Construct 3

What is Construct 3?

Construct 3 is a 2D game engine from Scirra, the company behind the popular Construct 2, which was released in 2011. Construct 3 launched in 2017 as a ground-up rewrite that runs entirely in the browser, so there is nothing to install: you open the editor in a tab and start making games.

The signature feature is the event system. Instead of writing code, you set up conditions and actions, like 'when the player touches a coin, add one to the score and destroy the coin'. It reads almost like plain English, and it is powerful enough to build commercial-quality games without touching a programming language.

Construct 3 is popular in education, in game jams and among hobbyists, and it is also used by professionals for web and mobile titles. It exports to HTML5 for the web, to Android and iOS via Cordova, and to desktop through Electron, all from the same project.

Key Features

• No-code event sheet system readable by humans
• Runs in the browser with cloud-saved projects
• Built-in 2D physics, particles, effects and tilemaps
• JavaScript support for advanced scripting when you need it
• Instant preview in the browser while you edit
• Export to web, mobile and desktop platforms
• Huge asset library and a large library of tutorials
• Works on Windows, macOS, Linux and Chromebooks

How to get started

Open construct.net in any modern browser and create a free account. You can start a new project from a template immediately, and the free edition lets you build and preview games without paying, with some limits on exported features.

The official beginner tutorial walks you through a complete game: a player sprite, enemies, scoring and a win condition, all built with events. The Scirra documentation and the huge video tutorial library on the site cover everything from platformers to RPG mechanics.

• Create a free account on construct.net
• Start a project from a template or a blank canvas
• Follow the official beginner tutorial
• Add sprites and build logic with event sheets
• Preview in the browser, then export when you are ready

Use cases

• Web games published directly to the browser
• Mobile games for Android and iOS
• Education and classroom game development
• Game jams and fast prototyping without code
• Platformers, puzzlers and arcade games
• Interactive marketing experiences and web apps

Pricing and licensing

Construct 3 has a free edition that is great for learning and prototyping, with limits on how many events you can use and which exports are available. Paid plans unlock the full feature set, including offline use and mobile and desktop exports.

Paid access is subscription-based, with Personal and Business tiers billed monthly or annually, and the price you sign up at stays locked in. Pricing details change, so the official plans page is the place to check current figures. There are no royalties on games you sell.

Pros and cons

Construct 3's strengths are its accessibility and its portability. The no-code event system lets non-programmers ship real games, everything lives in the browser so there is no setup, and the preview workflow is instant and fun.

The trade-offs: it is a subscription-based proprietary tool, so you pay to keep access, and the event sheet approach can feel limiting for complex logic compared to a real programming language. Serious developers often outgrow it and move to engines like Godot or GameMaker.

Alternatives

• GameMaker: 2D-first engine with drag-and-drop and GML
• GDevelop: free, open-source, no-code 2D engine
• Godot: free and open source with visual scripting options
• Phaser: JavaScript framework for web games
• Stencyl: block-based 2D engine for beginners