Different programming languages have different specialties in certain areas, and some languages have the potential to enter game development because of their own characteristics.
How to choose a programming language for game development?
There are different levels of games, there are small games like tic tac toy while medium games like ludo, candy crush while big games like god of war ragnork, pubg, modern warfare 2 etc., So it is necessary to choose the area of your interest and what level of games you want to produce, then you will be able to choose a suitable language for your future, as programming languages also have their own requirements, as some languages require more time, skills and softwares, while some only want the skills.For example if you are building a simple game then you can do it using js which only requires skills and a code editor whereas if you are building a game like pubg then you need to use any object oriented programming language which would require more time, resources and skill.
Below are given more clarity which will also help you to choose a language because a language needs time to master it so choose it carefully.
Must have qualities in a programming language for game development
A game programming language should have some special features, if you are going to make your future only in game development then one day you will also come in game development industry so it is necessary to go ahead with right language.The following are the qualities to be considered while choosing a language.
- proximity to hardware:- The closer the language is to the hardware, the faster it compiles, resulting in higher game performance.
- well documented and supported:-Language that follows above requirement must have well documentation as it will help you a lot to learn this language and you can gather online support for your problem as it has huge community.
- Robust:- The complexity of video games is increasing day by day as players want more high end games. Hence a programming language has to support large amounts of data and complex graphics.
Best programming languages for game development
These are some of the popular and well-optimized programming languages for game development, these programming languages are used to create 2D and 3D games for mobile, PC and console devices.-
C++
C++ is a very fast object-oriented programming language because it has fast compilation and memory management, and you can have a lot of control over memory management. Also provides a higher abstraction level, provides direct control and graphical processing. It has extensive libraries that serve to design and power complex graphics.Game engines uses C++
GoDot
CryEngine
Unreal Engine
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C#
This language was developed by Microsoft in 2000 and runs on .NET Framework. One advantage of this is that it uses the XNA framework which provides a lot of tools and a runtime environment for developing games for the Xbox and Microsoft platforms. It uses Unity3D and Xamarin, enabling game development for multiple platforms to provide scalability and efficiency.Game engines uses C#
GoDot
unity
Hero Engine
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JAVA
Java is a robust and versatile open-source programming language that is considered a beginner-friendly object-oriented language. It is also used in the game development industry as it supports multithreading and sockets. This means that the system memory and CPU are used in a more efficient manner. Java runs on a virtual machine hence making it easy to distribute applications developed in it.Game engines uses java
jMonkey engine
LibGDX
Jake 2
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PYTHON
The syntax and execution are simple in Python. It is much easier to understand than other object-oriented languages like C++, Java, and C#. A complex game is never developed using Python, only certain APIs and frameworks are used. It has rapid prototyping, which means that, with one command, we can create a gaming package that is a major advantage of Python in the game development industry. Python is used by the Pygame engine.Game engines uses python
GoDot
pygame
renPy
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JAVASCRIPT
JavaScript is a very popular programming language in website and game website development. JavaScript is also used to develop game websites in which games are developed using JavaScript because JavaScript easily interacts with HTML and CSS. These games are like bubble shooter, puzzle-solving, tic tac toy, etc. There are basic games. That's why JavaScript is very suitable for these kinds of games.Game engines uses javascript
PandaEngine
Phaser
MelonJS
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LUA
Lua is widely used as a scripting language in game development. It is a system-embedded programming language. There are many game engines such as Defold, Lua2D, Corona, etc that use Lua as a scripting language.Game engines uses lua
CraftStudio
WorldForge
Cocos2D
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Swift
Swift is generally used to develop iOS games, so if you want to make your future in iOS development then this is the best language that can be best for you.Game engines uses swift
SceneKit
ARKit
SpriteKit
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KOTLIN
Kotlin is mostly used to build software for cross-platforms such as Linux, Android, iOS, Windows, etc. Kotlin has a LibGDX library and MinGDX framework for creating 2D and 3D games. -
RUBY
Ruby is used to creating simple games that contain the Gosu 2D library for writing games. It is used by the Ruby 2D game engine to create basic games. You can create basic games using the Gosu 2D library.
Platform wise use of programming languages in game dev
Below are the most frequent languages used in game development for different platforms| Plateform | Languages |
|---|---|
| Android Mobiles | C++, C#, python |
| iOS Devises | swift |
| PC/ Laptop | C++, C#, JAVA |
| Consoles | C++ |
Games created using programming languages
Some of the famous games are listed below along with the respective programming languages in which they are written.| Languages | Games |
|---|---|
| C++ | PUBG, Apex legend, GTA 5, Forza horizone, Hitman, god of war ragnarök , call of duty: modern warefare 2 (inlcuding all COD games) |
| C# | Hearthstone, Stardew Valley |
| JAVA | GTA 5, asphalt |
| JavaScript | HexGl, towerbuiling |
| python | call of duty: modern warefare 2 (inlcuding all COD games) |
conclusion
C++/ C, java, C# are mostly used to develop complex 3D games like PUBG, COD, Fortnite, asphalt, etc., while Lua, Javascript, kotlin, and Ruby are used to develop those basic games. Which you can play online. Python can be used to program certain actions in the game.If you want to make simple games like Tic Tac Toy, Flappy Bird, Chrome Dinosaur game, then go for languages like Python and JavaScript. And if you want to develop some complex 3D games like pubg new state, cod, Fortnite, etc, then you should go for C++ or C, C#, and Java.