DragonRuby is a minimalist, high-performance, cross-platform game engine designed for rapid game development. It’s written in Ruby, which makes it accessible for beginners while providing enough power and flexibility for experienced developers. Unlike many game engines that require heavy installations and complex workflows, DragonRuby is lightweight and can run on any device, including mobile platforms and Raspberry Pi.
Key Features
- Minimalist & Lightweight: Extremely small file size (less than 3MB), making it one of the lightest game engines available.
- Ruby Language: Uses Ruby, a highly readable and easy-to-learn scripting language, perfect for developers of all skill levels.
- Cross-Platform: Develop and deploy games to multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, Linux, and consoles.
- No Dependencies: Runs on any platform without external dependencies.
- Fast Iteration: Hot-swapping features allow code to be updated while the game runs.
- High Performance: Despite its small size, it is optimized for speed and performance, allowing it to handle complex games.
- 2D Focus: DragonRuby is built for 2D games, making it a great tool for platformers, RPGs, and other genres.
- Accessible for All Levels: It has a small, approachable API and encourages developers to start making games immediately.
Development Platform Support
Development Programming Languages
Supported Platforms
- Windows
- macOS
- Linux
- iOS
- Android
- Web (via HTML5 export)
Ease of Use
- Beginner-Friendly: With Ruby’s simplicity and DragonRuby’s lightweight structure, it’s ideal for newcomers to game development.
- Advanced Features for Experts: Though easy for beginners, DragonRuby’s hot-swapping capabilities and focus on performance give experienced developers the tools they need for serious projects.
- Small API: The API is compact and easy to grasp, making it great for rapid prototyping.
Licensing & Costs
Paid License: DragonRuby requires a one-time payment of $49 USD for the standard license. Indie and Pro are $108 and $144 per year respectively. This includes access to all platforms and future updates.
Lifetime License: Once the standard license is purchased, the license includes all future updates and no hidden costs.
Use Cases & Notable Games
DragonRuby is designed for a wide range of 2D games, from small prototypes to full-fledged commercial releases. It has been used for everything from game jams to indie commercial games.
Example Use Cases
- Rapid Prototyping: DragonRuby’s simplicity and hot-reloading features make it ideal for prototyping games quickly.
- Cross-Platform 2D Games: Use the engine to create games that need to be deployed across multiple platforms with minimal changes.
- Game Jams: DragonRuby is well-suited for game jams due to its small size, fast iteration, and easy-to-learn Ruby scripting.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Lightweight and extremely fast, with no external dependencies required.
- Ruby scripting language is beginner-friendly and efficient for rapid development.
- Hot-swapping allows developers to update their code without restarting the game, leading to faster iteration.
- Wide range of supported platforms, including Raspberry Pi and consoles.
- Minimalist API makes it easy to learn and implement new features quickly.
- One-time purchase includes lifetime updates.
Cons:
- Paid engine, which may not be ideal for hobbyists who prefer free options.
- Focuses exclusively on 2D game development, so it’s not suitable for 3D projects.
- Smaller community compared to more widely known engines, which may result in fewer third-party resources.
How to Get Started
Community and Support
