5 Rust Game Engines To Consider For Your Next Project

Dec 22, 2023•6 min read

Game development in Rust has been gaining traction due to the language's performance, safety features, and growing ecosystem. In this article, we'll explore five notable Rust game engines that you should consider for your next project.

Why Rust for Game Development?

Before diving into specific engines, let's understand why Rust is becoming a popular choice for game development:

  • Zero-cost abstractions
  • Memory safety without garbage collection
  • Fearless concurrency
  • Rich type system
  • Excellent performance
  • Growing ecosystem

Top Rust Game Engines

1. Bevy

Bevy is a data-driven game engine built in Rust. It's refreshingly simple and remarkably powerful.

Key Features:

  • Entity Component System (ECS)
  • Hot reloading
  • Cross-platform support
  • First-class WASM support
  • Modern renderer

2. Amethyst

A data-driven and game engine written in Rust with a focus on parallelism and modularity.

Key Features:

  • Flexible entity component system
  • Parallel game logic execution
  • Built-in game state management
  • Asset management system

3. GGEZ

A lightweight game framework for making 2D games with minimal friction.

Key Features:

  • Simple and easy to learn
  • Good documentation
  • Active community
  • Perfect for 2D games

4. Kiss3d

A Keep It Simple, Stupid 3D graphics engine written in Rust.

Key Features:

  • Simple API
  • No external dependencies
  • Perfect for simple 3D visualizations
  • Easy to get started

5. Fyrox

A modern game engine written in Rust with a focus on performance and cross-platform support.

Key Features:

  • Advanced physics
  • Built-in editor
  • Scene graph
  • Material system
  • Animation system

Choosing the Right Engine

When selecting a game engine for your project, consider:

  1. Project Scale: Bevy or Amethyst for larger projects, GGEZ for smaller ones
  2. Dimension: Kiss3d or Fyrox for 3D, GGEZ for 2D
  3. Learning Curve: GGEZ for beginners, Bevy for experienced developers
  4. Community Support: Bevy has the largest community
  5. Features: Match engine capabilities with your project needs

Conclusion

The Rust game development ecosystem is maturing rapidly. Whether you're building a simple 2D game or a complex 3D application, there's likely a Rust game engine that fits your needs. Start with simpler engines like GGEZ if you're new to Rust game development, or dive into more comprehensive solutions like Bevy or Fyrox for larger projects.