In an era of swift advancement in web browsers, HTML5 game development has proved to be a boon to the gaming world, making it more inclusive and appealing.
Creating a novel HTML5 game can be a complex and time-consuming activity, And hence choosing the right development tools is a crucial decision and has to be researched thoroughly.
Any game developer must be proficient in handling the several tools including HTML 5 game engines for assisting in the various stages of the game development process (Designing, Constructing, Character development, Release, Test, etc). The contribution of such game development tools can never be overemphasized, as they help developers maintain strict deadlines and deliver maximum value.
Created by Digital Fruit, LimeJS is one such game engine dating back to as early as 2011. It is available for FREE under the Apache License and enables game development independent of the screen resolution of a user’s electronic device. Developed based on Google Closure Library, LimeJS inherited its simple architecture, easy to understand code, inheritance structure (doesn’t natively exist in JavaScript), and powerful functions. LimeJS has added support for WebGL and Box2D as well.
Note: Some of the best and freely available game engines are – GDevelop, EaseIJS, Phaser, Pixi.js, Three.js, Turbulenz, LycheeJS, melonJS, cocos2d-X, Quintus, Crafty, enchant.js, Panda.js, Kiwi.js, GC DevKit, Voxel, BabylonJS, ImpactJS, Modd.io, PlayCanvas, etc.
Launched by Yo-Yo Games, GameMaker is the best and most powerful tool at an HTML5 game developer’s disposal. It supports the development in a C-like scripting language. It also facilitates game development entirely using its powerful drag-and-drop interface [A great help for beginners].
It lets you create HTML5 games with increased ease and in less time, owing to the visual game-making facility. It also extends the most diverse cross-platform support by letting a developer publish in many formats without any burden of code adjustment. The paid version allows publishing on iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, etc. It also provides strong real-time analytics on a user’s gameplay for analyses and updating purposes. It takes care of assistive features like in-app purchases to make game development easy. It even has a built-in editor for images, animations, and shaders.
Game Maker is often seen as an alternative to game engines and is not favored by those who enjoy writing in JavaScript from scratch and want to control customization in detail.
Many times a game developer chooses to code his/her game in C++/Obj C, due to the various powerful features and flexibility offered by the language. However, to make this game browser-friendly, the developer has to go through a lengthy process of code-rewriting or lengthy non-developer friendly conversions. Mandreel comes to the rescue here, as it is not merely a compiler but a complete platform that converts C++/ObjC into HTML5 and Flash with ease.
Note: Other C/C++ to JavaScript compilers are Emscripten and Duetto.
Most developers release an HTML5 game as a website or publish it by embedding it on a page. This makes HTML5 games more approachable and easy to access. However, since the world of gaming is more mobile phone-oriented now, some developers might want to distribute their game through proprietary platforms like iOS or Android.
To achieve this, they can wrap their game inside a native application on the designated platform and let this application act as a web browser for the game to run. Phonegap is one such handy tool that supports the wrapping of HTML5 games into native applications for diverse platforms. It even lets the HTML5 Canvas developer access the various advanced APIs such as phone contacts, geolocation, microphones, calendar, etc.
Note: For achieving the same function for a desktop operating system (Windows, Linux, or Mac) you’ll have to use Node WebKit.
Constantly learning is equally important for a newbie as it is for an experienced HTML5 game developer. Game development is a fast-paced field, it is essential for a developer to stay in touch with the latest technology’s know-how. Tutorials, courses, and communities help a developer solve problems more easily and quickly than he/she would have done alone.
Some important resources: jsgamewiki , No Tears Guide to HTML5 Games, html5gamedevs, html5 game engine, etc.
Also, for testing any HTML5 game you need a good web browser, which not only has an excellent user reach but also some in-built debugging and development tools. Google Chrome is one such choice. It has the best tools for web developers.
Owing to quantum-shift improvements in web browsers, HTML5 game development has become a popular genre in game development, here are some of the best-rated HTML5 games of 2020 you can enjoy.
Juego Studio is one of the forerunners when it comes to HTML5 game development. Juego’s 200+ team of developers and specialists are proficient in development frameworks like Cocos2d-JS, PlayCanvas, PixiJS, and Three.JS. Juego Studio has a diverse clientele comprising global enterprises, start-ups, and entrepreneurs from around the world.
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