Software · head to head
Adventure Game Studio vs Construct 3
Construct 3
Software
Create games without coding. Powered by the Scirra engine.
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Adventure Game Studio the AGS editor and IDE run only on Windows (Vista, 7, 8, 10 or 11), even though built games run on Linux, macOS, Android and iOS; Construct 3 the free version caps projects at 50 events, or 25 when used without an account
- They diverge on capability: Adventure Game Studio covers Point-and-click editor, Construct 3 covers Visual event system.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Adventure Game Studio and Construct 3 actually diverge.
| Attribute | Adventure Game Studio | Construct 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | free | freemium |
| Founded | 1997 | 2007 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Adventure Game Studio
- Point-and-click editor
- Room system
- Sprite animation
- Built-in scripting
- Inventory system
- Dialog system
- Audio support
- Resolution scaling
Only in Construct 3
- Visual event system
- Drag-and-drop editor
- Physics engine
- Sprite editor
- Particle effects
- Sound effects
- Web-based
- HTML5 support
Both cover
- GitHub
- Local deployment
- Web deployment
- Mobile deployment
- Windows support
- Macos support
- Linux support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Adventure Game Studio
- Building point-and-click adventure games in a classic Sierra or LucasArts stylenot Construct 3
- Shipping a commercial or freeware adventure game with no licence feenot Construct 3
- Scripting game logic in a Java or C# style language with a built-in debuggernot Construct 3
Construct 3
- Building 2D browser games without writing codenot Adventure Game Studio
- Publishing HTML5 games to the web, desktop and mobile stores from one projectnot Adventure Game Studio
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Adventure Game Studio
- The AGS editor and IDE run only on Windows (Vista, 7, 8, 10 or 11), even though built games run on Linux, macOS, Android and iOS
- The editor requires the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable, and .NET Framework 4.5 on Windows 7 and Vista
- Video playback supports only FLC and OGV (Ogg Theora) and is full-screen only; AVI and WMV support was dropped after version 3.6.0 and existed only on Windows builds
- MSSCCI source control integration was discontinued in version 3.6.0
- Graphics drivers are limited to Direct3D 9 and OpenGL
- Audio format support is limited to OGG, MP3, WAV, MOD, XM and MIDI
- Support is community-only through forums and Discord, with no vendor support channel
Construct 3
- The free version caps projects at 50 events, or 25 when used without an account
- Free projects are limited to 2 layers, 2 special effects, 1 timeline animation of up to 5 seconds and 1 web font
- The free version can only publish to HTML5 and the Construct Arcade, so desktop, Android, iOS and Facebook Instant Games all need a paid plan
- Licences are per seat and annual, at $129.99 for Personal, $168.99 for Startup Business and $468.99 for Business
Pricing, plan by plan
Adventure Game Studio
Free- FreeFree
- Full editor
- Built-in script editor
- Room editor
Construct 3
Free- FreeFree
- Web-based editor
- HTML5 export
- Asset library
- Personal$99/year
- All Free features
- Offline editor
- Advanced export
Which should you pick?
Choose Adventure Game Studio if
- You need point-and-click editor.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
- You also want room system.
Choose Construct 3 if
- You need visual event system.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
- You also want drag-and-drop editor.
Questions people ask
- Is Adventure Game Studio or Construct 3 better?
- Neither clearly leads. Adventure Game Studio starts at Free and Construct 3 at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Adventure Game Studio or Construct 3?
- Adventure Game Studio starts at Free and Construct 3 at Free.
- Does Adventure Game Studio or Construct 3 run on more platforms?
- Both run on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Adventure Game Studio for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Adventure Game Studio best used for?
- Adventure Game Studio is most often used for building point-and-click adventure games in a classic sierra or lucasarts style, shipping a commercial or freeware adventure game with no licence fee, scripting game logic in a java or c# style language with a built-in debugger. Of those, building point-and-click adventure games in a classic sierra or lucasarts style and shipping a commercial or freeware adventure game with no licence fee are not what Construct 3 is typically brought in for.
- What can Adventure Game Studio do that Construct 3 cannot?
- Adventure Game Studio covers Point-and-click editor, Room system, Sprite animation, Built-in scripting. Construct 3 covers Visual event system, Drag-and-drop editor, Physics engine, Sprite editor. Both handle GitHub, Local deployment, Web deployment, Mobile deployment.