People say life is more fun when you play games, but I say life is more fun and thrilling when you develop games. So, folks are you ready to add some thrill in your life by developing games!
Before introducing you to the list of game engines, written in either C or C++ programming language, a game engine is a dedicated software or an architecture, or program that developers use for creating games. It provides developers with a way of adding physics, rendering, AI and other components, libraries and tools without programming them. They do require advanced programming experience and at the same time highly customizable. Game engines also provide limitless possibilities to develop the game.
Let me introduce you to some of the best gaming engines available out there. In order to produce best you need to choose the best. A suitable game engine leads your way to the success. So, before developing any game selection of gaming engine is the most crucial steps.
I have put my efforts for you to hunt the internet and to compile the comprehensive list of best game engines available out there.
Note that I tried to include only game engines written in C (mainly console games) or modern game engines written exclusively in the C++ programming language.
Which game engine use C++?
There are a numbers of game engines developed using C and C++. Here I have listed 100 game engines along with names of few games developed and target platform(s).
| Game Engine | Famous Games | Platform(s) |
| 4A Engine | Metro 2033 Metro Redux Metro: Last Night Arktika.1 | Windows, PS3, PS4,Xbox 360, Xbox one, Linux and DirectX9/10/11 |
| Adventure Game Studio | Resonance Heroine’s Quest Mamma Mia The Castle | Windows 7, 8, 10, Vista, XP and Windows 2000 (Linux, Mac and other ports also available for playing, not developing) |
| Aleph One | Marathon Marathon 2 Marathon Infinity | Windows, Linus, OS X |
| Antara Gaming Software Development Kit | N/A | Windows, Linus, OS X |
| Antiryad Gx | The Sacred Armour of Antiriad | Windows, Linux, DOS, Mac OS, iOS, Android, MorphOS, NACL, AmigaOS, AROS |
| Anura | Frogatto & FriendsArgentum AgeCube Trains | Windows, Linux, iOS and Android |
| AnvilAppGameKit | Assassin’s Creed II Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood Assassin’s Creed: Revelations | Windows, PS 3, PS Vita, PS 4, Xbox 360, Wii U, Xbox One |
| Anvil Next | Assassin’s Creed III Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag Assassin’s Creed Rogue | Windows, PS 3, PS Vita, PS 4, Xbox 360, Wii U, Xbox One. |
| Anvil Next 2.0 | Assassin’s Creed Unity Assassin’s Creed Syndicate Skull & Bones | Windows, PS 3, PS Vita, PS 4, Xbox 360, Wii U, Xbox One. |
| Aurora toolset | The Witcher Neverwinter Nights Neverwinter Nights 2 | Windows, OS X, Linux. |
| Armory 3D | Not production ready yet. | Windows, Linux, macOS, HTML5, Android, iOS, PS4, Xbox One, Switch |
| Banshee 3D Engine | Not production ready yet. | |
| Blend4Web | Petigor’s Tale Experience Curiosity | WebGL, Linux, Windows, OS X, Android, iOS |
| Blender | Dead Cyborg Tomato Jones Yo Frankie! Sintel The Game | Windows macOS Linux |
| Bork3D Game Engine | Quoridor | Windows, iOS, and Mac OS X |
| Buildbox | Color switch Line Zen Bruce Lee Hyper Fruits Hexavoid 2 Neo Lights | Windows 7, Windows 8, Mac OS X (10.8, 10.9 and 10.10) |
| C4 Game Engine | Fat Princess Adventures for PlayStation 4 World of Subways City Bus Simulator 2010 | PS 3, PS 4, Windows (XP onwards), Mac OS X (10.9 onwards), Linux, as well as iOS |
| Cafu Engine | No major games developed yet. | Windows, Linux, MacOS, Pocket PC, Palm, DOS |
| Chrome Engine | Dying Light (2015) Dead Island Definitive Edition (2016) | Xbox One, Mac OS X, Linux, PS 3, PS 4, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows |
| ClanLib | Fireball Game | MacOS, Microsoft Windows, and Linux |
| Clausewitz | Imperator: Rome | Windows, Mac OS |
| Cocos2d | Hill Climb Racing Don’t Tap the white Tile Geometry Dash Lite | Windows, OS X and Linux |
| Cocos2d-X | Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff | Linux, iOS, Android, Windows Phone 8, Tizen, Windows and Mac OS X |
| Construct | Bee Escape Space Shooter | Windows, Wii U, OS X, HTML5 |
| Creation Engine | The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Fallout 4 Fallout 76 | |
