Unreal Engine vs Defold: The Verdict on User Experience

Unreal Engine, with C++ as its base line, has a stronger 3D game development capability and is beneficial for achieving advanced gaming effects. Though it has a royalty model, it offers a wealth of resources and a global marketplace. Defold, with its Lua base, is all about speed and simplicity, perfect for fast prototyping and 2D games with its developer-friendly open source environment. In terms of cost, it’s free.

Key Differences Between Unreal Engine and Defold

• Unreal Engine employs C++ for game development, whereas Defold relies on Lua.
• Defold is an open-source engine with free access, while Unreal Engine follows a royalty model.
• Unreal Engine excels in 3D gaming with top-quality graphics and animation capabilities, Defold primarily targets 2D games.
• Unreal Engine holds an established marketplace for selling or buying creations, Defold doesn’t have this facility.
• Both engines cater to a wide range of platforms, but Defold is known for its cross-platform building feature.
• Unreal Engine provides a plethora of resources for learning and development, while Defold is applauded for its simplicity and ease of use.
• Defold operations are handled by a small team which could limit the scale of development, against the global presence of Unreal Engine.

What Is Unreal Engine and Who’s It For?

Unreal Engine (UE) is a suite of powerful design tools originating from Epic Games, purposed for the creation and development of varied genres of games, including branching out to film and TV industries. This versatile tech is intended for professional developers, gaming enthusiasts, and educational institutions, providing a foundational basis for a plethora of game genres across console, desktop, mobile, and VR.

Unreal Engine is widely embraced by modders and creators globally. Integrated with advanced editing utilities and constructive solid geometry operations, the engine supports the transformation of a creative idea into a visual reality.

Pros of Unreal Engine

• Royalty-free for games published on the Epic Games Store
• Supports broad range of platforms including VR
• Extensive library of project templates for beginners
• Free usage in education sector

Cons of Unreal Engine

• 5% revenue cut on earnings above USD 1 million
• C++ programming knowledge required
• Not as beginner-friendly compared to some alternatives

What Is Defold and Who’s It For?

Defold is a free-to-use game engine, perfect for console, desktop, mobile, and web game development. Created by former Avalanche Studios employees, this technology is for indie developers, startups, and educational institutions with its friendlier licensing terms and in-depth technical documentation.

The engine has evolved under the aegis of the Defold Foundation, making the source code public and fostering a vibrant development community. Defold is also suitable for creation of simulators and apps, enabling developers with wider usage scenarios.

Pros of Defold

• Free-to-use with no upfront costs, licensing fees, or royalties
• Native code option for extra functionality
• Active development community
• Open-source with Code available on GitHub

Cons of Defold

• Primarily designed for 2D games, with 3D development still in progress
• Requires understanding of Defold, native extensions for flexible development
• Development scale may be limited due to small team size

Unreal Engine vs Defold: Pricing

Unreal Engine follows a royalty-based model, while Defold is completely free to use, sans licensing fees or royalties.

Unreal Engine

Epic Games levies a royalty of 5% on revenues exceeding USD 1 million for commercial uses of Unreal Engine. This royalty charge is exempted for games published on the Epic Games Store. Furthermore, when revenue surpasses $3,000 per quarter, a 5% charge is applied. Products created with the Unreal Engine can be sold in the Unreal Engine Marketplace, with content creators retaining 88% of the generated revenue. For educational institutions, Unreal Engine is available free of charge.

Defold

Defold poses no upfront costs, licensing fees, or royalties. The source code is accessible via GitHub, making it a cost-efficient solution for diverse platforms including console, desktop, mobile, and web game development. Being an open-source platform, Defold promotes the opportunity to fork the engine for additional functionality with no associated cost.

Code Examples for Unreal Engine & Defold

Unreal Engine

Our first Unreal Engine code snippet showcases a unique way to have objects automatically rotate on entry into the game. Mainly for visual effects, this can produce an energetic ambiance in various scenarios. Note: This code will go into the .cpp file of the corresponding object class.

void AYourObject::Tick(float DeltaTime)
{
    Super::Tick(DeltaTime);
    // Rotate the object on every tick.
    FRotator NewRotation = GetActorRotation();
    NewRotation.Yaw += 50.0f * DeltaTime;
    SetActorRotation(NewRotation);
}

Defold

This Defold snippet simplifies the process of spawning enemies in a 2D game, useful in sidescrollers where a continuous launch of enemies is required. Keep in mind, this code should be attached to a game object with a script component and the assumed existence of an ‘enemy.go’ game object file.

function init(self)
    -- Set initial next spawn time
    self.next_spawn = os.clock() + self.spawn_interval
end

function update(self, dt)
    -- Check if it's time to spawn a new enemy
    if os.clock() > self.next_spawn then
        -- Spawn the enemy
        factory.create("#enemyfactory")
        -- Set next spawn time
        self.next_spawn = os.clock() + self.spawn_interval
    end
end

In both these examples, the code is straightforward with minimal setup. However, always ensure you have the latest versions of Unreal Engine and Defold installed, and possess a basic understanding of game object manipulation and scripting.

The Decisive Verdict: Unreal Engine vs Defold

When it comes to choosing between Unreal Engine and Defold, the dynamics change depending on the user perspective. Here’s our definitive verdict based on various audience segments.

Seasoned Game Developers

For seasoned game developers, Unreal Engine steals the spotlight with its robust offering in C++ programming language, and the flexibility to create experiences on multiple platforms including console, desktop, mobile and VR. Plus, the evolved versions like UE4 and UE5 provide a dynamic edge for its users, invariably positioning it as their go-to option.

Indie Developers or Start-ups

When we shift our lens to indie developers or start-ups, the scale starts tipping towards Defold. Its no-cost model, friendly community and reliable technical documentation serve as an ideal launchpad. Moreover, its ability to create games with Lua and extend functionalities using native code, all without any licensing fee, make it a cost-effective solution.

Education Sector

Education institutions requiring game engine platforms should prefer Unreal Engine considering its free offering for schools and universities, that helps students gain hands-on experience on a professional gaming platform, thus readying them for real-world challenges.

Global companies

Lastly, for global companies aiming to break into the gaming industry at a large scale, Unreal Engine becomes the more appropriate choice due to its capability for intense resource demand, high-level graphics and high revenue model.

In summary, Unreal Engine tends to outperform Defold in terms of high-scale game development, impressive graphics, and flexible platform support, making it a preferable choice for experienced developers and global companies. Conversely, Defold’s cost-effectiveness, simplicity, and open-source model make it an attractive choice for indie developers and start-ups.