MonoGame
MonoGame is an open source framework for building 2D and 3D games that can be deployed across multiple platforms including Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, and game consoles. It allows .NET developers to leverage their existing skills to create cross-platform games.
open-source
game-engine
2d-games
3d-games
crossplatform
MonoGame: Open Source Framework for Cross-Platform Game Development
A popular open source framework for building 2D and 3D games across multiple platforms, including Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, and game consoles.
What is MonoGame?
MonoGame is an open source implementation of the Microsoft XNA 4 Framework. It allows developers to create games that can run across multiple platforms including Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, as well as Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo consoles.
Some key capabilities and benefits of MonoGame include:
- Open source MIT license so free for commercial use
- Write your game code in C# using .NET
- Port games to run natively on Windows, Mac, Linux, mobile devices, and consoles
- Support for 2D and 3D game development with underlying OpenGL or DirectX backends
- OpenAL for 3D audio
- Content pipeline for processing art assets and resources
- APIs for graphics, audio, input, networking
- Active community supporting continued development
Overall, MonoGame allows .NET developers to leverage their existing programming skills to create high-performance cross-platform games targeting a wide range of deployment platforms. Its open source nature provides flexibility as well as a thriving ecosystem of contributors.
MonoGame Features
Features
- Cross-platform support for building games that run on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, game consoles and more
- Open source C# implementation of XNA game development framework
- Supports both 2D and 3D game development with OpenGL or DirectX
- Integrated content pipeline for processing art assets and content
- APIs for graphics, audio, input, networking, storage and more tailored for games
- Active open source community providing plugins, extensions and support
Pricing
- Open Source
Pros
Write once, deploy anywhere model increases reach
Leverages C# and .NET skills
Very lightweight and high performance
Free and open source
Great for indie developers or hobbyists
Cons
Lacks some features from XNA like Guide UI
Limited documentation compared to some frameworks
Smaller ecosystem than some commercial offerings
Requires knowledge of C#
Official Links
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