Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

TIC-80 VS GDevelop

Compare TIC-80 VS GDevelop and see what are their differences

TIC-80 logo TIC-80

TIC-80 is a fantasy computer where you can make, play and share tiny games.

GDevelop logo GDevelop

GDevelop is an open-source game making software designed to be used by everyone.
  • TIC-80 Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-20
  • GDevelop Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-23

TIC-80 features and specs

  • Portability
    TIC-80 can run on multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and even web browsers. This allows for a wide range of accessibility and convenience.
  • Integrated Development Environment
    TIC-80 offers an all-in-one IDE with code editor, sprite editor, map editor, sound and music editors. This integrated environment simplifies the development process by keeping all the necessary tools in one place.
  • Retro Aesthetic
    It provides a nostalgic development experience with its retro-style visual and audio capabilities, appealing to fans of old-school gaming.
  • Free Version Availability
    A free version is available with most features accessible, making it easy for beginners and hobbyists to get started without any initial cost.
  • Community and Resources
    TIC-80 has an active community and a growing number of tutorials and resources, which can be very helpful for new developers to get support and learn new tricks.

Possible disadvantages of TIC-80

  • Limited Resources
    Due to its retro hardware constraints, TIC-80 has limitations on resources such as memory and performance, which can be a restricting factor for more complex or resource-intensive projects.
  • Learning Curve
    While it is beginner-friendly in many aspects, the environment and API have unique characteristics that may require some time and effort to get used to, especially for those unfamiliar with retro-style development.
  • Feature Restrictions in Free Version
    Although a free version exists, it comes with some feature limitations compared to the Pro version, which might be necessary for more advanced projects.
  • Niche Audience
    The focus on retro-style game development may not appeal to everyone, particularly those looking for modern development tools or more powerful engines.
  • Limited Market Share
    Compared to more established game development platforms, TIC-80 has a smaller user base and market share, which might limit exposure and collaboration opportunities.

GDevelop features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    GDevelop provides a drag-and-drop interface, making it accessible for beginners who don't have prior coding experience.
  • Cross-Platform Export
    Games created with GDevelop can be exported to multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and the web.
  • Free and Open Source
    GDevelop is completely free and its source code is open for anyone to modify and improve.
  • Extensive Documentation
    The platform provides a wide range of tutorials, examples, and thorough documentation, making it easier for developers to learn and utilize the tool.
  • Vibrant Community
    An active community forum and resources are available, providing support and opportunities for collaboration.
  • No-Code Solution
    GDevelop allows game creation without any coding, making it highly suitable for rapid prototyping and educational purposes.

Possible disadvantages of GDevelop

  • Performance Limitations
    The engine may struggle with performance issues for more complex games, especially those with high-end graphics and intensive computations.
  • Limited Advanced Features
    While suitable for 2D game development, GDevelop lacks advanced features found in other engines, potentially limiting more experienced developers.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Usage
    Although easy for beginners, mastering the platform for more complex projects can have a steep learning curve.
  • Limited Integration
    Integration with third-party tools and services is not as extensive as in some other, more established game development engines.
  • Project Collaboration
    Collaborative features are relatively basic, potentially making it less ideal for larger, team-based projects.
  • 2D Only
    GDevelop focuses exclusively on 2D game development, which can be a downside for those looking to develop 3D games.

Analysis of TIC-80

Overall verdict

  • TIC-80 is a well-regarded tool for hobbyists and indie game developers looking to create retro-style games. Its simplicity combined with a comprehensive feature set makes it an excellent choice for both learning game development and creating polished projects. If you enjoy the challenge and charm of retro game design, TIC-80 is a great option.

Why this product is good

  • TIC-80 is considered a good fantasy console because it offers a complete suite of development tools within a retro-style environment reminiscent of early gaming consoles. It is particularly appreciated for its ease of use, cross-platform compatibility, and active community support. The console provides an 8-bit system with built-in tools for coding, drawing sprites, creating music, and designing levels, making it a perfect choice for developing small games and creative projects. TIC-80 also has a straightforward scripting language (Lua), which is accessible for beginners while still being powerful enough for more experienced developers.

Recommended for

    TIC-80 is ideal for beginners in game development who want to learn in a fun, manageable environment. It's also suitable for experienced developers looking to quickly prototype game ideas or participate in game jams. Fans of retro gaming aesthetics and developers interested in mastering an 8-bit style will find TIC-80 particularly appealing.

Analysis of GDevelop

Overall verdict

  • Yes, GDevelop is generally considered a good option for game development, especially for beginners.

Why this product is good

  • GDevelop is an open-source game development platform that provides an easy-to-use interface and a variety of features that allow for the creation of both 2D and 3D games without needing extensive programming knowledge. It offers a drag-and-drop interface, a robust set of pre-built behaviors, and extensive documentation and tutorials, making it accessible to new developers. Additionally, being free and supported by a community of developers, it constantly evolves with updates and new features.

Recommended for

  • Beginners who want to learn game development without extensive coding.
  • Independent developers looking for a free, open-source tool.
  • Educators teaching game development due to its user-friendly interface and ease of use.
  • Developers interested in rapid prototyping of game ideas.

TIC-80 videos

RetroArch TIC-80 Core | Let's Play

More videos:

GDevelop videos

GDevelop 5 -- Ultimate Beginner Game Engine?

