Panda 2

If you've decided to try your luck at 2D game development and are looking for a good place to start, you could use Panda 2. Newly released, this is an Electron-based app that puts emphasis on simplicity, providing users with the tools necessary for designing and publishing 2D games for desktops and mobile devices.

It has a live preview panel for showing your progress while you're coding, a rich library of functions with autocomplete, as well as a programming language similar to C++.

The code editor is based on JavaScript and has customizable font size, support for multiple themes (including dark) and for keyboard shortcuts. Variables and functions get listed in a menu at the current cursor position while you type.

The "Assets" section can be populated with the objects you want to use in the game, like graphical files that will be turned into sprites. Classes are sorted alphabetically in the sidebar; Panda 2 jumps to them in the code on selection, letting you make adjustments immediately. Meanwhile, scenes can be easily restarted from the sidebar.

To preview results, you just have to hit the "Save" button. This panel has buttons for muting sound, switching to mobile mode, viewing in the web browser, taking screenshots, or using developer tools. It can be detached to put in on the secondary monitor, for example. Debugging tools show live data like frames per second, physics bodies, timers, and tweens. To extend functionality, you can load plugins.

Various tutorials and templates can be explored on the developer's website, along with a playground and documentation for the Panda 2 engine. Worth noting is that the templates can also be downloaded and used by registered users.

All aspects considered, Panda 2 seems to take a simplistic approach toward 2D game development while not leaving out essential development tools. We're looking forward to new releases.