European Game Engines

#1 Godot Engine

Netherlands, Netherlands Founded 2022 Free (MIT licence); funded by donations and sponsors Demo on request

Best for: Teams that want an open-source engine with no vendor account

• Operating company. Stichting Godot (Godot Foundation)
• Jurisdiction. EU (Netherlands)
• Where the data sits. Runs locally; no account needed to download
• Source code. Closed source
• Replaces. Unity, Unreal Engine

Godot Engine builds a game from nodes and scenes: you assemble reusable scenes and attach scripts written in GDScript, C# or native GDExtension code. A dedicated 2D renderer works in real pixel coordinates next to the 3D nodes, and OpenXR and WebXR are built in. Export covers desktop, mobile and web, and C# is limited to desktop and mobile as of Godot 4.2.

The Godot Foundation, registered in the Netherlands as Stichting Godot and formed in August 2022, administers charitable contributions to the project, which is also financed through a development fund, Patreon and corporate sponsors. The MIT licence does not apply to the content of the games you make. The vendor's stable build seen was 4.7.2, and a 4.8 beta cycle ran in October 2026.

Standout feature. It is the only engine here that combines an MIT licence, a dedicated 2D renderer and a Dutch non-profit host.

#2 Defold

Stockholm, Sweden Founded 2020 Free forever (Defold License, source available) Demo on request

Best for: Mobile and web games where build size matters

• Operating company. Defold Foundation
• Jurisdiction. EU (Sweden)
• Where the data sits. Runs locally; no registration to download
• Source code. Closed source
• Replaces. Unity

Defold is a free engine that the project describes as all-in-one with no setup or registration, and game logic is written in Lua with native extensions for code outside the scripting layer. The homepage highlights hot reload, a profiler, fast builds, Live Update support and a small engine footprint.

The Defold Foundation was created in May 2020 and is registered in Stockholm. Its objectives, which include preventing a third party from commercialising Defold, are protected by Swedish foundation law and cannot be changed. The Defold License is source available and lets you build and sell games. Publishing targets listed include Xbox, PlayStation 5 and 4, Nintendo Switch, Steam, iOS, Android, HTML5, Poki and Facebook.

Standout feature. It is the only engine here whose licence objectives are locked by a Swedish foundation.

#3 GDevelop

London, United Kingdom Founded 2021 Free plan; Silver, Gold and Pro memberships billed in USD (see website) Demo on request

Best for: Beginners, educators and small studios who want to build without code

• Operating company. GDevelop Ltd (with GDevelop France SAS)
• Jurisdiction. United Kingdom (adequacy decision, outside the EEA)
• Where the data sits. Not stated on the pages checked
• Source code. Closed source
• Replaces. Unity

GDevelop lets you assemble game logic from events and extend it with JavaScript, and it runs as a web editor, a desktop app and a mobile app. The homepage promotes publishing to Steam and app stores and lists multiplayer lobbies, leaderboards and player accounts as built-in services.

Companies House lists GDevelop Ltd in London, incorporated on 23 April 2021, and the terms say the service is operated by GDevelop Ltd and/or subsidiaries such as GDevelop France SAS, under French law. The editor and engine are MIT-licensed on GitHub. Cloud project allowances rise from 3 to 50, 100 and unlimited across the Free, Silver, Gold and Pro plans, and companies above $50,000 USD of yearly revenue must use Pro.

Standout feature. It is the only engine here that pairs event-based no-code logic with an MIT-licensed core and French governing law.

#4 Flax Engine

Poland, Poland Free for non-commercial and educational use; 4% royalty on gross revenue above $250,000 per game per calendar quarter Demo on request

Best for: Developers who want a C# engine with source access

• Operating company. CODE FLOOD Wojciech Figat
• Jurisdiction. EU (Poland)
• Where the data sits. Runs locally
• Source code. Closed source
• Replaces. Unity, Unreal Engine

Flax Engine offers C# and C++ scripting, visual scripting and behaviour trees, with real-time global illumination (DDGI), GPU lightmap baking and 64-bit precision for large worlds. Its feature list also covers nested prefabs, networking, terrain and foliage tools, and the vendor lists Windows, Linux, Android, macOS, iOS, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox and web as targets.

The privacy policy names CODE FLOOD Wojciech Figat as the developer and the footer says the engine is made in Poland, so the counterparty is a small business under its founder's name. The licence page says users can use the full source on GitHub, and that commercial products pay 4% of gross revenue after $250,000 per game per quarter, with royalty reports due 45 days after the quarter closes.

Standout feature. It is the only engine here with C# scripting, a 3D renderer, GitHub source and a Polish vendor.

#5 Construct

London, United Kingdom Subscription plans (Personal, Startup, Business); see website for current prices Demo on request

Best for: Indie developers and small businesses making 2D games

• Operating company. Scirra Ltd
• Jurisdiction. United Kingdom (adequacy decision, outside the EEA)
• Where the data sits. Not stated on the pages checked
• Source code. Closed source
• Replaces. Unity (2D), GameMaker

Construct 3 is sold by Scirra, and every plan unlocks all features, includes 166 asset packs and is described by the vendor as royalty free. The same company sells Construct Animate for animation and Construct Game Services for adding game features, and offers a free trial for Construct and Animate.

Scirra Ltd gives a Wandsworth, London address and company number 07626452 in its footer. Personal licences are not permitted for registered businesses. The Startup plan covers businesses under $50,000 USD of annual revenue, under $100,000 USD of assets and up to 3 employees, while larger businesses need the Business plan. Gambling-related businesses must contact Scirra, and the pages checked do not state a hosting location or an open-source licence.

