Game Development · head to head
O3DE vs Adventure Game Studio
Adventure Game Studio
Game Development
Create point-and-click adventure games
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: O3DE minimum hardware is a quad-core 2.5 GHz x86 CPU with SSE 4.1, 16 GB RAM and a DirectX 12 or Vulkan GPU with 2 GB VRAM and Shader Model 6.2; 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
- They diverge on capability: O3DE covers 3D graphics rendering, Adventure Game Studio covers Point-and-click editor.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which O3DE and Adventure Game Studio actually diverge.
| Attribute | O3DE | Adventure Game Studio |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Playstation, Xbox | Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web |
| Founded | 2021 | 1997 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Game Development).
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 O3DE
- 3D graphics rendering
- Modular architecture
- Physics engine
- Audio system
- Animation tools
- Particle effects
- Material system
- Lighting system
Only in Adventure Game Studio
- Point-and-click editor
- Room system
- Sprite animation
- Built-in scripting
- Inventory system
- Dialog system
- Audio support
- Resolution scaling
Both cover
- Open-source
- Local deployment
- Mobile deployment
- Windows support
- Macos support
- Linux support
- Ios support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
O3DE
- Building 3D games and simulations on an open source Apache-licensed enginenot Adventure Game Studio
- Robotics and industrial simulation using O3DE Gemsnot Adventure Game Studio
- Projects that need full engine source access with no royaltynot Adventure Game Studio
Adventure Game Studio
- Building point-and-click adventure games in a classic Sierra or LucasArts stylenot O3DE
- Shipping a commercial or freeware adventure game with no licence feenot O3DE
- Scripting game logic in a Java or C# style language with a built-in debuggernot O3DE
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
O3DE
- Minimum hardware is a quad-core 2.5 GHz x86 CPU with SSE 4.1, 16 GB RAM and a DirectX 12 or Vulkan GPU with 2 GB VRAM and Shader Model 6.2
- Raytracing features require Shader Model 6.3
- Disk space required is 40 GB using the prebuilt installer and 100 GB or more when building from source
- Building the engine from source needs 2 GB of RAM per build thread on top of normal system requirements
- On Windows the editor requires Windows 10 version 20H2 or later plus Visual Studio 2019 16.11.x, 2022 17.3.x or 2026 18.0.x with the Game development with C++ workload
- The only primary Linux distribution for the editor is Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, and Ubuntu on 64-bit ARMv8 is experimental
- Linux builds need CMake 3.30.0 or later, which is newer than the 3.22 shipped by default with Ubuntu 22.04
- Wayland support is experimental, requires building from source, and is limited to the Game Launcher with no editor support until O3DE moves to Qt6
- Linux requires a long list of additional apt library packages to be installed before building
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
Pricing, plan by plan
O3DE
Free- FreeFree
- Full engine
- Modular architecture
- Cross-platform
Adventure Game Studio
Free- FreeFree
- Full editor
- Built-in script editor
- Room editor
Which should you pick?
Choose O3DE if
- You need 3d graphics rendering.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Playstation, Xbox.
- You also want modular architecture.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is O3DE or Adventure Game Studio better?
- Neither clearly leads. O3DE starts at Free and Adventure Game Studio at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, O3DE or Adventure Game Studio?
- O3DE starts at Free and Adventure Game Studio at Free.
- Does O3DE or Adventure Game Studio run on more platforms?
- O3DE runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Playstation, Xbox. Adventure Game Studio runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
- Can I use O3DE for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is O3DE best used for?
- O3DE is most often used for building 3d games and simulations on an open source apache-licensed engine, robotics and industrial simulation using o3de gems, projects that need full engine source access with no royalty. Of those, building 3d games and simulations on an open source apache-licensed engine and robotics and industrial simulation using o3de gems are not what Adventure Game Studio is typically brought in for.
- What can O3DE do that Adventure Game Studio cannot?
- O3DE covers 3D graphics rendering, Modular architecture, Physics engine, Audio system. Adventure Game Studio covers Point-and-click editor, Room system, Sprite animation, Built-in scripting. Both handle Open-source, Local deployment, Mobile deployment, Windows support.