Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Construct 2 VS MonoGame

Compare Construct 2 VS MonoGame and see what are their differences

Construct 2 logo Construct 2

Scirra Construct is a 2D game development engine with a focus on building games visually.

MonoGame logo MonoGame

MonoGame is an open source implementation of the Microsoft XNA 4 Framework.
  • Construct 2 Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-21
  • MonoGame Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-01

Construct 2 features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Construct 2 offers a drag-and-drop interface, making it accessible for users without programming skills to create games.
  • Fast Prototyping
    The visual scripting system allows for quick iteration and experimentation, enabling rapid development and testing of game concepts.
  • Cross-Platform Export
    Games developed in Construct 2 can be exported to multiple platforms including HTML5, Android, iOS, Windows, and more.
  • Extensive Documentation and Community Support
    Construct 2 has comprehensive documentation and an active community, which provides tutorials, forums, and asset stores that help in learning and improving game development skills.
  • Performance Optimization
    Construct 2 is built to optimize the performance of games running on various devices, ensuring smoother gameplay experience.

Possible disadvantages of Construct 2

  • Limited 3D Support
    Construct 2 is primarily a 2D game engine and lacks the capability to handle 3D game development efficiently.
  • Licensing Cost
    While there is a free version, more advanced features and export options require purchasing a license, which can be costly for some users.
  • Performance Overhead
    Games built with Construct 2 can have performance overhead compared to those developed with native code, which can affect the performance on less powerful devices.
  • Limited Customization
    While the visual scripting language is powerful, it can be restrictive for advanced users who need more control and customization over their game logic and performance.
  • Dependency on HTML5
    Construct 2’s primary export format is HTML5, which may not be suitable for all types of games, particularly those that require high-performance or native features.
  • Secondary Focus on Newer Engine
    Construct 2 is not the latest engine from Scirra; Construct 3 is its successor. Newer updates and features are likely to prioritize Construct 3, potentially slowing down the development and support for Construct 2.

MonoGame features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Support
    MonoGame allows developers to create games that run on multiple platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and more) from a single codebase.
  • Open Source
    Being open-source, MonoGame is free to use and has a community-driven development process. Developers can contribute to its growth and adapt it to their needs.
  • Familiarity
    MonoGame retains the XNA framework's API, which is familiar to many game developers who have previously worked with Microsoft's XNA.
  • Extensive Documentation
    The MonoGame community has created extensive documentation, tutorials, and examples, making it easier for new developers to get started.
  • High Performance
    MonoGame is built with performance in mind, enabling developers to create games that run efficiently across different devices.

Possible disadvantages of MonoGame

  • Manual Resource Management
    Developers need to handle resource management manually, including loading and unloading assets, which can be cumbersome and error-prone.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    While it offers extensive support, new developers may find MonoGame's learning curve steep, especially those unfamiliar with game development or the XNA framework.
  • Lacks Built-in Editors
    Unlike some game engines, MonoGame does not come with built-in level or asset editors. Developers must rely on third-party tools or create their own.
  • Limited High-Level Features
    MonoGame offers a more low-level framework compared to some other engines like Unity or Unreal Engine, lacking advanced built-in features such as physics engines or advanced AI systems.
  • Community Dependency
    As an open-source project, MonoGame's development and support heavily depend on its community. This can result in slower updates and potentially less reliable support compared to commercial engines with dedicated support teams.

Construct 2 videos

Construct 2 - How To Make a Game - Review

More videos:

  • Review - Construct 2 = Easiest Game Maker EVER!

