Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

RPG Maker VS Solarus Action-RPG game engine

Compare RPG Maker VS Solarus Action-RPG game engine 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!

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

Solarus is a free and open-source Action-RPG game engine.
  • RPG Maker Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-18
  • Solarus Action-RPG game engine Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-14

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.

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 Maker videos

RPG Maker MV: IN-DEPTH USER REVIEW

More videos:

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

Solarus Action-RPG game engine videos

Solarus 1.6 Tutorial 1: Create A Quest

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to RPG Maker and Solarus Action-RPG game engine)
Game Development
91 91%
9% 9
Game Engine
90 90%
10% 10
3D Game Engine
87 87%
13% 13
Gaming Software
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using RPG Maker and Solarus Action-RPG game engine. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare RPG Maker and Solarus Action-RPG game engine

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 rap—just about anyone can use it to create a game.

Solarus Action-RPG game engine Reviews

We have no reviews of Solarus Action-RPG game engine yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Solarus Action-RPG game engine seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 3 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.

RPG Maker mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of RPG Maker yet. Tracking of RPG Maker recommendations started around Mar 2021.

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 Maker and Solarus Action-RPG game engine, you can also consider the following products

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

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

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

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

RPG Paper Maker - Website

Unity - The multiplatform game creation tools for everyone.