Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

RPG in a Box VS Solarus Action-RPG game engine

Compare RPG in a Box VS Solarus Action-RPG game engine and see what are their differences

RPG in a Box logo RPG in a Box

RPG in a Box lets you easily create 3D grid-based, voxel-style RPGs and adventure games!

Solarus Action-RPG game engine logo Solarus Action-RPG game engine

Solarus is a free and open-source Action-RPG game engine.
  • RPG in a Box Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-11-05
  • Solarus Action-RPG game engine Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-14

RPG in a Box features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    RPG in a Box provides a user-friendly interface that is accessible to beginners. Its intuitive design allows users to create games without needing extensive programming knowledge.
  • All-in-One Toolset
    This software offers an all-in-one toolset including map creation, dialogue design, and scripting, which simplifies the process of game development.
  • Voxel Graphics
    RPG in a Box uses voxel graphics, which are both visually appealing and easy to create, enabling users to develop unique and charming game worlds.
  • Community Support
    The software has an active community, providing support through forums and tutorials, which can be valuable for troubleshooting and learning new techniques.
  • Cross-Platform Capability
    Games created with RPG in a Box can be exported to various platforms, enabling creators to reach a wider audience.

Possible disadvantages of RPG in a Box

  • Limited Advanced Features
    While it's easy for beginners, RPG in a Box might lack some advanced features and customization options that experienced developers seek.
  • Performance Constraints
    Voxel-based graphics, while appealing, might lead to performance constraints in larger or more complex games.
  • Indie-Scale Scope
    The tool is best suited for indie-scale projects, and may not support the needs of more extensive, commercial-grade game development.
  • Limited Asset Library
    Users may find the default asset library to be limited, requiring them to create or source additional assets for a more diverse gaming experience.
  • Learning Curve for Scripting
    Although designed to be beginner-friendly, users may still face a learning curve when delving into its scripting language for more complex game mechanics.

Solarus Action-RPG game engine features and specs

  • Open Source
    Solarus is an open-source engine, which means developers have full access to the source code and can modify or extend the engine to suit their needs. This fosters a collaborative community and allows for customization.
  • Zelda-like Experience
    The engine is specifically designed for creating games similar to the 2D Zelda titles, offering built-in support for action-RPG mechanics akin to classic Zelda games, which is advantageous for developers aiming to recreate that experience.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    Solarus supports multiple platforms including Windows, Linux, and macOS, which allows developers to distribute their games across a broad range of operating systems without needing major modifications.
  • Active Community
    A supportive and active community surrounds Solarus, providing resources, tutorials, and assistance, helping newcomers to get acquainted with the engine and overcome development challenges.
  • Integrated Map Editor
    Solarus includes an integrated map editor, allowing developers to build game worlds visually without needing an external tool, which can streamline the development process.

Possible disadvantages of Solarus Action-RPG game engine

  • Niche Focus
    The engine's specialization in creating Zelda-like games might not be suitable for developers looking to create games outside of the action-RPG genre due to its limited scope and features tailored specifically for this style.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite its focus, there can be a steep learning curve for those new to game development or to Lua scripting, which is the primary language used for development in Solarus.
  • Limited 3D Support
    Solarus is heavily geared towards 2D game development with no native support for 3D graphics, which can be a limitation for developers wanting to incorporate 3D elements into their games.
  • Performance Limitations
    While Solarus is robust for 2D games, there are performance limitations compared to more modern engines that utilize advanced optimization techniques or hardware acceleration, especially for complex scenes.
  • Smaller User Base
    Compared to more popular game engines like Unity or Unreal Engine, Solarus has a smaller user base, which might mean fewer tutorials, plugins, and third-party tool integrations.

RPG in a Box videos

RPG in a Box -- Awesome All In One RPG Game Engine

More videos:

  • Review - RPG in a Box Game Engine

Solarus Action-RPG game engine videos

Solarus 1.6 Tutorial 1: Create A Quest

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to RPG in a Box and Solarus Action-RPG game engine)
Game Development
49 49%
51% 51
Game Engine
49 49%
51% 51
3D Game Engine
49 49%
51% 51
2D Game Engine
50 50%
50% 50

User comments

Share your experience with using RPG in a Box and Solarus Action-RPG game engine. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

RPG in a Box might be a bit more popular than Solarus Action-RPG game engine. We know about 4 links to it since March 2021 and only 3 links to Solarus Action-RPG game engine. 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.

RPG in a Box mentions (4)

  • Free high-performance cross-platform game engine
    RPG in a Box[0] is the first example that sprang to mind when I read these comments. It almost completely transforms Godot but could arguably be considered selling the engine. [0]https://rpginabox.com/. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • Ask HN: Platform for 11 year old to create video games?
    The visual programming style may turn off experienced programmers, but it's a full game engine, there is a big community of other kids out there, and at this stage, programming is about basic concepts like variables, conditions, loops and functions, which are all represented here. And of course, game development is about more than code: Scratch also lets you add sound and graphics, and has an easy to use actor... - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
  • Ask HN: Platform for 11 year old to create video games?
    Https://rpginabox.com/ is fantastic. Includes a lot of great assets, constrained enough to ensure you can actually build something, open enough that you can build a lot of different things with it. - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
  • Ask HN: Yo wants to build a game, I'm lost. What can I do?
    Starting with 2d games is very good advice however if the child is mostly interested in 3d, well not the most helpful advice. Some people here forget that children are way more tolerant of not understanding things than adults are. They just want to get a quick taste not necessary dedicate their life to the study of game development. I think something like RPG in a Box https://rpginabox.com/ is nice if the child... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago

Solarus Action-RPG game engine mentions (3)

  • Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES) re-implemented in C
    I would like to give a shout-out to another awesome open source 2D Zelda engine called Solarus: https://solarus-games.org/. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • What do you think about becoming a personal game developer?
    The thing is that there are people outside of industry who I think would easily be in love with my offer of $15K for 2-3 months. See this group of amateurs at solarus - https://solarus-games.org/ They have a free engine ready to go with all the art, music and complex programming built in. There is room for optional scripting. I just wonder how well my offer would go down with someone making a game in that engine. Source: about 3 years ago
  • [ALL] Biweekly Questions and General Discussion Thread
    Neither are ROM Hacks, though. They're made using the Solarus game engine, an independently created ARPG game engine that allows users to create their own games. I one tried my hand at creating one, but got a bit bored, because it's quite a large endeavour. Source: about 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing RPG in a Box and Solarus Action-RPG game engine, you can also consider the following products

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!

Open RPG Maker - Open RPG Maker is a free and open source clone of features from the RPG Maker series (i.e.

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.

RPG Paper Maker - Website

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