What's the Best Programming Language for Game Development?
Master the coding languages that align with your gaming vision and take the first crucial step toward building the games you imagine.
If you're aspiring for a career in computer game development, one of the first steps is to learn the programming languages you'll use to build games.
But choosing which languages to master can also be one of the most fraught steps in becoming a game developer because there is no one key language to learn. Games can be, and are, written in a wide array of languages, making it hard to decide which one to specialize in.
That said, depending on the type of games you want to create, one language may be the clear best choice. Keep reading for guidance on how to choose the right language to learn for game development.
Which Programming Languages Are Games Written In?
Computer games, like most types of software applications, can be written in virtually any language. These include not just popular languages, like Java and C#, but also some that you might not expect.
There are games developed using the FORTRAN , for example, despite it being a decades-old language designed mostly for mainframe development. It also turns out that Age of Empires, a classic real-time strategy game, was written primarily using assembly code — which is impressive given that programming in assembly is notoriously tedious, but understandable because assembly language tends to yield excellent performance (and back when Age of Empires came out in the 1990s, eking as much performance as possible out of the PCs of the day was critical).
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This is why there is no obvious, go-to language to master if you want to specialize in game development. The best language to learn for this purpose really depends on the specific types of games you want to build, which development platforms or engines (if any) you'll use to create them, and where the games will run.
How to Choose a Programming Language for Games
So, which types of games align with which languages? Here's a quick guide.
chart of which language is best for which type of game
1. For web-based games, learn JavaScript.
If you want to create games that will run in a web browser, the language you'll need to learn in virtually all cases is JavaScript . As a front-end language for creating dynamic web applications, JavaScript is the obvious choice for building any game that users access through a browser. It can also be useful for building mobile games.
2. For high-performance 3D games, choose C++.
If your goal is to build complex games that will consume a lot of CPU and memory when they run, C++ is arguably the best programming language to learn. In general, code written in C++ executes quickly and efficiently, so games written in the language tend to perform well.
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Unreal Engine, a popular platform for building 3D games, is also written mostly in C++. Its source code is publicly available (although not technically open source), so knowing the language can be helpful for understanding the inner workings of Unreal and, hence, for making the most of the platform.
3. For 3D games where performance is less critical, learn C#.
The go-to language for game development on another popular platform, Unity, is C#. This means that C# is also a solid contender for building complex 3D games, especially for developers who like using Unity.
The major drawback of C# as compared to C++ for game development is that C++ code is usually not as fast. If achieving excellent game performance and resource efficiency is a top priority, C++ is probably better. But C# may be a better choice if you simply need your games to perform well, if not amazingly.
4. For cross-platform games, choose C++ or Java.
Another advantage of C++ and C# is that apps written in the languages can run on all major operating systems and hardware platforms. This makes them a good choice for developers who want to build cross-platform games.
That said, C++ and C# code often requires a fair amount of modification and tweaking to port from one platform to another. If you want to write games that can run on any platform with minimal changes, Java might be a better language, as Java code is less platform-dependent. The caveat is that Java tends to be less efficient and more resource-hungry, so it's not ideal for high-performance games.
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5. For 2D games, learn Python.
Developing complex games using Python is challenging (albeit possible ) because Python code doesn't execute very fast. But if you're only building simple 2D games, Python is often an ideal language. It's easy to learn and work with. It also offers the benefit of being cross-platform.
About the Author
Technology analyst, Fixate.IO
Christopher Tozzi is a technology analyst with subject matter expertise in cloud computing, application development, open source software, virtualization, containers and more. He also lectures at a major university in the Albany, New York, area. His book, "For Fun and Profit: A History of the Free and Open Source Software Revolution ," was published by MIT Press.
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