Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Solarus Action-RPG game engine VS RPG Toolkit

Compare Solarus Action-RPG game engine VS RPG Toolkit and see what are their differences

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

Solarus is a free and open-source Action-RPG game engine.

RPG Toolkit logo RPG Toolkit

The RPG Toolkit is a free, open source project delivering a simple, flexible and powerful tool for...
  • Solarus Action-RPG game engine Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-14
  • RPG Toolkit Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-03-14

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 Toolkit features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    RPG Toolkit offers an intuitive interface that is accessible for both beginners and experienced game developers, making it easy to create RPGs without a steep learning curve.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source platform, RPG Toolkit provides developers with the ability to modify and customize the software to better fit their needs and contribute to its development.
  • Community Support
    There is an active community of users who contribute tutorials, assets, and plugins, which enhances the resources available for game development and problem-solving.
  • Variety of Features
    RPG Toolkit includes a range of built-in features like scripting, map creation, and character management, which simplifies the development process for RPGs.

Possible disadvantages of RPG Toolkit

  • Limited 3D Capabilities
    RPG Toolkit primarily focuses on 2D game development, which may not be suitable for developers interested in creating 3D RPGs.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    While basic features are easy to use, mastering advanced scripting and customization can be challenging for users without prior programming experience.
  • Performance Issues
    Some users report performance issues, such as lag and crashes, especially with larger projects, which can hinder the development process.
  • Outdated Documentation
    Some of the available documentation and tutorials are outdated, which can be a hurdle for new users trying to learn the toolkit's capabilities.

Solarus Action-RPG game engine videos

Solarus 1.6 Tutorial 1: Create A Quest

RPG Toolkit videos

No RPG Toolkit videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Solarus Action-RPG game engine and RPG Toolkit)
Game Development
53 53%
47% 47
3D Game Engine
69 69%
31% 31
Game Engine
55 55%
45% 45
2D Game Engine
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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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.

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

RPG Toolkit mentions (0)

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

What are some alternatives?

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

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

Tiled - The communication platform for field and inside sales teams.

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

RPG Maker VX Ace - Check out all of the amazing features of RPG Maker VX Ace!

RPG Paper Maker - Website

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!