Switching Game Engines? 5 Things to Keep in Mind When Doing So
Game Dev Resources Database
5 Things to Keep in Mind When Switching Engines
After releasing my first game last year, I tried to switch from Unity to Unreal.
However, the learning curve was much steeper than I expected, and I thought Unity would be more suitable for my game idea anyway. So I stuck with Unity.
Of course now, with the recent developments which I’m sure you are all aware, I regret that decision. And I’m certain that, just like me, many devs who switches to another engine will return to Unity after bumping into that steep curve.
So as someone who failed to make the switch before, I’m here to give you a heads up so that you avoid my mistakes. Here are 5 things to keep in mind when making the switch:
1. It will take time
Think about all those weeks, months and years you spent with Unity to reach your current level of comfort and efficiency.
It takes tremendous time and effort to get familiar with even the core principles of a game engine. It will take your time too. You are stepping into a familiar but unknown territory. It can take you months of practice to feel comfortable in this new area. And that’s okay.
2. Start small
Remember the first couple of small games you made with your first engine when learning the basics? They were simple yet satisfying. They were the symbol of the steps you took towards your destination.
Do not skip those steps. Starting small is crucial when getting familiar with the thought process of the new engine. This was my mistake. I thought I could skip the first couple of steps and learn the engine while trying to develop an ambitious game. I thought the best way to learn swimming is to jump into the pool directly. However, this logic doesn’t always apply to game engines.
Starting big will cause the excitement of learning a new engine fade, FAST.
3. Avoid trying to apply the same logic
Don’t let Godot’s similarity to Unity fool you when you first open it. Yes, there will be similarities, but their logic will be different.
Godot uses a node-based system, which lets you create a game logic by combining multiple nodes. This may sound similar to Unity’s component-based system, but it actually feels very different in practice.
If you try to apply the same logic you inherited from your previous engine, you will soon get frustrated.
4. Expect struggle
Don’t think all the time you spent with Unity is wasted. That will definitely help you flatten the learning curve of other engines.
But don’t think it will be easy to learn new engines just because you spent years with Unity. Expect struggle and failure. There will be a time you fail to implement something that you were able to implement easily in your previous engine, and your brain will urge you to give up and return to Unity. Remember that struggle is part of the process. (Obviously, I wasn’t able to remember.)
5. You have more than two options
I know you are aware that Godot and Unreal are not the only other options in existence.
But I don’t think you are aware the sheer number of engines available. There are game engines that are even specific to a certain game genre. Ren’py, for instance, is a visual novel engine.
Take a look at this list and consider your other options before choosing. Here are some relatively lesser known engines:
Defold: A welcoming, multi-platform engine that focuses on 2D games with 3D support.
Bevy: Simple data-driven engine built in Rust.
O3DE: Amazon’s open source, real-time 3D engine.
libGDX: cross-platform Java game development framework based on OpenGL (ES).
Final Notes & Resources
Unity backtracked, but the trust is gone, and many devs have decided to switch to a new engine. I actually believe that Unity will rebuild their trust in coming years, but this situation showed we shouldn't be so dependent on one engine. And ideal game dev should be proficient in multiple game engines.
So I myself plan to switch when I’m done with my current game. Whether it's Godot, Unreal or another, I don't know yet. I will see it when the time comes. For those who are making the switch now, here are some resources. Good luck to all of you!
Unreal
Unreal Engine for Unity Developers (Article)
Switching from Unity to Unreal? Here’s How. (Article)
Unreal Engine 5 Beginner Tutorial - UE5 Starter Course (YouTube)
I Ported my Unity Game To Unreal THIS is Why (YouTube)
Unreal Engine Beginner Tutorial ( For Unity Developers ) (YouTube)
Unreal Engine Bluerpint Basics ( For Unity Developers ) (YouTube)
6 Months Learning Unreal Engine - My Game Dev Journey (YouTube)
Godot
From Unity to Godot Engine (Article)
Move From Unity to Godot Engine in Seconds (Article)
Switching from Unity to Godot: Tips & What You Should Expect (Article)
Godot Weekly (Newsletter)
Unity Dev Tries Godot For The First Time (YouTube)
Switching from Unity to Godot side by side Guide (2023) (YouTube)
Unity to Godot in Seconds -- This is Amazing! (YouTube)
The Complete Godot Sofware Bundle: A great bundle for those switching to Godot.
Other
Game Programming C++ & Unreal by Packt: This game developers’ library focuses on C++ and its coding applications in Unreal Engine and Blueprints visual scripting.
Game Dev Resources Database
I have another announcement to make! I've been working on something that might help you out - a handy Game Dev Resource Hub I put together. It includes:
Asset stores
Tools
Database and references
Websites
And anything that can be useful for game devs (All tagged for easy search).
Check it out here.
It's a work in progress, so please do let me know anything that you'd add or change. Hopefully this will help you discover something useful for your game dev journey!
Other
Three Inspiring Marketing Success Stories by Chris Zukowski
VroidStudio: Free 3D character creation software
The Audio Odyssey Bundle: “Get all the audio you’ll ever need for your games, films, and other creative projects with this jam-packed bundle of royalty-free music and sound FX!”
Me
Reading: The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber. It talks about why most of the small businesses fail, and what to do about it. Very insightful for those who want to start their indie studio.
Watching: House of The Dragon. Took me one year to finally get to it!
Playing: P:WotR and Mafia 1 Definitive Edition.
Listening:
Thanks for reading!
And that’s it from today’s issue of GameDev’s Journey. I hope you enjoyed it and find it useful. If you did, please like and leave a comment. Reach out for suggestions, objections, questions, or just say hi!
But regardless, thank you so much for reading, and have a great game dev journey!
The idea for Game Dev Resource Database is great!
But if you ask me, I would invest more in more in categorization and views.
For example,
- I would like to limit everything to 2D and group by section (Audio, Animation, Texture - these should be different sections, not just tags)
- Or just filter out assets, because I search for tools (currently you can add only one filter. I guess you can just duplicate this to my account, but then again... I'm not sure I would lose any updates then...)
Consider them helpful suggestions :-) Databases like that are very helpful, and there should be more of them!
Thanks for mentioning Godot Weekly, too :-)