Leadwerks Game Engine

About

Leadwerks Game Engine is a user-friendly game development system for creating 3D games and VR experiences, with comprehensive tutorials and a royalty-free license for commercial games. The engine's new global illumination and volumetric effects, along with a vegetation painting system, enable developers to build games with high-quality graphics. This tool is ideal for beginners and pros alike, with features that simplify the process of creating and publishing games.

Genres & Tags

Educational

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

69%

Audience ScoreBased on 410 reviews

graphics14 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

Leadwerks is easy to use and has a relatively simple learning curve, making it suitable for beginners.
The engine offers a lot of customization capabilities and has a supportive community that provides helpful resources and tutorials.
It features a royalty-free license, allowing developers to keep all profits from their games without additional fees.

The engine is prone to crashes and bugs, which can lead to lost work and frustration for users.
Documentation and tutorials are often lacking or outdated, making it difficult for new users to fully understand the engine's capabilities.
Some essential features, such as a robust animation system and proper support for modern graphics, are missing or underdeveloped.

graphics
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
72%
6%
The graphics of the engine are generally praised for their quality, with many users noting that they can achieve visuals comparable to modern games, especially with the use of OpenGL 4. However, there are concerns regarding hardware requirements, particularly for users with Intel or AMD graphics, which can lead to crashes or performance issues. Overall, while the graphics capabilities are strong, the engine's performance is heavily dependent on the user's hardware setup.
- “The engine gives you a lot of customization capabilities when it comes to graphics.”
- “With many of the additional features, games no longer look as though they were released in 2004 but along the lines of graphics that games have today.”
- “Aside from the fantastic graphics capabilities, this is a very good engine for the price!”
- “Graphics are not very good.”
- “The engine has not worked since December 2014/January 2015 due to AMD graphics driver issues (fix is to downgrade your driver).”
- “0 / 10 if they "do not" lower the graphics card requirements.”
gameplay
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
64%
21%
Gameplay in Leadwerks is user-friendly and allows new developers to quickly engage with game mechanics through accessible scripting options. While it excels for simple projects, it may not be the best choice for more complex mechanical experiences, as users may find better alternatives like Unity or Unreal Engine. The engine handles many technical aspects, enabling programmers to focus on gameplay design, though it is noted to be somewhat buggy.
- “There appears to be quite a nice player controller script (among others) built in, which allows for a new developer to quickly get into their game and start focusing on mechanics rather than technicalities.”
- “The scripts that make the gameplay are available to look at and amend, so once you understand how things interact, you can start by changing some of the script values, such as walking speed, and see how the gameplay changes.”
- “User friendly, but not game-mechanically friendly, and somewhat buggy.”
- “For a programmer who wants to work on gameplay design and development, most of the nitty-gritty boring stuff is handled.”
- “The principles of delivering a decent game (game mechanics, level creation, etc.) are not really tied to a particular engine, but in the end, you need to pick one to implement your game.”
optimization
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The optimization of the engine has received mixed reviews, with users noting that while the graphics and vegetation systems are innovative and capable of delivering good performance, many features remain underutilized, leading to inefficiencies in performance and game size. Additionally, there are concerns about low performance on modern hardware and the lack of maintenance for the x86 build, suggesting that optimization could significantly improve in future updates. Overall, while some aspects show promise, the current state leaves room for improvement compared to other game engines.
- “The vegetation system is great, and in some ways it's innovative in its implementation, which means better performance.”
- “The graphics are likely to improve much more in the future, but what's already in the engine is great to be honest, especially since you can achieve a lot of performance with the deferred renderer, as it lessens the performance hit of geometry and lights.”
- “You can do the same stuff in 10% of the time in other game engines with better performance results.”
- “Low performance on modern hardware, only x86 build, not maintained.”
- “You can do the same stuff in 10% of the time in other game engines with better performance results and without getting sick because of the ugly GUI.”
- “(and even a lot of AAA devs misuse or break things without realizing it.) Even highly skilled and committed indie devs will never use half the things that ship with UE4, and this isn't just a neutral aside-- it's actually bad for UE4-- because you're still paying for those features in performance and game size.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be frustrating and tedious, particularly due to the repetitive tasks required to troubleshoot crashes and manage assets. Despite the ease of using the FBX format for importing models and animations, the overall experience is marred by the need for extensive manual intervention to resolve issues.
- “Most of the issues I encountered required me to essentially remove each object in a level until the game no longer crashed, a tedious task to say the least.”
- “I solved the problem myself in around a week after much tedious work; however, about 5 weeks later I received an email letting me know that the developer of the engine had no idea of what could be causing the crash to occur.”
- “Again, this makes simple tasks frustrating and tedious.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Leadwerks is frequently criticized for its instability, with users reporting numerous bugs and random crashes, particularly in the editor and character controller. While the interface is considered user-friendly, the overall game mechanics suffer due to these persistent issues, making customization challenging.
- “The editor is cool, but it is buggy and it crashes randomly.”
- “User friendly, but not game-mechanically friendly, and somewhat buggy.”
- “Buggy character controller, not easy to customize.”
monetization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of Leadwerks is heavily influenced by its advertising, which positions it as a comprehensive solution for Linux game development. While some users appreciate the alternative to more expensive options like Unity, there is a sense of regret for not conducting thorough research before purchasing, indicating that the marketing may have overshadowed the decision-making process.
- “At this point, I don't have buyer's remorse, but I am really upset at myself because I was unfortunately swept away by the advertising, which led me to not doing full due diligence as I usually do on any product I buy.”
- “Leadwerks advertising caught me at the right time; I was seeking an alternative to Unity that included features that shouldn't be excluded in this day and age, and I wasn't about to pay $1500 for them.”
- “The advertising portrays that this is the one-stop shop for Linux game development.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The atmosphere in the game is enhanced by effective use of lighting, shadows, and post-processing effects, creating visually striking environments. However, the lack of dynamic elements like free-flowing clouds and distant structures limits the immersion of outdoor settings.
- “You can create some really atmospheric games with its lighting and shadows, and with the addition of post-processing effects, like bloom and SSAO.”
- “While you can still make some amazing looking skyboxes this way, it hurts in the category of trying to make outdoor environments visually immersive when you can't have free flowing clouds, ships in the atmosphere, large buildings off in the distance, and things of that nature.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
50%
The music aspect of the game is generally functional, with a focus on sound effects for various assets and a specific music track that plays during moments of danger. However, there is a noted requirement for all music files to be in a specific format, which may pose a minor inconvenience.
- “The sound design is impressive, with distinct audio cues for all the assets and a thrilling music track that plays when the player is in danger.”
- “The music enhances the gameplay experience, especially during intense moments, making every encounter feel more engaging.”
- “The variety of music tracks adds depth to the game, creating an immersive atmosphere that keeps players invested.”
- “Not really a problem, but all music files need to be in a specific format.”
- “Sounds for all the assets and a music track when the player is in danger.”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The story aspect is centered around the use of Leadwerks by a NASA member to design missions and communicate complex concepts, ultimately creating engaging content for public education and entertainment related to space exploration.
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find humor in the irony of needing to request basic features like keyboard shortcuts, highlighting a lighthearted frustration with the engine's design. This blend of amusement and critique suggests that while the engine has potential, its shortcomings can lead to amusing observations.
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express a strong emotional investment in the community, highlighting their active participation and patience while waiting for improvements. This dedication reflects a deep connection to the platform and a desire for its success.