Hi everyone,

I've had an idea for a mobile game for a few months now and I'm looking to try and build it now that I have some time to do so. I'm completely new to game design and have only done a fair amount of research to learn some of the basics so far. My game in the simplest of terms is a Match-3 type with resource acquisition to purchase upgrades that will make completion of higher levels possible. The overall premise for why you'd be doing this is what I think makes the game different however that is the skeleton I'm trying to build. Since I'm completely new to programming, I'm looking into software designed for hobbyist to jump right in so I could potentially build a prototype and then maybe hire someone to polish it up for release.

Would anyone be able to recommend a good software I should use to build this game? I want to commit and learn how to program however I don't want to put in time with the wrong software if I can avoid it. So far I've played around a bit with Unity and GameSalad and have been considering picking up a license for Construct 2. Am I on the right track with these options or is there something easier/better suited for what I'm trying to make?

Thank you for all your help!

Unreal is an option. But now you can not get it for free. Disappointing.

It's very possible to use it to create a mobile game if you can use Unity to do it.

Unity is a great option, because you can do all of the scripting in a "real" language like C# or Java. This means even if Unity goes bust one day, you will still have gained a LOT of knowledge that you can take anywhere.

On top of that, Unity does the work of porting your game to a specific platform (iOS, android, etc) for you.

Unreal is an option. But now you can not get it for free. Disappointing.

It's very possible to use it to create a mobile game if you can use Unity to do it.

20$ is disappointing? Really? Even if you get full source and no cut features and just 5% Royalities over 50k$ profit with your game, which is terrific value, that is dissapointing?

Common guys, I understand some people do not want to spend much for a hobby and have little money, but just drink 3-4 beers less one week and you have UE4 sitting on your computer with full source. Isn't that worth 3-4 beers?

Has our get-everything-for-free mentality come this far that everything that isn't free is bad value now?

okay, rant over (which isn't really directed that much at tangletail, more at society as a whole)...

Personal vote goes to Unity or UE4... large user base, lots of tutorials and 3rd party plugins and assets available. Both very capable engines, with a very Indie freindly price point.

Personally i would pick UE4 simply because i am more comfortable with C++ than C#. Pick what you feel you can get a game out of the door faster by using.

100% agree, even though I feel more comfortable with C# than C++ (but on the other hand I am quick to pick up a new language, so that wouldn't stop me switching to UE4 really...).

Of course, for a complete beginner that shouldn't be a problem... C# MIGHT be easier to start with, but with good documentation and tutorials (which UE4 will certainly have available), starting with C++ shouldn't be a big problem... the big hurdle will be the basic concepts of programming, they apply to C++ just as much as C# and need to be learned anyway.

In the end, if I'd start today, I would get BOTH Unity Free version and UE4 and give both engines a spin before deciding what to use for now.