AresEd

AresEd

AresEd is a free, open source level editor for creating and editing game levels and mods. It features support for visual WYSIWYG editing, terrain sculpting tools, entity and script placement, and integration with Source engine games like Counter-Strike and Half-Life 2.
AresEd image
level-editor game-development modding source-engine

AresEd: Free Level Editor for Game Modding

A free, open source level editor for creating and editing game levels and mods, supporting visual WYSIWYG editing, terrain sculpting tools, entity and script placement, and integration with Source engine games.

What is AresEd?

AresEd is a powerful, free level editor made specifically for creating and editing levels and mods for games running on the Source engine like Counter-Strike, Half-Life 2, Left 4 Dead, and more. It has an easy-to-use WYSIWYG editor that allows you to visually place and edit terrain, entities, scripting logic, and more to build detailed in-game levels.

Key features include:

  • Intuitive drag-and-drop interface for placing terrain, entities, lights, weapons, scripted sequences, and more
  • Advanced terrain sculpting tools for shaping intricate landscapes
  • Support for visually editing and testing levels without having to leave the editor
  • Integration with Source engine games for testing levels directly in-game
  • Python scripting support for creating interactive objects and scripted sequences
  • A full suite of modeling, texturing, scripting, and level design tools
  • Extensibility via plug-ins
  • Completely free and open source

With its easy learning curve and deep toolset for advanced editing options, AresEd is one of the most popular choices amongst Half-Life 2 and Source engine modding communities for designing high quality, complex game levels and mods.

AresEd Features

Features

  1. Visual WYSIWYG level editor
  2. Terrain sculpting tools
  3. Entity and script placement
  4. Integration with Source engine games

Pricing

  • Free
  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Full-featured level design capabilities

Active community support

Cons

Steep learning curve

Limited to Source engine games

No official support


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