A Beginner’s Perspective of Pygame vs Pyglet

For beginner developers, Pygame is a solid choice due to its ease of use, extensive community resources, and wide range of portability. However, advanced developers seeking versatility and efficient handling of multimedia elements may find Pyglet to be a more beneficial pick.

Key Differences Between Pygame and Pyglet

• Pygame’s focus is primarily on video games while Pyglet supports both game and GUI development.
• Pygame provides support for Android devices, varying OS and numerous game consoles that Pyglet lacks.
• Pyglet performs better in multi-window and multi-monitor desktops due to no external dependencies.
• Pygame comes with installers for Windows and macOS, but for Pyglet, pip install is used.
• Pygame is famous for its community-driven tutorials and aids, compared to Pyglet’s active developer and user community troubleshooting.

What Is Pygame and Who’s It For?

Pygame is a grand cross-platform toolset of Python modules, designed for crafting video games. It was first unleashed on October 28, 2000 with its most recent iteration being Version 2.5.0, as of June 2023. The elder statesman of Python gaming, it is written in Python, C, Cython, and Assembly and relies on the Simple DirectMedia Layer (SDL) library to provide a simpler route to real-time game development. Its flexibility extends to compatibility with Android through Pygame Subset for Android (pgs4a), making it a perfect fit for anyone, from first-time programmers, young kids, and college students, to seasoned game developers.

Pros of Pygame

• Offers a broad range of utilities for real-time game development
• Assets include vector math, collision detection, and 2D sprite scene graph management
• Compatible with Android
• Community-driven development
• Allows users to increase FPS to control game speed
• Suitable for both novice and experienced developers

Cons of Pygame

• Learning curve associated with understanding multiple languages
• No inherent support for 3D graphics
• Less suitable for large-scale, complex game development

What Is Pyglet and Who’s It For?

Pyglet is a versatile open-source library, coded in Python and geared towards game development, as well as GUI and multimedia applications. It prides itself on simplicity, requiring no external dependencies, and optimizing convenience for installation and distribution. It is fully compatible with both Python 2 and Python 3, and runs on Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. This library addresses everyone from GUI developers and multimedia enthusiasts, to game developers who crave a tool that surpasses that of Pygame’s capabilities.

Pros of Pyglet

• Versatile capabilities involving GUI and multimedia application development
• No external dependencies required
• Full advantage of multiple windows and multi-monitor desktops
• Compatible with Python 2 and Python 3
• Active developer and user community

Cons of Pyglet

• Involves a steep learning curve for beginners
• Less resources and tutorials compared to Pygame
• Performance can be subpar compared to lower-level libraries

Pygame vs Pyglet: Pricing

Both Pygame and Pyglet are open-source technologies and are available for free

Pygame

Pygame, an open-source set of Python modules for creating video games, operates under the GNU Lesser General Public License. This means that the technology is freely available to users, and can be used for open-source, freeware, shareware, and even commercial games, providing the license terms are complied with. There is no monetary cost associated with the use of Pygame.

Pyglet

Similarly, Pyglet is open-source under the BSD open-source license. It is fundamentally free of cost, and can be employed for both open-source projects and commercial use, fulfilling the license regulations. As with all BSD licenses, distributions of derived work may be sold; however, if distributed source code is included, it must be made available under the same terms.

Code Examples for Pygame & Pyglet

Pygame

We will be generating a fascinating random starfield simulation in Pygame. To fully appreciate this sample, a basic understanding of Python 3 and Pygame is desirable.

import pygame
import random

WIDTH, HEIGHT = 800, 600
BLACK = (0, 0, 0)
WHITE = (255, 255, 255)

class Star:
    def __init__(self):
        self.x = random.randrange(0, WIDTH)
        self.y = random.randrange(0, HEIGHT)
        self.speed = random.uniform(0.1, 2.5)

    def update(self):
        self.y += self.speed
        if self.y > HEIGHT:
            self.y = 0

    def draw(self, screen):
        pygame.draw.circle(screen, WHITE, (int(self.x), int(self.y)), 2)

pygame.init()
screen = pygame.display.set_mode((WIDTH, HEIGHT))
clock = pygame.time.Clock()
stars = [Star() for _ in range(200)]

while True:
    for event in pygame.event.get():
        if event.type == pygame.QUIT:
            pygame.quit()
    
    screen.fill(BLACK)

    for star in stars:
        star.update()
        star.draw(screen)

    pygame.display.flip()
    clock.tick(60)

Pyglet

This Pyglet example produces an engaging rotating 3D cube. The setup necessitates having both python and Pyglet installed.

import pyglet
from pyglet.gl import *

win = pyglet.window.Window()
cube_rotation = 0

def setup():
    glEnable(GL_DEPTH_TEST)

def create_cube():
    glBegin(GL_QUADS)
    glVertex3f(-1,-1,-1)
    ...
    # Rest of your cube vertex definitions
    ...
    glEnd()

@win.event
def on_draw():
    global cube_rotation

    # Clear the current GL Window
    glClear(GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT|GL_DEPTH_BUFFER_BIT)
    
    # Push Matrix onto stack
    glPushMatrix()
    
    # Rotate the cube
    glRotatef(cube_rotation,3,1,1)
    
    # Draw Cube
    create_cube()

    # Pop Matrix from stack
    glPopMatrix()

    # Increment rotation angle
    cube_rotation += 1

setup()
pyglet.app.run()

The Final Call: Pygame vs Pyglet

In the riveting race between Pygame and Pyglet, the checkered flag awaits. Let’s dive into the verdict.

Beginner Coders

For beginners, especially those trying their hand at game development, Pygame offers an edge. With an easier and more accessible approach, it simplifies real-time game creation by implementing Simple DirectMedia Layer (SDL) library, vector math, collision detection, and 2D sprite management.

Cross-Platform Developers

For the cross-platform developers, Pygame takes the win again. With its remarkable portability, it runs on almost every operating system, including Android, AmigaOS, Dreamcast, Atari, and even OLPC computers.

Commercial Game Creators

For commercial game creators, Pyglet’s benefits are manifold. Its versatile use, broad support and capability of handling thousands of objects make it conducive for commercial projects. From Battlefield 2 to Pirates of the Caribbean, Pyglet’s stamp is undeniable.

App and Multimedia Developers

For devs eyeing application and multimedia development, they’ll find more value in Pyglet’s capabilities. From GUI development to handling multimedia applications efficiently, Pyglet proves to be more versatile, proving its better equipped for diverse projects.

Pygame shines for beginners and cross-platform devs with its simplicity and broad OS compatibility. Pyglet, however, with its superior adaptability, makes a compelling case for commercial gaming and app developers.