C# vs. Python vs. C++ for Game Development

So which programming language is best for game development?

C#, C++, or Python?

Well, the answer depends on what exactly you want to make.

Python

Let’s start with Python.

Python is syntactically easier to read, and it’s the easiest to learn compared to C# and C++.

You can start developing games using python with very little time and it requires way less coding to get a finished product.

So Python is great, but oftentimes, it doesn’t work well for complex things. It is slow and inefficient for game development.

Python is an interpreted language and requires very little specification when it comes to variables, classes, and memory. Because of this, the interpreter has to pick up the load and define, handle, and declare everything for you in real-time.

So with all this in mind, Python is very good for simple 2D games.

So if it’s a side project that you would like to do, go with Python because Python may not be the best for game development, but it is good for various other reasons.

Even though game development using Python is largely unheard of in the industry, some of the top game development modules are PyGame and Pyglet.

If you are especially interested in 2D game programming, you can consider Godot.

Although the community is not that big compared to that of C# and unity, using python and go dot, the ‘idea’ to ‘finished product’ is smoother and faster.

C#

Now let's move on to C#.

The learning curve is slightly higher compared to Python. But it is much easier compared to C++.

Compared to C++, it is faster to learn and program in C#.

Also, it is more frustration-free compared to C++. Unlike Python, C# is a compiled language and requires in-depth specification. declaring variables before you use them, defining the class type, and memory management. This is important for games because you need to run a multitude of functions at 60 frames a second.

C# is the main language used by the Unity framework which is a popular and well-developed game engine and it is widely used in professional studios.

Also, the community with Unity is huge with lots of resources to learn.

C++

Now let's talk about C++.

C++ is a lower-level language compared to python and C#.

The learning curve is the highest for C++ because it is designed to make you do more as a programmer.

Thus it takes years to master. It's fairly popular for gaming since it's a bit closer to the hardware, allowing you to manage the memory directly rather than relying on the Operating System or the language such as C# to do it for you. And also a handful of other little tricks that you can only do in C++.

C# tends to be more frustration-free compared to C++, but C++ does give you a bit more control which makes you a more technical programmer.

A total beginner may find C++ a lot harder than C# so the best advice is starting from C# with Unity and then, moving to C++ with Unreal.

If you are looking to write a game from scratch then you can probably work with C++ and OpenGL or Direct X.