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Phaser VS MonoGame

Compare Phaser VS MonoGame and see what are their differences

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Phaser logo Phaser

Desktop and Mobile HTML5 game framework. A fast, free and fun open source framework for Canvas and WebGL powered browser games.

MonoGame logo MonoGame

MonoGame is an open source implementation of the Microsoft XNA 4 Framework.
  • Phaser Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-12
  • MonoGame Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-01

Phaser features and specs

  • Open Source
    Phaser is an open-source game framework, which means it's free to use and has a large community contributing to its continuous improvement.
  • Cross-Platform
    Phaser allows developers to create games that run smoothly on both desktop and mobile browsers, enabling a broad reach to different audiences.
  • Rich Documentation
    Phaser offers extensive documentation and a plethora of tutorials, examples, and community support, making it easier for new developers to get started.
  • Built-in Physics
    Phaser includes several physics engines like Arcade Physics, helping developers add complex physics interactions to their games without extra dependencies.
  • Asset Management
    Phaser provides robust asset management capabilities, simplifying the process of loading and managing game assets like images, audio, and spritesheets.

Possible disadvantages of Phaser

  • Learning Curve
    While Phaser is powerful, it might have a steeper learning curve for complete beginners compared to other more beginner-focused frameworks.
  • Performance
    Games developed with Phaser may sometimes face performance bottlenecks, especially on lower-end devices, depending on the game's complexity.
  • JavaScript-Based
    As a JavaScript-based framework, Phaser might not appeal to developers who prefer strongly typed languages or are not comfortable with JavaScript.
  • Limited 3D Support
    Phaser is predominantly a 2D game framework, offering only limited support for 3D games, which might not be suitable for developers looking to create 3D content.
  • Dependence on Community Contributions
    Being open-source, the framework’s growth and support heavily depend on community contributions, which can be less predictable compared to commercial frameworks.

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.

Analysis of Phaser

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Phaser is considered a good choice for game development, especially for developers interested in creating 2D games. Its combination of simplicity, power, and flexibility make it a compelling option for both beginners and experienced developers alike.

Why this product is good

  • Phaser is a popular open-source HTML5 game framework that is widely praised for its ease of use, powerful features, and extensive documentation. It allows developers to create both 2D and 3D games with rich graphics and responsive gameplay. The framework is also known for its large community, which provides ample support and plenty of plugins and resources to help speed up the game development process.

Recommended for

  • Indie game developers
  • Beginner developers learning game development
  • Developers looking to create 2D games
  • Developers interested in HTML5 and web-based games
  • Educational purposes for teaching game design and programming

Analysis of MonoGame

Overall verdict

  • MonoGame is a solid choice for game developers who wish to create cross-platform games with a minimal learning curve. Its compatibility with the XNA Framework makes it particularly appealing to those migrating old XNA projects to modern platforms. While it may lack some advanced features found in other engines like Unity, its lightweight nature and focus on code-oriented game development make it well-suited for many types of indie and hobbyist projects.

Why this product is good

  • MonoGame is a popular open-source framework for creating cross-platform games. It is based on Microsoft's XNA Framework, which many developers are familiar with. MonoGame supports multiple platforms like Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, Android, and consoles, allowing developers to reach a wide audience. It also has a large and active community, providing plenty of resources and support. The framework is known for its simplicity, ease of use, and flexibility, making it a good choice for both beginners and experienced developers aiming to develop 2D and basic 3D games.

Recommended for

  • Developers familiar with XNA seeking a modern alternative
  • Indie game developers focusing on 2D or basic 3D games
  • Hobbyists and those new to game development
  • Developers looking for a lightweight and code-focused game framework
  • Cross-platform game creators targeting multiple operating systems and devices

Phaser videos

+ Add

Phaser | Tower Reviews | Tower Battles [ROBLOX]

More videos:

  • Tutorial - Phaser.io Tutorial - Pros and Cons of Phaser and How It Works
  • Review - TC Electronic Helix - Phaser Review

MonoGame videos

+ Add

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 Phaser and MonoGame)

Phaser

MonoGame

Game Development
53 53%
Game Development
47% 47
Game Engine
60 60%
Game Engine
40% 40
3D Game Engine
50 50%
3D Game Engine
50% 50
Javascript UI Libraries
100 100%
Javascript UI Libraries
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 Phaser and MonoGame

Phaser Reviews

Best Game Engines for 2023 – Which Should You Use?
If you’re ready to expand your HTML5 game development skills with Phaser, check out these courses! Alternatively, you might also like these completely free Phaser tutorials, as well as our free Phaser ebook. There are also some courses on HTML5 and Phaser offered as part of Zenva Schools, a platform made for easy classroom learning and teaching for schools.
Source: gamedevacademy.org
The Best Gaming Engines You Should Consider for 2023
Another open-source platform, Phaser is a HTML5 game dev framework designed for creating 2D games and interactive experiences.
Source: www.incredibuild.com

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.
Source: www.incredibuild.com
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.
Source: rigorousthemes.com
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, Phaser seems to be a lot more popular than MonoGame. While we know about 124 links to Phaser, we've tracked only 5 mentions of MonoGame. 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.

Phaser mentions (124)

  • Dev Log #14 - Phaser.js and game dev
    I've started working on a simple interactive version of my portfolio using Phaser.js. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • Ask HN: Platform for 11 year old to create video games?
    Https://phaser.io/. It’s more of a game framework in JavaScript with built in libraries for collision. The getting started tutorial is decent/short and gives a good idea of what is going on. - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
  • Mundane Blaster - Web Game Challange 👽
    This is first time I used Phaser for making a game but it's a very nice and easy HTML5 framework and I follow tutorial to use phaser and after few of them, I tried to add few things and make the gameplay how I would enjoy, so I learn about spritesheets and audios and then how many states we have to keep in mind while building a game, like preload(), create() and update() and how to manage these before adding... - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • Achieving Success in Online Learning: A Practical Guide
    Phasor which uses TypeScript or JavaScript. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • 3 years of fulltime Rust game development, and why we're leaving Rust behind
    If you're targeting the browser first why not use a browser first library like PhaserJS [0]?. I don't see a reason to work around with WASM; HTML5 canvas might be everything that you need. [0] https://phaser.io/. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
View more

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 / 21 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 Phaser and MonoGame, you can also consider the following products

Unity - The multiplatform game creation tools for everyone.

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

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

PixiJS - Fast and flexible WebGL-based HTML5 game and app development library.

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!

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

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