Dev Log – SpriteKit vs. Game Engines

September 18, 2023
4 Min Read

Today, I wanted to give you a minor update on my progress with my game, Endless Hurdles, and share some interesting observations and experiments I've been working on. So, let's dive right in!

First off, I want to mention that I'm ahead of schedule with the updates I had planned for the game.

I anticipated some challenges along the way, but surprisingly, things went smoother than expected. I've been using SpriteKit on the Apple platforms, specifically for the iPhone, and although I encountered some engaging scenarios, I found ways to overcome them.

I'm working on the Halloween event patch, which also serves as a foundation for the upcoming Christmas event patch. I've simplified the process and made it more manageable to incorporate these new events into the game. I have a few more audio assets to work on before I can hand it over to the testers for their feedback.

Since I was ahead of schedule, I explored other options beyond SpriteKit. I've had some frustrations with it, as I feel it's not as user-friendly or up-to-date as other game engines.

So, I thought it was time to try something different. I chose Unity and started rebuilding the game using this engine. Surprisingly, I accomplished what would have taken weeks or even months with SpriteKit in just a few days.

This got me thinking about Apple's gaming development platforms and how they might fall behind in developer friendliness. While I'm not switching to Unity for this game, I'm considering using it for the Android version, which I hadn't initially planned.

This would give me more flexibility and allow me to publish the game on different platforms.

Of course, Unity is just one option, and other engines like Unreal and Go Dot offer similar advantages. I believe Apple needs to step up its game to compete in this space.

Building a game engine from scratch can be fun and rewarding, but as an indie developer, I focus on creating the game itself rather than spending too much time building the engine.

With predefined deadlines for events like Halloween and Christmas, I needed a more efficient solution. Thankfully, having already built the base game in SpriteKit, I was able to save time.

However, using third-party tools like Unity seems more practical and economical for game development. I will explore this topic further and maybe even try building the game with another engine to compare the results.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this matter, and if you're interested, I would be thrilled to have you on the podcast to discuss it further.

Whether you agree or disagree with my perspective, I value different viewpoints, especially from fellow indie game developers. You can contact me on Twitter @UIBuzz or through the contact form on this Web site.