier: Phaser, suited for HTML5/web games, and GameMaker Studio, noted for its ease of use for beginners but criticized for its pricing model.
D Tier: CryEngine, acknowledged for its power but criticized for its steep learning curve and limited community support.
E Tier: Creating your own engine, viewed as a valuable learning experience but impractical for commercial game development.
F Tier: Construct 3, criticized for its limited functionality in the free version and reliance on JavaScript.

Unity is appreciated for its flexibility and the accessibility of C#, but its complexity has increased over the years.
Unreal Engine's blend of high fidelity visuals and performance, paired with a generous pricing model, places it at the top.
Godot is praised for being fully free and open source, offering a real alternative for indie developers.
CryEngine and making your own engine are considered less viable options, with high barriers to entry and practical application.
Game engines like Phaser and Construct 3 are lower on the list due to their niches in web and simple game development.

🚀 Unreal Engine: Top-tier for heavy visual fidelity and an indie-friendly pricing model.
🔧 Unity vs. Godot: A toss-up between the industry stalwart and the open-source underdog for most developers.
🛠️ Making your own engine: A Herculean task—best left as an educational journey rather than a path to game development success.
🎲 RPG Maker: Great for narrative-focused devs, shackling designers to a specific genre but excelling within its domain.

This summary contains AI-generated information and may have important inaccuracies or omissions.