More videos:

  • Review - Clickteam Fusion 2.5 Vs GDevelop 5 - (Game Engine REVIEW 2019 )
  • Review - Clickteam Fusion 2.5 Vs GDevelop 5 - (Game Engine REVIEW 2020 )
  • Tutorial - Beginner Multiplayer Tutorial

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to TIC-80 and GDevelop)
Game Engine
23 23%
77% 77
Game Development
21 21%
79% 79
3D Game Engine
14 14%
86% 86
Graph Databases
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 TIC-80 and GDevelop

TIC-80 Reviews

16 Scratch Alternatives
TIC-80 is an online marketplace based on an open source network through which users can quickly get help regarding building, sharing, and playing numerous games. This platform lets its users get the complete development tools, such as code, maps, sprites, sound editors, command lines, and much more. It can even permit clients to have the cartridge file at the end to easily...

GDevelop Reviews

16 Scratch Alternatives
Beginners who don’t have any programming skills but still want to create some games can quickly access one of the best platforms based on the open source network to help them develop games named the GDevelop. This platform lets users release their creative skills to quickly build games, such as puzzles, shoot-em-ups, strategy, racing, adventure, and more. It can even permit...
20 Best Scratch Alternatives 2023
GDevelop is described as a “free and easy game-making app.” It’s similar to Scratch in that it’s a no-code platform; it doesn’t require using programming languages. GDevelop is also free and open source.
Trending 10 BEST Video Game Design & Development Software 2021
Open-source free software, GDevelop allows developers to make games without programming skills. It allows you to create objects for games such as sprites, text objects, video objects, and custom shapes.
Best Game Engines for Linux in 2021
Construct 3 is free with limits. After that, you have to sign up for a monthly subscription. If you can not afford to pay for it, you can use GDevelop, an alternative to Construct 3 for Linux.
Source: kerneltips.com
Trending 7 Best Game Development Software 2021
GDevelop is the best game making software for beginners & professionals. GDevelop provides you easy and simplistic interface, which most developers like in GDevelop.
Source: vilesolid.com

Social recommendations and mentions

GDevelop might be a bit more popular than TIC-80. We know about 78 links to it since March 2021 and only 72 links to TIC-80. 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.

TIC-80 mentions (72)

  • RPG in a Box
    You'll probably love [TIC-80](https://tic80.com/). - Source: Hacker News / 26 days ago
  • Antirez/load81: SDL based Lua programming environment for kids similar to Codea
    And TIC-80 (https://tic80.com/). It can be used with "lua, ruby, js, moon, fennel, scheme, squirrel, wren, wasm, janet or python". - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
  • X11-Basic (1991-2020)
    Like this maybe? https://tic80.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
  • The Fennel Programming Language
    You'll always need to deal with a bit of Lua afaik. If you like fantasy consoles, you can use TIC-80[1] to not have to deal with any Lua. [1] https://tic80.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
  • Ask HN: What's the most fun you've had developing for an older gaming system?
    Not 100% retro but I've had a lot of fun doing Tiny Code Christmas[1] the last couple of years on TIC-80 [2] For actual retro system. 68000 assembler on the Atari ST is fun or for a slightly different challenge the Amiga [1] https://tcc.lovebyte.party/ [2] https://tic80.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
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GDevelop mentions (78)

  • No-Code Game Development: Using AI to Build Your First Game
    GDevelop combines open-source flexibility with powerful no-code features. Their recent AI plugins provide remarkable capabilities:. - Source: dev.to / 23 days ago
  • Ask HN: Platform for 11 year old to create video games?
    Humble Bundle has a Godot bundle is available for the next day or so. That might be a good one to look at if you're ok with leaning into code a bit (gdscript is very very similar to python). https://www.humblebundle.com/software/learn-godot-43-complete-course-bundle-software Also check out the RPG Maker bundle. That's pretty point-and-click. You can have something basic up and running in a couple minutes... - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
  • Exploring Raylib and Open Source
    I selected this library as I normally use much higher-level tools to develop games such as p5.js, or GDevelop. Both these tools are amazing in their own right; however, I want to learn how these processes operate on a much lower level. These tools take care of a lot of issues for you ranging from asset to memory management. Raylib is still cross-platform but does not handle these tasks for the programmer which I... - Source: dev.to / 9 months ago
  • Unity’s New Pricing: A Wake-Up Call on the Importance of Open Source in Gaming
    It's not as monolithic as you'd think. There are lots of engines out there but their communities aren't very vocal compared to Unity, Unreal, and especially Godot's community. Take a look at: https://itch.io/game-development/engines/most-projects And https://www.gamedeveloper.com/blogs/the-generous-space-of-alternative-game-engines-a-curation- If you look at both of these you'll see just how many engines there are... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: Favorite Game Engine?
    I'm not really a game maker, but would like to give a shout out to the fabulous https://gdevelop.io/ It has everything you need, is free and its VISUAL PROGRAMMING is fab... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing TIC-80 and GDevelop, you can also consider the following products

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

LOVE 2D - Hi there! LÖVE is an *awesome* framework you can use to make 2D games in Lua.

Unity - The multiplatform game creation tools for everyone.

PICO-8 - Lua-based fantasy console for making and playing tiny, computer games and programs.

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

LÖVR - Virtual Reality for Lua