| CryEngine | Aion: The Tower of Eternity Far Cry Far Cry Instincts Far Cry Instincts: Predator Evolution Far Cry Vengeance | Windows, PS 3, PS 4, Wii U, OS X, Linux, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Android, iOS. |
| CryEngine 2 | Blue Mar Crysis Crisis warhead Drug Wars | Windows, PS 3, PS 4, Wii U, OS X, Linux, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Android, iOS. |
| CryEngine 3 | ArcheAge ASTA: The War of Tears and Winds God Slayer King of Wushu | Windows, PS 3, PS 4, Wii U, OS X, Linux, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Android, iOS. |
| CryEngine 3.6 – 4 | Heathen-The sons of the Law Miscreated Prey Investigator Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 | Windows, PS 3, PS 4, Wii U, OS X, Linux, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Android, iOS. |
| CryEngine V | Hunt: Showdown Reboant – Endless Dawn Deceit The Climb | Windows, PS 3, PS 4, Wii U, OS X, Linux, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Android, iOS. |
| Cube | Cube AssaultCube | Microsoft Windows, FreeBSD, Linux, OS X, AROS, AmigaOS 4, iPhone, and Dell Axim x50v |
| Cube 2:Sauerbraten | Cube 2 Red Eclipse | Windows, Linux and MacOS X |
| Dark Engine | Thief System Shock 2 Thief II | Windows |
| Delta Engine | Heroes of Soul Craft SoulCraft DeltaNinja | iOS, Android, W8, WP, and HTML5 |
| Dim3 | Beats of Rage Crystal Space | Windows, Unix, MacOS X, iOS and Linux |
| Dunia Engine | James Cameron’s Avatar Far Cry 5 | PlayStation 3, 4, Xbox One, PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox 360 |
| DX Studio | GazShock Ballistic Bonbon | Windows |
| Esenthel | Splendor Dominion | Windows, Mac, Xbox, iOS, Android, Web and Linux |
| Exult | Ultima VII: The Black Gate | Windows, OS X, Linux and BSD |
| Frostbite | Battlefield/ Battlefront Medal of Honor Need For Speed | Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One |
| G3D InnovationEngine | Windows 10, OS X, and Linux | |
| Gamebryo | Civilization IV | Windows, iOS, Android, Linux, Gamecube, PSX, Wii/WiiWare, PS2, PS3, PS4, PSP, Xbox, Xbox One and Xbox 360 |
| GamePlay3D | Rocket Clash 3D Archery World Tour | Windows NT, iOS, Linux, macOS and Android |
| Godot | Stereobreak Deep Sixed Pusoy dos | Windows, UWP, MacOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Web Assembly and HTML |
| Gold Box | Eye of the Beholder Pool of Radiance | Amiga, Apple II, Apple Macintosh, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS, NEC PC-9800, NES and Sega Genesis. |
| GoldSrc | Half Life 2 | Windows OS X Linux Dreamcast PlayStation 2 Xbox |
| HeroEngine | Visions of Zosimos Farmer3d | Windows |
| Horde3D | Offroad Legends Redline Rush | Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux |
| HPL Engine | Penumbra: Requiem Soma | Windows, OS X, Linux |
| HPL Engine 2 | Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs Amnesia: The Dark Descent | Windows, OS X, Linux |
| HPL Engine 3 | Penumbra: Black Plague Penumbra: Requiem | Windows, OS X, Linux |
| id Tech 1 | Doom, DoomII | DOS, Microsoft Windows, MacOS |
| id Tech 2 | Quake, KingPin: Reloaded | DOS, Microsoft Windows, MacOS |
| id Tech 3 | Quake III, Call of Duty: Classic | DOS, Microsoft Windows, MacOS, Linux |
| id Tech 4 | Doom 3,Quake 4 | Windows, OS X and Linux |
| id Tech 5 | Rage The Evil Within | Windows, PS 3, PS 4, Xbox 360, OS X and Xbox One |
| id Tech 6 | Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus Doom VFR | Windows, PS 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch |
| id Tech 7 | Doom Eternal | Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One |
| IrrLicht | Sokoban Challenge | MacOS, Windows, Linux and Windows CE |
| IW engine | Call of Duty: Black Ops II 007: Quantum of Solace | Windows, PS 4, PS 3, Xbox One, OS X, Xbox 360, Wii and Wii U |
| Jade | Beyond Good & Evil Rayman Raving Rabbids | Xbox, Gamecube, PS2 and PC |
| Leadwerks | Hoodwink | Linux and Linux, with support for OS X in process |
| Limon Engine | PlayStation 4, Windows and Xbox One | |
| Lumberyard | Star Citizen Deadhaus Sonata | Windows, Xbox One, PS 4 |
| LumixEngine | On the Hunt (in development) | Windows |
| Marmalade | MONOPOLY, Game of Life | OS, Mac OS X, Android, Windows Phone, Tizen and Roku |
