Solar2D is a great choice if you’re looking for a lightweight, 2D-focused game engine with a simple and efficient development workflow. Here are its pros and cons:
Pros:
- Free & Open Source – No licensing fees or revenue share.
- Lua Scripting – Easy to learn and fast to write.
- Cross-Platform – Supports iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and even HTML5.
- Lightweight & Fast – Great for mobile games with quick development cycles.
- Large Plugin Ecosystem – Access to ads, analytics, physics, and more.
- Active Community Support – Despite no official company behind it, devs still contribute.
Cons:
- Not 3D-Friendly – Limited support for 3D features.
- Smaller Community – Less mainstream than Unity or Godot.
- Less Enterprise Support – No official backing, relying on community contributions.
Best For:
- 2D mobile games (especially casual or indie titles)
- Developers who prefer fast prototyping with Lua
- Those who want an engine without licensing fees