Real Python: Top Python Game Engines

You can use several Python game engines for crafting video games using your existing Python skills. Popular Python game engines are Pygame, Arcade, and Ren’Py, each offering unique features. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to install and use them, and how these engines differ from traditional stand-alone game engines.

By the end of this tutorial, you’ll understand that:

• Pygame, Arcade, adventurelib, and Ren’Py are some of the top Python game engines, each with unique features.
• Python game engines are straightforward to use for Python developers but may require more effort for cross-platform support compared to other engines.
• Pygame Zero is designed for beginners, offering simplified game development requiring less manual code than Pygame.
• Creating mobile games with Python game engines isn’t straightforward and requires additional effort for optimization and compatibility.
• You can use Python to create 3D games using frameworks like Panda 3D.

Using Python, and a host of great Python game engines, makes crafting great computer games much easier than in the past. In this tutorial, you’ll explore several of these game engines, learning what you need to start crafting your own Python video games!

To get the most out of this tutorial, you should be well-versed in Python programming, including object-oriented programming. An understanding of basic game concepts is helpful, but not necessary.

Ready to dive in? Click the link below to download the source code for all the games that you’ll be creating:

Python Game Engines Overview

Game engines for Python most often take the form of Python libraries, which can be installed in a variety of ways. Most are available on PyPI and can be installed with pip. However, a few are available only on GitHub, GitLab, or other code sharing locations, and they may require other installation steps. This article will cover installation methods for all the engines discussed.

Python is a general purpose programming language, and it’s used for a variety of tasks other than writing computer games. In contrast, there are many different stand-alone game engines that are tailored specifically to writing games. Some of these include:

• The Unreal Engine
• Unity
• Godot

These stand-alone game engines differ from Python game engines in several key aspects:

• Language support: Languages like C++, C#, and JavaScript are popular for games written in stand-alone game engines, as the engines themselves are often written in these languages. Very few stand-alone engines support Python.
• Proprietary scripting support: In addition, many stand-alone game engines maintain and support their own scripting languages, which may not resemble Python. For example, Unity uses C# natively, while Unreal works best with C++.
• Platform support: Many modern stand-alone game engines can produce games for a variety of platforms, including mobile and dedicated game systems, with very little effort. In contrast, porting a Python game across various platforms, especially mobile platforms, can be a major undertaking.
• Licensing options: Games written using a stand-alone game engine may have different licensing options and restrictions, based on the engine used.

So why use Python to write games at all? In a word, Python. Using a stand-alone game engine often requires you to learn a new programming or scripting language. Python game engines leverage your existing knowledge of Python, reducing the learning curve and getting you moving forward quickly.

There are many game engines available for the Python environment. The engines that you’ll learn about here all share the following criteria:

• They’re relatively popular engines, or they cover aspects of gaming that aren’t usually covered.
• They’re currently maintained.
• They have good documentation available.

For each engine, you’ll learn about:

• Installation methods
• Basic concepts, as well as assumptions that the engine makes
• Major features and capabilities
• Two game implementations, to allow for comparison

Where appropriate, you should install these game engines in a virtual environment. Full source code for the games in this tutorial is available for download at the link below and will be referenced throughout the article:

With the source code downloaded, you’re ready to begin.

Pygame

When people think of Python game engines, the first thought many have is Pygame. In fact, there’s already a great primer on Pygame available at Real Python.

Written as a replacement for the stalled PySDL library, Pygame wraps and extends the SDL library, which stands for Simple DirectMedia Layer. SDL provides cross-platform access to your system’s underlying multimedia hardware components, such as sound, video, mouse, keyboard, and joystick. The cross-platform nature of both SDL and Pygame means that you can write games and rich multimedia Python programs for every platform that supports them!

Pygame Installation