At First Glance: Defold vs Godot

Defold and Godot both offer exceptional game development platforms, but they excel in different areas. For developers seeking a fresh, install-free development system with a reputation for ease-of-use and a lively community, Defold is ideal. However, for creators desiring an open-source engine with an intuitive scene-driven design and extensive language support, Godot shines.

Key Differences Between Defold and Godot

• Coding: Defold uses Lua and optional native code, while Godot primarily uses GDScript but also supports a variety of languages including C#, C++, and more.
• Community Support: Both engines have strong communities, but Defold offers an active Discord channel and forums.
• 3D Support: Godot has full 3D engine support for high and low-end devices while Defold’s 3D development is ongoing.
• Ownership and Licensing: Godot operates under the MIT license; Defold is managed by the Defold Foundation with its services provided free to global game developers.

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What Is Defold and Who’s It For?

Defold is a robust, free game engine targeted towards console, desktop, mobile, and web game developers. Spawned from the brilliant minds of Christian Murray and Ragnar Svensson, former Avalanche Studios employees, and now owned by the Defold Foundation, the platform provides a developer-friendly environment with its code available on GitHub and a licensing model free of any upfront costs, licensing fees or royalties. Defold is the engine behind commercial hits and is also extensively utilized in schools and game jams for its ease of use, documented technical savviness, and an engaging community.

Pros of Defold

• Free and open-source software
• Tests and develops games across platforms
• Strong technical documentation and community
• Offers VSCode option and CLI build system
• Game logic written in Lua, with option to use native code

Cons of Defold

• Primarily designed for 2D games, with 3D in progress
• Requires understanding of Defold and Native-Extensions
• Scale of development may be limited due to a smaller team

What Is Godot and Who’s It For?

Godot is an open-source game engine distinguished by its intuitive scene-driven design. Accommodating developers globally, Godot enables game creation using simple blocks to nodes for complex, reusable scenes. Its built-in scripting language, GDscript, ensures a streamlined game logic while it also supports languages like C#, Rust, and Nim. Emerging from the wings of a small Parisian theatre in 1953, Godot is now operational on multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, Linux and Android.

Pros of Godot

• Open-source with an accessible, modifiable codebase
• Unique scene-driven design for intuitive development
• Supports various programming languages
• No licensing fees or hidden costs
• Integrated visual editor for coding

Cons of Godot

• Not suitable for complex 3D game development
• Static typing support only available in GDScript
• .NET only available for desktop platforms in Godot 4

Defold vs Godot: Pricing

Both Defold and Godot provide developer-friendly licensing structures with zero upfront costs, licensing fees, or royalties.

Defold

Defold emphatically stands its ground in the realm of free gaming engines, extending its offerings to console, desktop, mobile, and web game development. Maintained under the aegis of the Defold Foundation, the engine’s source code is readily accessible on GitHub, free from licensing fees or royalties. Regardless of being employed for commercial hits or used in pedagogic contexts, Defold simplifies the process, negating any upfront costs. Furthermore, no constraints hinder its use in the development of Games, Simulators, and Apps – reinforcing its reputation as an uncompromisingly accessible gaming engine.

Godot

Primarily basking in the glory of its intuitive, scene-driven design, Godot serves as an open-source game engine available under the MIT license. Unveiling the doors of game creation without omnipresent licensing fees or hidden contracts, Godot advocates for user ownership, thereby empowering the gaming population with cost-free, non-commercial game development. It champions the cause of open-source software, extending the freedom to modify the source code, thereby standing toe-to-toe with Defold in the absence of financial shackles.

Code Examples for Defold & Godot

Defold

This Defold script generates a procedural landscape, creating a unique look for each gameplay. Ensure you’ve installed Defold game engine: 1.2.177 minimum version required.

 
local function generate_landscape()
  local landscape_width = 1000
  local landscape_height = 100
  local landscape = {}

  for i=1, landscape_width do
    local height = math.random() * landscape_height
    table.insert(landscape, vmath.vector3(i, height, 0))
  end

  return landscape
end

function init(self)
  local landscape = generate_landscape()
  go.property("landscape", landscape)
end

Godot

The following Godot code deals with a camera following a player in 2D dynamically. Godot game engine version 3.2.3 or higher is a necessity here.

extends Camera2D

export (NodePath) var Player

func _ready():
	self.Player = get_node(Player)

func _process(delta):
	var PlayerPosition = self.Player.global_position
	self.global_position.x = lerp(self.global_position.x, PlayerPosition.x, 0.1)
	self.global_position.y = lerp(self.global_position.y, PlayerPosition.y, 0.1)

Remember to maintain the above HTML structure for code embedding. Substitute “lang-lua” for Defold (Lua-based) and “lang-gd” for Godot (GDScript-based) in “lang-js” and the data-lang attribute accordingly. This ensures the code is well formatted, in line with Prism code conventions.

The Final Verdict: Defold or Godot?

In the contest of Defold vs Godot, your chosen platform comes down to your development needs and proficiency.

Newbie Game Developers

For those starting out in game development, Godot’s simple node and scene logic along with built-in GDscript offer a gentler learning curve. User-friendly visual editor and community-supported multilingual support will catalyze your initial development journey.

2D Game Developers

If your focus is squarely on 2D games, Defold shines here. Its design is catered more towards 2D development with a robust editing and debugging suite, and Lua support. Cross-platform building is another pro.

Large-Scale 3D Game Developers

3D game developers poised for large-scale projects, or requiring .NET integration, will embrace Godot’s3D engine and C# or C++ support. The ability to import directly from Blender and the potential for complex node hierarchies adds more allure.

Independent Developers & Startups

Small indie developers or startups looking for flexible, cost-efficient options may veer towards Defold. With the option to prod underlying code, and no upfront costs, it becomes an attractive prospect for those testing waters or working within tight budgets.

The Advanced Engineers

For the advanced developers eyeing customization and robustness, Godot shows promise. With support for an array of languages including C++, C#, and community-supported Rust, Nim, Python, Godot’s abundant flexibility promises an enriched coding experience.

In terms of user-fit, while Defold scores in 2D games and cost efficiency, Godot offers more flexibility, a gentle learning curve, and a robust 3D engine.