Pygame vs Arcade: What You Should Know

For gaming beginners, Pygame offers a community-centric approach with strong compatibility across platforms and devices. However, for those seeking modern graphics, better documentation, and improved performance, Arcade tends to edge out with its impressive inbuilt features and structured approach to game development.

Key Differences Between Pygame and Arcade

• Pygame provides cross-platform capabilities and is renowned for its community-driven approach, while Arcade offers modern graphics, sound functionalities, and an object-oriented design.
• While Pygame’s learning curve is beneficial for beginners, Arcade’s comprehensive API documentation and structured approach cater more towards developers with some initial knowledge.
• Arcade requires OpenGL 3.3+ support and is more suited to Python 3.6+, while Pygame operates under the GNU Lesser General Public License with broader compatibility, even with older Python versions.
• Pygame facilitates increased control over game speed via FPS adjustment, but Arcade boasts better stability with its exclusive start_render() and finish_render() functions for improved drawing.

What Is Pygame and Who’s It For?

Pygame, authored by Lenard Lindstrom, René Dudfield, Pete Shinners, Nicholas Dudfield, Thomas Kluyver, and others, is a set of Python modules designed for creating video games. Offering cross-platform capabilities, it first launched on October 28, 2000, with its stable release version 2.5.0 rolled out in June 2023. This technology is for those looking to simplify real-time game development, as Pygame makes vector math, collision detection and 2D sprite scene graph management approachable.

Pygame is especially handy for beginners, being easier and more accessible than most. It’s ideal for college students, young kids, and first-time programmers. Community driven and highly portable, it runs on nearly every operating system.

Pros of Pygame

• Less than 60k token length.
• Compatible with Android devices and support for various niche OS.
• Community-driven development and tutorial creation.
• Pygame code is 10-20 times faster than python code.

Cons of Pygame

• Limited to 2D games.
• Not as powerful as certain other game development platforms.

What Is Arcade Library and Who’s It For?

The Arcade Library is a modern Python library ideal for creating 2D video games with appealing graphics and sound. Authored by Paul Vincent Craven, a computer science professor at Simpson College, Iowa, USA, Arcade is built for Python 3.6+ and requires OpenGL 3.3+ support.

Users who appreciate neatness would find Arcade favorable for its standard coordinate system and time-saving, requiring less boilerplate code. Arcade can be used for open-source free, shareware, and commercial game development, and is especially convenient for users who want to create enticing games with smooth animations and classy sprites.

Pros of Arcade Library

• Provides inbuilt drawing functions for different shapes.
• Improved documentation and less boilerplate code required than Pygame.
• Supports type hinting and complies with Python 3.6+.

Cons of Arcade Library

• Occasional instability issues.
• Limited backward compatibility and Python version compatibility.

Pygame vs Arcade: Pricing

Both Pygame and Arcade are open-source, free-to-use Python modules for programming 2D video games, offering commercial use as well.

Pygame

Pygame operates under the GNU Lesser General Public License, permitting free usage. The system allows development of open-source, freeware, or commercial games without any licensing cost. It boasts a broad reach in terms of platforms, encompassing Android, Windows, macOS, Dreamcast, and more.

Arcade

Arcade also comes free-of-charge and can be used for open-source, freeware, and commercial game development. Compatible with Windows, OS X, and Linux, Arcade aids in the creation of visually appealing 2D games and graphic applications. Python 3.6 or newer is a requirement for its operation.

Code Examples for Pygame & Arcade

Pygame: Paddles and Ball

This Pygame code snippet lets you develop a simple yet fun Ping Pong game. We are using Python 3 and Pygame 1.9.6 for this code to function optimally. Ensure to install Pygame using pip.

    import pygame
    pygame.init()

    w, h = 800, 600
    scr = pygame.display.set_mode((w, h))

    class Paddle:
        def __init__(self):
            self.x = 50
            self.y = 50
            self.dy = 0

        def draw(self):
            pygame.draw.rect(scr, (255,255,255), (self.x,self.y,15,60))

        def move(self):
            keys = pygame.key.get_pressed()
            if keys[pygame.K_UP]:
                if self.y > 0:
                    self.y -= 2
            if keys[pygame.K_DOWN]:
                if self.y < (h-60):
                    self.y += 2

    paddle = Paddle()

    while 1:
        for event in pygame.event.get():
            if event.type == pygame.QUIT:
                exit()

        scr.fill((0,0,0))
        paddle.draw()
        paddle.move()
        pygame.display.flip()

Arcade: Player Movement

This Arcade snippet illustrates basic player movement in a blank environment. Python 3.6+, Arcade 2.5.7+ are pre-requisites for this code. Pip could be used to install Arcade.

    import arcade

    SCREEN_W = 800 
    SCREEN_H = 600 
    SPEED = 5

    class Player(arcade.Sprite):
        def update(self):
            self.center_x += self.change_x
            self.center_y += self.change_y

    class MyGame(arcade.Window):
        def __init__(self):
            super().__init__(SCREEN_W, SCREEN_H, "Player Movement")
            self.player = None

        def setup(self):
            self.player = Player(":resources:images/enemies/slimeBlock.png", 0.5)

        def on_draw(self):
            arcade.start_render()
            self.player.draw()

        def update(self, dt):
            self.player.update()

        def on_key_press(self, key, key_modifiers):
            if key == arcade.key.UP:
                self.player.change_y = SPEED
            elif key == arcade.key.DOWN:
                self.player.change_y = -SPEED
            elif key == arcade.key.LEFT:
                self.player.change_x = -SPEED
            elif key == arcade.key.RIGHT:
                self.player.change_x = SPEED

        def on_key_release(self, key, key_modifiers):
            if key == arcade.key.UP or key == arcade.key.DOWN:
                self.player.change_y = 0
            elif key == arcade.key.LEFT or key == arcade.key.RIGHT:
                self.player.change_x = 0

    game = MyGame()
    game.setup()
    arcade.run()

Pygame vs Arcade: The Decisive Call

When choosing between Pygame and Arcade, it comes down to your specific needs and the nature of your project. Let’s dissect this further.

Beginners and Educational Enthusiasts

With a less steep learning curve, Pygame stands head and shoulders above Arcade. Its accessibility, along with a solid community backing, solidifies its relevance for first-time programmers, students and educational purposes.

Indie Game Developers

Arcade, on the other hand, is a winner for perseverance. Taking advantage of Python 3.6+ and featuring a more advanced graphical and sound support, it proves a stronger choice for those taking a plunge in indie game development.

Python Version Compatibility

If you’re working with earlier versions of Python, your preference should definitely be Pygame. Its universal compatibility comes undeniably handy. Arcade’s potential is nonetheless evident, but currently conditional on Python 3.6+.

Performance-Oriented Programmers

For projects where performance is paramount, Pygame takes the edge. Pygame’s code is 10-20 times faster than standard Python code, making it an irresistible choice for performance-intensive tasks.

2D Game Developers

If you’re passionate about 2D games with superior graphics and sounds, lean towards Arcade. It arms you with inbuilt functions for diverse shapes and intuitive sprite animations.

Despite their respective pros & cons, Pygame’s extensive compatibility, performance boosts, and ease of learning make it an all-around choice. Yet, Arcade by virtue of its modern architecture and superior graphics support, is a promising contender in Python gaming.