Game engines explained: Unreal vs Unity for students

Game engines explained - what are they and what are they for?

Game engines are convenient game making tools because they allow developers of any experience level to create games more easily, without having to start completely from scratch. They already come equipped with the features you can use to script systems and mechanics, render graphics and animate characters and objects, which means you get to focus on the high level creative and design decisions rather than the nitty-gritty details.

There are many game engines available, but arguably the two most prevalent are Unity and Unreal Engine. Both engines have been used to create thousands of games across mobile, PC, console and emerging platforms like Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR). But they're not just restricted to games; they've also been used by other industries like virtual production, architectural visualisation and more.

Unity vs Unreal Engine - which engine should you choose to learn?

When it comes to picking between learning Unity, Unreal Engine or any other game engine to use for your project, there isn't one engine to rule them all. They each have their own benefits, challenges, and system requirements that you may value differently depending on your programming knowledge, creative abilities, and your long-term goals. That's why taking the time to understand the differences between these engines can help you save time and money, especially for students who are just starting their game development journey.

What are the benefits of Unity for students?

Unity is great for making 2D games like Hollow Knight and Cuphead because of its easy-to-use tilemap system, which lets you ‘paint’ tiles onto a 2D environment and a sprite editor, which allows you to easily animate 2D characters with spritesheets.

Unity uses the C# programming language which is considered easier to learn than something like C++ and is widely used outside of game development like web and app development.

Unity also has the asset store which gives you access to thousands of free and paid assets made by other creators. Not only can these pre-made assets help you save time, they're also a great example of showing you what the engine is capable of and inspire you to create your own.

In terms of cost, Unity Personal is free for all individuals and small teams that earn under $200,000 annually. If your project is earning above that threshold, then Unity Pro is required, which is priced on an annual subscription model based on the number of users with the license. Because of these reasons, Unity is considered the best for beginners and solo devs.

What are the benefits of Unreal Engine for students?

Unreal Engine is great at making photorealistic and cinematic games because it can create highly detailed characters and realistic environments like Black Myth Wukong and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

If you don't have a lot of experience with coding, the Blueprint visual scripting system allows you to build mechanics and systems through nodes and a drag and drop interface. This is a great way to learn the logic and structure of coding without being intimidated by technical jargon and syntax. However, to gain a deeper understanding of the engine and its advanced geometry and lighting tools, it's recommended to learn C++, which is believed to have a steeper learning curve than Unity and C#. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to learn Unreal Engine.

Unreal Engine is free to download and comes feature complete. For games, Epic charges a 5% royalty only after the first $1,000,000 in gross lifetime revenue. For non-game industries, Unreal uses a seat-based annual license for companies above a revenue threshold. For these reasons, if you've set your sights on one day entering the AAA games industry, you should give this engine a try.

Now start your engines

When it comes to picking the right engine for you, the best advice is not to succumb to analysis paralysis! Let your curiosity take the wheel and try one of the engines that sounds best to you for now and try some tutorials to get comfortable with it.

Whether you choose to learn Unity or Unreal Engine, if you want to get a deeper understanding of game engines and game development, the same advice can be applied to everyone. Start learning programming fundamentals first to understand how basic applications and simple games are structured. Then you’ll be able to apply that knowledge to more ambitious projects in the future.

Interested in learning more about programming for games? Check out our Games courses. You can also download our Beginner’s Guide to Programming or Unreal Engine 5 guide, both completely free.