MonoGame videos

MonoGame 3.7 Released

More videos:

  • Review - Why I use Monogame, and why I do what I do - Game Dev Talks 2

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Construct 2 and MonoGame)
Game Development
44 44%
56% 56
Game Engine
48 48%
52% 52
3D Game Engine
44 44%
56% 56
Gaming
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Construct 2 and MonoGame

Construct 2 Reviews

The Top 10 Video Game Engines
What better than an HTML-based engine to wrap up the list? Construct 2 doesn’t hinge on your ability to code. Sign me up!
The Best 15 Mobile Game Engines / Development Platforms & Tools in 2020
Construct 2 is a HTML5 platform for creating 2D games. It is very easy to use as coding is not required and it has many features that will help you in developing visually appealing games in a short time. It also allows for multiplatform export so your project will be ready to be launched in different devices at once.
Source: thetool.io

MonoGame Reviews

The Best Gaming Engines You Should Consider for 2023
MonoGame is a game development framework that allows developers to create games for multiple platforms using C#. It provides a unified API for accessing graphics and audio, making it far easier for developers to create games that work across mobile, desktop, and web without having to rewrite any code.
20 Best Scratch Alternatives 2023
However, MonoGame takes an edge over Scratch with support for 3D. In addition, MonoGame works with codes, not just objects. It supports mainly C#, in addition to other .NET languages.
Top 10 Mobile Game Development Tools For Intellectual Games
MonoGame toolkit used to develop multi-platform games. It is a C# framework that implements the API of XNA (Microsoft’s late-game development toolset, which is alive through MonoGame and other smaller open-source frameworks) and also supports all .Net languages. So if developers have C# and .Net knowledge, it would not be difficult to develop games with MonoGame for them.
Source: unaryteam.com
The Best 15 Mobile Game Engines / Development Platforms & Tools in 2020
MonoGame is also a multi-platform game engine that uses class architecture and works with C and Net languages. You can find many tutorials in their website helping you in creating your product.
Source: thetool.io

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, MonoGame seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 5 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Construct 2 mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Construct 2 yet. Tracking of Construct 2 recommendations started around Mar 2021.

MonoGame mentions (5)

  • Rust Dependencies Scare Me
    To be fair, there is no language that has a framework that contains all of these things... Unless you're using one of the game engines like Unity/Unreal. If you're willing to constrain yourself to 2D games, and exclude physics engines (assume you just use one of the Box2D bindings) and also UI (2D gamedevs tend to make their own UI systems anyway)... Then your best bet in the C# world is Monogame... - Source: Hacker News / 15 days ago
  • Free high-performance cross-platform game engine
    Defold has been there for a while, not sure of why this in on the front page right now. Anyways, Defold is good, the community, docs etc. Are on the lower side as compared to Godot. The other options include MonoGame https://monogame.net/ (Stardew Valley was written in it) and of-course the biggies like Unity or Unreal. A lot depends on how much investment in learning one wants to make, what is the feature set one... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • New Year, New Game Engine - Nikola Engine Devlog 0
    You see, for the past several years I have used many programming languages and many more game frameworks and libraries. Programming languages like Java, C#, C++, and even, sadly, JavaScript (I know...). Game frameworks like LWJGL, SDL2, Raylib, MonoGame, SFML, and many more. Essentially, I have seen it all. Out of all of them, I think SDL2 was closer to what I was looking for, though, Raylib was the one I used the... - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Can't make my mind about which engine to use
    LibGDX is great, but I can understand if it's not for some people. This also applies to love2d, raylib and Monogame. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Errors on installing monogame
    I followed the Getting Started instructions on monogame.net. Source: over 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Construct 2 and MonoGame, you can also consider the following products

Godot Engine - Feature-packed 2D and 3D open source game engine.

GDevelop - GDevelop is an open-source game making software designed to be used by everyone.

AppGameKit - AppGameKit is a game development platform for mobile devices.

Unreal Engine - Unreal Engine 4 is a suite of integrated tools for game developers to design and build games, simulations, and visualizations.

RPG Maker - Make your own PC game with RPG Maker. Our easy to use tools are simple enough for a child, and powerful enough for a developer. Try it free today!

Defold Engine - Defold lets you quickly build high performing, cross-platform games together with your team.