Construct 2

Mainly oriented toward enthusiasts, Construct 2 is an engine that provides the necessary tools for creating 2D video games. Unlike many other game development utilities which require coding, this one permits drag-and-drop actions in a visual editor. It is the successor of Construct Classic, a project which is now officially discontinued.

Because the application's based on HTML5, games created with it can be published on any online platforms with HTML5 support, such as Facebook, NewGrounds or Chrome Web Store. In addition to Windows, games exported by Construct 2 can run on macOS and Linux, along with mobile (Android, iOS, Windows Phone).

As far as the interface is concerned, Construct 2 adopts a classical ribbon bar that you may recognize from Microsoft Office 2007. To get acquainted with the mechanics behind the gaming engine, you can check out a beginner's guide and other tutorials at the developer's website. Also, the installed directory contains examples that you can freely explore, such as webcam effects, car movements, tilemap, or savegames.

Constructs 2 works with the help of event sheets, closely resembling source code in programming languages. Each event sheet has a list of events which get triggered when certain conditions are met. To successfully add an event, you have to set conditions and actions for each instance of each object shown on the screen. To generate complex behavior, you can chain events together via sub-events.

Typical game development features are found in Construct 2, like turning images into sprites, creating and managing multiple layouts, and customizing object properties like color, shape, text or font. To skip the coding part and simplify the whole process, you can load existing plugins such as buttons, file chooser, list, slider bar, particles, shadow light, geo-allocation, or video.

For sprite behavior, you can set various attributes: persist, shadow caster, solid, jump-thru, anchor, line of sight, timer, and fade. Sprite effects can be controlled when it comes to color, difference, luminosity, exclusion, dodge, and others. Animation frames can be managed in a filmstrip.

Construct 2 has many nifty features to offer to anyone interested in 2D game design. It doesn't require coding skills and is backed by rich documentation. To get a better idea of what you can create with this gaming engine, you can check out the game showcase.