10+ Best Javascript and HTML5 Game Engines

Creating video games is an exciting and creative process that allows developers to express their creativity and test their skills in coding. HTML5 has come a long way since its birth. Games developed based on HTML5 have steadily replaced ones based on Flash. With the advent of HTML5 and Javascript, creating video games has become easier than ever.

Thanks to the numerous game engines that are available, developers can create amazing games with relative ease. In this article, we will explore some of the best Javascript and HTML5 game engines that can help you create stunning games. 

Free 2D HTML5 / JavaScript game engines

Cocos2d-JS
Cocos2d-JS, an open-source game engine for web games and native games is the HTML5 version of Cocos2d-x. Cocos2d-JS includes Cocos2d-html5, a pure HTML5 game engine that is based on Canvas/WebGL. Cocos2d-JS project can easily be run on HTML5-ready browsers.

Construct 2
Construct 2 helps developers make games easier and faster. You just drag and drop objects around, add behaviors to them, and make everything come alive with events. It provides a wide set of tools that allows anyone to jump into game creation with little to no prior game development knowledge.

CreateJS
CreateJS is a bundle of tools that can work together or independently to enable rich interactive content on open web technologies via HTML5. CreateJS includes 4 modules, EaseJS, TweenJS, SoundJS, and PreloadJS. They are compatible with all modern desktop and mobile browsers.

Pixi.js
Pixi.js is a rendering library that will allow you to create rich, interactive graphics, cross-platform applications, and games without having to dive into the WebGL API or deal with browser and device compatibility. Pixi.js has full WebGL support and seamlessly falls back to HTML5’s canvas if needed. That’s what makes Pixi.js achieve high performance.

Phaser
Phaser is a popular HTML5-based 2D game engine. Phaser uses both Canvas and WebGL renderers internally and can automatically swap between them based on browser support. This allows for lightning-fast rendering across Desktop and Mobile. Pixi.js is built into Phaser.

Quintus
Quintus is an HTML5 game engine designed to be modular and lightweight, with a concise JavaScript-friendly syntax. In lieu of trying to shoehorn a standard OOP-game engine structure into an HTML5 JavaScript engine, Quintus takes some cues from jQuery and provides plugins, events, and a selector syntax.

QICI
QICI Engine is a free and open-source JavaScript game engine library with a web-based comprehensive suite of toolsets for making HTML5 games. QICI Engine is based on the free and open-source HTML5 game framework Phaser, which uses Pixi.js for WebGL and Canvas rendering across desktop and mobile web browsers.

Free 3D HTML5 / JavaScript game engines

ThreeJS
ThreeJS is a JavaScript 3D library whose purpose is to create a lightweight 3D library with a very low level of complexity. The library provides the canvas, SVG, CSS3D, and WebGL renderers.

PlayCanvas
PlayCanvas is a cloud-based HTMl5 game engine and editor for 3D games, which means developers can create amazing 3D HTML5 and WebGL games on any device which have a web browser. It supports both free and paid subscriptions.

Turbulenz
Turbulenz’s libraries are implemented in optimized JavaScript supporting rapid iteration of game code and data. The engine executes directly in the browser. Turbulenz supports both 2D and 3D game development.

voxel.js
voxel.js is a collection of projects that make it easier than ever to create 3D voxel games like Minecraft all in the browser.

Paid HTML5 / JavaScript game engines

GameMaker – $200
GameMaker: Studio has everything you need for game development, no matter what your level or expertise. GameMaker can publish your game to all supported platforms such as desktop, mobile, web, and game consoles.

Impact – $99
The impact is a JavaScript game engine that allows you to develop stunning HTML5 Games for desktop and mobile browsers. Impact offers Weltmeister Level Editor which lets you create your game worlds with ease, let it be a side-scrolling platformer or a top-down RPG. Games developed using Impact can be converted into an iOS game via Ejecta Framework.