| Moai SDK | Crimson: Steam Pirates Broken Age | with iOS, Mac, Android, Windows, Chrome NaCl, Linux and HTML5 |
| MT Framework | Mega Man 11Monster Hunter: World Resident Evil 6 | PlayStation 3, Windows, Wii, Xbox 360, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U and PlayStation Vita |
| OGRE | Zombie Driver Roblox | Windows, Xbox, OSX, PocketPC, Linux and PS3 |
| OpenClonk | OpenClonk | Linux, Microsoft Windows and OS X |
| ORX | Hazardous Attack Breaktris | Windows, Linux, iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad, Mac OS X and Android |
| Panda3D | Toontown Online | Web |
| PhyreEngine | Below Unravel | PS 4, PS 3, PS VR, PS Vita, PS Portable, Windows, iOS and Android |
| PLIB | TuxKart – A racing game Stormbaan Coureur – A physic simulator game | Portable Libraries |
| Pyrogenesis | 0 A.D | Windows, Linux, OS X, and OSes |
| Qfusion | Warsow | Linux, macOS, Windows and Android (in development) |
| Real Virtuality | ARMA 2 DayZ | Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One |
| REDengine | The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | Windows, Xbox 360, OS X, PS 4 and Xbox One |
| Shark 3D | Dreamfall: The Longest Journey, Windchaser | Linux, Windows, Xbox and Xbox 360 |
| ShiVa | Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow and the Flame | iOS, Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone, Windows, Mac OS X and Linux, Web browsers supporting Flash, HTML5, Xbox 360, PlayStation3 and Nintendo Wii |
| Snowdrop | Tom Clancy’s The Division South Park: The Fractured but Whole | Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox. |
| Source | Half-Life 2 Portal | Windows, OS X, PS 3, Xbox, Linux, Xbox 360 and Android |
| Source 2 | Artifact Dota Underlords | Windows, Android, OS X, Linux and iOS |
| Spring | Balanced Annihilation | Windows, Linux and OS X |
| StepMania | In the Groove | Windows, macOS, and Linux |
| Stockfish | Stockfish Chess DroidFish for Android SmallFish for iOS | Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Stratagus | Bos Wars Battle for Mandicor Battle of Survival | AmigaOS 4, BSD, Linux, Mac OS X, MorphOS, AROS, Windows |
| Truevision 3D | Battle of the Coral Sea Recreation of a simple 3D space-combat sim | Windows |
| Tombstone Engine | PS 4 and Windows | |
| Torque3D | Tribe 2, Visitors: First Contact and Dreamlords | Windows, macOS, Linux, as well as Web platforms |
| Toy Engine | In development | Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, HTML5 |
| UbiArt Framework | Rayman Origins Child of Light Rayman Adventures | PS3, PSVita, PS4, Wii, 3DS, Wii U, Nintendo Switch, Windows, X360, XONE, IOS, Android, OS X, tvOS |
| UDK (UnrealDevelopment Kit) | Sonic Incursion, Renegrade X | Windows, iOS, iPad, X360, PS3 |
| Unigine | Oil Rush Sumoman | Windows, Linux |
| Unity | Hearthstone Escape from Tarkov Monument Valley 2 | Windows and OSX , Linux, Unity Webplayer plugin, Android, iOS, Windows Phone,Blackberry, XBox One, XBox 360, PS4, PS3, PSP Vita, Playstation Mobile, WiiU and Wii. |
| Unreal Engine 1 | Unreal Tournament, Unreal | Mac OS, Linux, Microsoft Windows, Unix, PS 2 and Dreamcast |
| Unreal Engine 2 | Splinter Cell, killing floor | Windows, Mac OS, Xbox, PlayStation and Wii U |
| Unreal Engine 3 | Mortal Kombat 11, Batman Arkham Origins | Windows, Mac OS, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Android and iOS platforms |
| Unreal Engine 4 | Fortnite, Star Wars – Jedi Fallen Order, Biomutant | MacOS, Microsoft Windows, SteamOS, Linux, HTML, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, PS-4, OSVR |
| Urho3D | Clinically Dead War Priest made it out alive Edge of Time Episode 1: Rise of the Aeus Bolderline | Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, tvOSnew, Android, Raspberry Piv1.3 including other generic ARM boardsv1.6, and Webv1.4 with Emscripten toolchain. |
| Vengeance Engine | SWAT 4: Gold Edition Tribes: Vengeance | Windows |
| Visual Pinball | Visual Pinball | Windows |
| V-Play Game Engine (Felgo) | Game Network | iOS, Windows Phone, Android, Linux, MacOS X, Raspberry Pi and i.MX: i.MX 6 series |
| Wintermute Engine | J.U.L.I.A among the stars Reversion: A Sci-Fi Adventure Game | Windows |
| WorldForge | Acorn | Linux, MacOSX and Window |