TrustRadius Insights
Stencyl is a game engine that appeals to beginners and non-technical users who want to create simple games without needing advanced …
Starting at $99 per year
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What is Stencyl?
Stencyl, from the company of the same name in Cupertino, is software providing a fast way to create a game for users of all skill levels, from the programming-phobic to the time-constrained professional. With Stencyl, over 125,000 registered developers have…
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Indie
$99
On Premise
per year
Studio
$199
On Premise
per year
Entry-level set up fee?
- No setup fee
For the latest information on pricing, visithttps://www.stencyl.com/pricing
Offerings
- Free Trial
- Free/Freemium Version
- Premium Consulting/Integration Services
Starting price (does not include set up fee)
- $99 per year
Product Demos
Stencyl Demo
YouTube
Product Details
- About
- Tech Details
What is Stencyl?
Stencyl is presented as a quick and easy way to make games for iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows, Mac, Linux and HTML5. It is a toolset designed to accelerates the user's workflow and then gets out of the way. Stencyl currently supports game development for:
Stencyl's drag-and-drop gameplay designer pays homage to the MIT Scratch project. Stencyl extends Scratch's simple block-snapping interface with new functionality and hundreds of ready-to-use blocks. Power users can create and share their own blocks, extend the engine through code, import libraries and write their own custom classes that interact seamlessly with block-based Behaviors.
For those used to graphics editors like Photoshop, the Stencyl Scene Designer may feel familiar, with features such as a selection tool, zooming, grid-snapping and flood fill, that help to craft complex worlds out of Actors, Tiles and Terrain.
For monetization, Stencyl games have appears on the App Store, Google Play, and Steam. Games can also embed ads, or games that adopt a freemium model can use in-game purchases to provide unlockable levels & content while offering part (or all) of the game for free, boosting its reach to more players.
With Stencyl's free app games can be published to the web. With commercial editions Stencyl games can be published to desktop, or mobile devices.
- iOS (iPhone/iPad)
- Android
- Windows
- Mac
- Linux
- HTML5
Stencyl's drag-and-drop gameplay designer pays homage to the MIT Scratch project. Stencyl extends Scratch's simple block-snapping interface with new functionality and hundreds of ready-to-use blocks. Power users can create and share their own blocks, extend the engine through code, import libraries and write their own custom classes that interact seamlessly with block-based Behaviors.
For those used to graphics editors like Photoshop, the Stencyl Scene Designer may feel familiar, with features such as a selection tool, zooming, grid-snapping and flood fill, that help to craft complex worlds out of Actors, Tiles and Terrain.
For monetization, Stencyl games have appears on the App Store, Google Play, and Steam. Games can also embed ads, or games that adopt a freemium model can use in-game purchases to provide unlockable levels & content while offering part (or all) of the game for free, boosting its reach to more players.
With Stencyl's free app games can be published to the web. With commercial editions Stencyl games can be published to desktop, or mobile devices.
Stencyl Technical Details
| Deployment Types | On-premise |
|---|---|
| Operating Systems | Windows, Linux, Mac |
| Mobile Application | No |
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Community Insights
TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!
- Business Problems Solved
- Pros
- Cons
Stencyl is a game engine that appeals to beginners and non-technical users who want to create simple games without needing advanced programming skills. The drag and drop coding system, built-in photo editor, and numerous pre-built game behaviors make game development feel like a fun game itself. By using Stencyl, users can save time and money by creating games without hiring programmers.
One key use case for Stencyl is creating game prototypes or quick ideas for clients. It allows users to play around with different concepts and create sample games to show potential clients. Another use case is using Stencyl as a learning tool for game development as it helps users learn basic concepts and create game projects without prior experience. Additionally, it has been used to improve cognitive abilities in the elderly. However, one potential business problem with Stencyl is its outdated software which makes the user interface difficult to navigate and unfriendly for newcomers.
User-friendly Interface: The software's user-friendly interface has been praised by many reviewers, making it easy for beginners to create games without any coding experience. Many users have noted that the drag-and-drop system allows them to quickly and efficiently produce games.
Pre-built Objects and Game Logic: Reviewers have pointed out that Stencyl offers pre-built objects and game logic that can be reused and remixed, which is helpful for beginners who are just starting with game development. This feature has been especially useful for children learning programming skills.
Affordable and Versatile: The program's affordability and versatility have also received positive feedback from reviewers. Users appreciate how accessible the software is to beginners, allowing people with little to no experience in game development or programming to create apps easily. Additionally, its compatibility with different platforms such as iOS and Android makes it a convenient option for developers looking to build games across multiple devices.
Limited Functionality: Some users have expressed disappointment with the limited functionality of Stencyl's free version, which only allows for exporting to the web and is not suitable for more advanced projects. They feel that this can be a hindrance when it comes to creating complex games.
Unaffordable Pricing: Several reviewers have mentioned that the pricing of the Indie and Studio versions is unaffordable for overseas game companies. This has been a cause of concern among some users who feel that they are being excluded from using the software due to its high price point.
Lacks Robustness: Many users have reported that Stencyl lacks robustness as it does not support third-dimensional games and can give low memory errors and cause lagging when too many assets are included. This has caused frustration among some customers who find these limitations unacceptable in today's competitive market.