Castle Game Engine vs CRYENGINE

Castle Game Engine is a free, open-source engine for building 2D and 3D games with a visual editor and an Object Pascal API. The editor supports designing game worlds and interfaces, then building projects for multiple platforms. Listed targets include Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, and iOS, with mobile export, console export, and multiplayer tools. Graphics capabilities include shader effects, physically based rendering, shadows, mirrors, bump mapping, and post-processing. Supported formats include glTF, X3D, sprite sheets, and Spine 2D animations. The project lists Visual Studio Code, Lazarus, Delphi, Blender, and Sketchfab among supported tools and services. A command-line build tool, Docker image, and CI setup documentation support automation. The engine can be used for proprietary applications. Provided Linux binaries require GLIBC 2.34 or newer; older systems can compile from source. Supported operating systems must still receive vendor security support, with Windows 10 temporarily supported as of 2026.

CRYENGINE is a game engine for building projects targeting PC, consoles, mobile, web and VR. Its offering includes full source code, engine features and access to supported platforms. Developers can use C++, Lua or Schematyc visual scripting, along with multiplayer tools and mobile export. The Sandbox Editor creates worlds without baking and exports them as they appear in the editor. Rendering includes dynamic global illumination and a physically based rendering workflow; physics simulations account for physical properties. The engine also includes particle tools, animation systems and a physics solution for dynamic destruction. CRYENGINE can be used for free under royalty-based licensing: a 5% royalty applies when a project ships, while the first $5K in annual revenue per project is royalty-free. Documentation includes guides and tutorials, and community channels include Discord and GitHub. The maker was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany.