GDevelop

What It Is

GDevelop is a game engine that you drive with visual events instead of code. The company describes it as an open-source, no-code game engine and says it is the only open-source engine with an intuitive, efficient no-code approach. It makes 2D and 3D games and says it is made for artists, game developers, teachers and brands, and the footer groups its pages for game creators, studios and education. It is also a game builder with an open-source codebase behind it, which is why it sits in both the game builders and open-source low-code groups here.

What You Build and How

Logic is built from conditions ("If") and actions ("Then"). The company describes this as a no-code, easy-to-learn logic system, with a drag-and-drop interface and "what you see is what you get" game creation. Behaviors are chunks of game logic you attach to objects, and the site says there are more than 130 ready-made behaviors and extensions so you do not make everything from scratch. If you want code, the site says you can extend GDevelop with JavaScript to call APIs and bring in external sources of data, or build new no-code events directly from the editor.

The engine covers both dimensions. The technical feature list names fast 2D rendering through WebGL (with WebGPU listed as soon), real 3D support described as perfect for stylized low poly graphics, an integrated physics engine, and real-time multiplayer with client-side prediction. Projects can be stored locally or in the cloud, where the page lists collaboration and version history.

AI is an option rather than a requirement. The page describes an AI agent that prototypes or generates game logic and answers "how to" questions, plus an AI tutor for learning. The plan cards show AI credits as a metered allowance, covered below.

For learning, the home page lists in-app tutorials and courses. Named examples are the GDevelop Essentials Course (beginner), Make a Platformer game (beginner), Make a Roguelike game (intermediate) and Make a 3D GTA-like game, where you run, drive and fight zombies (intermediate). More than 2,000 assets are ready to use, with premium packs for sale, and the page shows a Match 3 game template at $7.49 as an example of a paid template.

The game-makers page also lists cloud-based features for players: leaderboards, player authentication, multiplayer with lobbies and player login, analytics on player retention, player feedback collected from inside the game, and public or private web links with free publishing on gd.games. Inventory and progress save in the cloud is marked as coming in the future, as are SDKs for Poki, CrazyGames and others to earn from ads.

Publishing is wide. The page names Windows, macOS and Linux builds for desktop and Steam or other stores, Android with a single click, and iOS "with development tools." HTML5 exports can go to your own website, gd.games, or platforms named as Itch.io, Poki, CrazyGames and Newgrounds. The platform logos also include Epic Games Store and Microsoft Store. Integrations listed are Steamworks for achievements and Steam features and an AdMob plug-in for ads on mobile. The editor runs from the app on iOS, Android and desktop, and there is an online version to try.

What the Pages Say About Plans and Proof

The game-makers page sets out a no-cost starting option and the paid Silver, Gold and Pro memberships, with monthly or yearly billing and a note to save with an annual subscription. The plan cards show what each tier includes but no prices.

• Free. "Create your first game 100% free." You start by creating an account. It lists a fully featured open-source game engine, publishing to Android or desktop once per day, multiplayer and online services to try, and thousands of free assets in the Asset Store.
• Silver. 200 AI credits per week, 100 credits per month for AI or the Asset Store, up to 50 games stored in the cloud, publishing on Google Play, desktop and the web, unlimited multiplayer lobbies, and the Complete GDevelop Essentials Course.
• Gold. 1000 AI credits per week, 300 credits per month, up to 100 games in the cloud, iOS publishing, unlimited multiplayer lobbies and leaderboards, a dedicated channel on Discord, and 1 free asset pack to claim per month.
• Pro. Described as "Unlimited usage. Full professional features." It lists 3000 AI credits per week, 1000 credits per month, unlimited cloud projects, version history for projects, unlimited multiplayer lobbies and leaderboards, a dedicated support channel on Discord for pros, and collaboration through shared projects with teammates.

Terms matter for businesses. The page says you can cancel anytime, payments run through Stripe.com and PayPal, and if you use your GDevelop account for a company with more than $50,000 USD revenue per year, you must use the Pro membership. There is a separate plan for education.

The home page offers social proof through published games, all as the company's own claims. These include Katuba's Poacher, which raised over 500% of its funding goal, and SPECTRUM, played over 5,000,000 times on the web. Vai Juliette! is listed as the 2021 Brazil Mobile Game of the Year with over 1,000,000 mobile downloads, and Stranded on a Raft had over 500,000 plays on web and mobile. Lil BUB's HELLO EARTH was funded through Kickstarter, raising nearly $150,000. Promotional games for Prime Video's The Boys and Invincible are also listed. The company says the engine is battle tested through to ambitious games with more than 1M downloads.

On open source, the pages describe the engine as open source and say "Open-source = open ecosystem": you build on extensions or use JavaScript to expand what the engine can do. The pages do not name a license.

Who It Suits

GDevelop suits a solo developer or small studio that wants to start for free with a visual logic system and a clear path to Steam, mobile and the web without paying for an engine license up front. It suits teachers, since the company runs an education page and a plan for classrooms. It suits an agency or team that would use the Pro tier for collaboration, version history and unlimited cloud projects.

The caveats are mostly about fit and cost. Without a membership, publishing to Android or desktop is limited to once per day, iOS publishing appears in the Gold tier list, and AI credits are capped per week and per month. A business over the $50,000 USD revenue line must move to Pro. And since logic is built through events, a developer who wants a fully code-first workflow would use the JavaScript extension route rather than the main editor.