Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

RPG Maker VS DarkBasic Professional

Compare RPG Maker VS DarkBasic Professional and see what are their differences

RPG Maker logo 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!

DarkBasic Professional logo DarkBasic Professional

Programming language for developing Directx 9 powered 2D and 3D games.
  • RPG Maker Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-18
  • DarkBasic Professional Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-30

RPG Maker features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    RPG Maker offers a highly intuitive and user-friendly interface that makes it accessible even for beginners with no programming knowledge.
  • Rich Asset Library
    The platform includes a vast library of pre-made characters, music, and tilesets, helping users to get started quickly and create professional-looking games.
  • Scripting Flexibility
    Advanced users can utilize Ruby or JavaScript scripting to customize and extend the functionality of their games.
  • Community Support
    RPG Maker has an active and supportive community that offers a wealth of tutorials, plugins, and forums for troubleshooting and sharing ideas.
  • Cross-Platform Export
    Games created on RPG Maker can be exported to various platforms including Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, broadening the potential audience.

Possible disadvantages of RPG Maker

  • Limited Scope
    The engine is primarily designed for creating 2D RPGs, limiting its use case for other game genres or 3D game development.
  • Performance Issues
    Games created in RPG Maker can suffer from performance issues, particularly with larger projects that include many assets or complex scripts.
  • Asset Restrictions
    While the asset library is extensive, it can still be restrictive. Custom assets usually need to be created or purchased separately, adding to the development cost.
  • Licensing Costs
    Although there is a free trial, the full version of RPG Maker requires a paid license, which could be a barrier for hobbyists or small developers.
  • Learning Curve for Scripting
    While the basic interface is easy to learn, fully leveraging the engine's capabilities through scripting (Ruby or JavaScript) can have a steep learning curve.

DarkBasic Professional features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    DarkBasic Professional is designed with simplicity in mind, making it accessible for beginners to get into game development quickly and easily.
  • Rapid Prototyping
    The language is well-suited for fast development cycles, allowing developers to quickly create and test game ideas and prototypes.
  • Community Support
    There is a dedicated community of users who provide support, resources, and share knowledge, which can be particularly beneficial for new developers.
  • Comprehensive Documentation
    DarkBasic Professional offers detailed documentation that helps users understand the functionalities and get started with game development efficiently.
  • Integration with DirectX
    DarkBasic Professional is built on top of Microsoft DirectX, allowing for the creation of visually rich 2D and 3D games.

Possible disadvantages of DarkBasic Professional

  • Limited Platform Support
    DarkBasic Professional primarily targets Windows platforms, which can be limiting for developers looking to publish their games on multiple operating systems.
  • Aging Technology
    As an older game development tool, DarkBasic Professional may not offer modern features or optimizations found in newer engines.
  • Performance Bottlenecks
    For more complex games, developers may encounter performance issues due to the limitations inherent in the language and its runtime environment.
  • Lack of Advanced Features
    Compared to other modern game development engines, DarkBasic Professional might lack advanced features like networking capabilities and advanced physics engines.
  • Decreased Popularity
    The ecosystem around DarkBasic Professional has diminished over time, leading to fewer updates, third-party support, and resources.

Analysis of RPG Maker

Overall verdict

  • RPG Maker is a good choice for those looking to create 2D RPGs quickly and with minimal technical barriers. While it may not provide the flexibility or power of more advanced engines for creating 3D games or more complex mechanics, it excels in its niche and has a strong community for support.

Why this product is good

  • RPG Maker is a popular game development tool that allows users to create their own role-playing games with relative ease. It offers a wide range of features including a user-friendly interface, built-in graphics, and sound assets, and a scripting language for more advanced customization. Its strength lies in enabling both beginners and experienced developers to bring their game ideas to life without needing in-depth programming knowledge.

Recommended for

  • Beginners interested in game development
  • Fans of retro-style and 2D RPG games
  • Indie developers looking for a quick prototyping tool
  • Educators teaching game design concepts
  • Creators who want to focus more on story and less on programming

RPG Maker videos

RPG Maker MV: IN-DEPTH USER REVIEW

More videos:

  • Review - RPG Maker MV Hands-On Review
  • Review - RPG Maker Games - GC Positive

DarkBasic Professional videos

No DarkBasic Professional videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to RPG Maker and DarkBasic Professional)
Game Development
97 97%
3% 3
Game Engine
96 96%
4% 4
3D Game Engine
94 94%
6% 6
Gaming Software
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 RPG Maker and DarkBasic Professional

RPG Maker Reviews

16 Scratch Alternatives
RPGMaker deals with building-based services where users can develop high-range games into simple 2D games in real-time. This platform can let its users bring their imagination and creativity into reality with the help of some skills related to programming. It can even permit clients with detailed customization with the help of accessing a user-friendly interface so beginners...
Trending 10 BEST Video Game Design & Development Software 2021
RPG Maker MV is the latest installment and best version out of several options. This version builds upon the philosophy of developing games without programming expertise. An abundance of Sample data, Character generators, Sample maps, and other resources have been included in the engine to streamline projects.
The Top 10 Video Game Engines
The best thing about RPG maker is the same reason why it occasionally gets a bad rapโ€”just about anyone can use it to create a game.

DarkBasic Professional Reviews

  1. death of DB Pro

    i had been using DBP since paying for v4 ; now its dead , so much has changed with the program since it was made open source and later abandoned that even basic commands dont work any more ; have been searching ever since for a comparable alternative : (

What are some alternatives?

When comparing RPG Maker and DarkBasic Professional, you can also consider the following products

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

PlayBasic - A windows based programming language designed for 2D video game creation

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

Blitz3D - Create 2D and 3D Games for Windows.

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

FNA - FNA is a reimplementation of the Microsoft XNA Game Studio 4.0 Refresh libraries.