Standout feature. It is the only subscription engine here where all features are unlocked on every plan.

#6 Evergine

Bilbao, Spain Free access to all features and unlimited projects; premium services (source code, priority support) on request Demo on request

Best for: .NET teams building industrial 3D, XR and visualisation apps

• Operating company. Plain Concepts, S.L.U.
• Jurisdiction. EU (Spain)
• Where the data sits. Runs locally
• Source code. Closed source
• Replaces. Unity (industrial and XR use)

Evergine is a component-based engine on .NET 10 whose homepage lists industries such as aerospace, architecture, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, retail and education. Output goes to Windows desktop, web through WebAssembly and WebGPU, mobile, XR and embedded devices, and add-ons cover geospatial 3D Tiles and Gaussian Splatting.

The legal notice names Plain Concepts, S.L.U., CIF B24532178, with a registered office in Bilbao and an entry in the Mercantile Registry of Bizkaia. The homepage states free access to all features and unlimited projects, with source code and priority support as premium services. Evergine Studio needs Windows 10 or 11, a DirectX11-compatible card and Visual Studio 2026 with the .NET desktop workload.

Standout feature. It is the only engine here built for industrial 3D and XR on .NET, with a registered Spanish company.

#7 CRYENGINE

Frankfurt am Main, Germany Free to use; 5% royalty when you ship after the first $5K annual revenue per project Demo on request

Best for: Teams that want a high-fidelity 3D engine with source access

• Operating company. Crytek GmbH
• Jurisdiction. EU (Germany)
• Where the data sits. Runs locally
• Source code. Closed source
• Replaces. Unity, Unreal Engine

CRYENGINE offers full source code, all engine features and all platforms, with the Sandbox editor for building worlds without baking. The homepage lists real-time dynamic global illumination and a PBR workflow, and the hub provides documentation, tutorials and an asset database.

The imprint names Crytek GmbH at An der Welle 3 in Frankfurt am Main, registered at Amtsgericht Frankfurt a.M. under HRB 77322, with Avni Yerli as managing director. Use is free and a 5% royalty applies when you ship, with the first $5K of annual revenue per project royalty-free. Documentation moved to a new format in September 2024, which is also the date of the newest homepage news item.

Standout feature. It is the only engine here from a German commercial-register studio that ships full source with dynamic global illumination.

#8 GameMaker

Norway (city not stated on the page read), Norway Free (non-commercial); Professional $99.99 one-time; Enterprise subscription (price not shown) Demo on request

Best for: Solo developers making commercial 2D games on a one-time licence

• Operating company. Opera Norway AS
• Jurisdiction. EEA, not EU (Norway)
• Where the data sits. Not stated on the pages checked
• Source code. Closed source
• Replaces. Unity (2D)

GameMaker has three tiers on its plans page: a free non-commercial licence, Professional with a commercial licence bought once for $99.99, and an Enterprise subscription with console exports, source code access and Igor/CI builds. Free and Professional export to desktop, web and mobile.

The footer reads Copyright 2026 Opera Norway AS and describes GameMaker as part of Opera. That puts the operating entity in the EEA but not in the EU, and the group structure above it was not verified. The legal page lists runtime licences for Free, Professional, Enterprise and Education, and the Enterprise price is not published.

Standout feature. It is the only 2D engine here sold with a one-time commercial licence from a Norwegian entity.

#9 Visionaire Studio

Siegen, Germany PRO EUR 75; Desktop Distribution EUR 99; Mobile EUR 249; Console EUR 650; Complete EUR 850 (per title) Demo on request

Best for: Adventure game creators without programming experience

• Operating company. Visionaire Studio UG (haftungsbeschränkt)
• Jurisdiction. EU (Germany)
• Where the data sits. Runs locally
• Source code. Closed source
• Replaces. Unity (for adventure games)

Visionaire Studio is built for point-and-click adventures: the editor handles scenes, interactive objects, inventory, puzzle conditions, character animation, and dialogue with choices and voice recordings, and the homepage says no programming experience is needed. A free version can be downloaded for prototypes and freeware.

The imprint names Visionaire Studio UG (haftungsbeschränkt), Brüderweg 252, 57074 Siegen, and the site lists games by studios such as Daedalic Entertainment as made with the engine. The shop sells PRO at €75 and per-title distribution licences: Desktop €99, Mobile €249, Console €650 and Complete €850 including physical retail, with PRO included in each.

Standout feature. It is the only engine here that prices every distribution scope in euros per title.

#10 AppGameKit

London, United Kingdom See website or Steam page Demo on request

Best for: Hobbyists who prefer BASIC-style programming

• Operating company. Dark Basic Software Limited
• Jurisdiction. United Kingdom (adequacy decision, outside the EEA)
• Where the data sits. Not stated on the pages checked
• Source code. Closed source
• Replaces. Unity (small 2D and simple 3D projects)

AppGameKit lets you write games in a BASIC dialect built for quick learning or in C++, then build for Windows, Android and iOS from one codebase. The integrated IDE includes debugging tools, asset management and live testing.

Companies House lists Dark Basic Software Limited, company 16413821, incorporated on 28 April 2025 at 71-75 Shelton Street, London, while the site copyright runs from 1999 to 2026. The homepage calls the product the Final Coding Product, so future development should be confirmed before you commit. No web or console target is listed, and the price is not on the vendor page.

Standout feature. It is the only engine here whose main language is a BASIC dialect.