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Software · head to head

Phaser vs Adventure Game Studio

Phaser logo

Phaser

Software

Fast, free, and fun open source framework for Canvas and WebGL

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Adventure Game Studio logo

Adventure Game Studio

Software

Create point-and-click adventure games

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Phaser the Phaser framework is open source but Phaser Editor is a commercial product at $12 per month; 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: Phaser covers Canvas and WebGL rendering, Adventure Game Studio covers Point-and-click editor.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Phaser and Adventure Game Studio actually diverge.

Attributes where Phaser and Adventure Game Studio differ
AttributePhaserAdventure Game Studio
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web
Founded20131997

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (free), free tier (Yes), 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 Phaser

  • Canvas and WebGL rendering
  • Physics engine (Arcade)
  • Input handling
  • Animation system
  • Particle effects
  • Tilemaps
  • Event system
  • JavaScript frameworks

Only in Adventure Game Studio

  • Point-and-click editor
  • Room system
  • Sprite animation
  • Built-in scripting
  • Inventory system
  • Dialog system
  • Resolution scaling
  • GitHub

Both cover

  • Audio support
  • Git
  • Open-source
  • Web deployment
  • Mobile deployment
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Phaser

  • Building 2D HTML5 games that run in the browsernot Adventure Game Studio
  • Rapid browser game prototyping with a code editor, tilemap and atlas toolsnot Adventure Game Studio
  • Publishing web games with one click hostingnot Adventure Game Studio

Adventure Game Studio

  • Building point-and-click adventure games in a classic Sierra or LucasArts stylenot Phaser
  • Shipping a commercial or freeware adventure game with no licence feenot Phaser
  • Scripting game logic in a Java or C# style language with a built-in debuggernot Phaser

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Phaser

  • The Phaser framework is open source but Phaser Editor is a commercial product at $12 per month
  • Phaser Editor stops working when the licence expires
  • No free trial of Phaser Editor is offered
  • AI tools in the free Phaser suite require purchasing credits
  • SSO through Google Workspace, private support and Editor source code availability are Enterprise only, which is custom priced and requires contacting sales
  • No educational discounts are offered
  • Subscription cancellations are not refunded pro rata

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

Phaser

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full source code
    • Community support
    • Game examples

Adventure Game Studio

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full editor
    • Built-in script editor
    • Room editor

Which should you pick?

Choose Phaser if

  • You need canvas and webgl rendering.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want physics engine (arcade).
Phaser review

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.
Adventure Game Studio review

Questions people ask

Is Phaser or Adventure Game Studio better?
Neither clearly leads. Phaser 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, Phaser or Adventure Game Studio?
Phaser starts at Free and Adventure Game Studio at Free.
Does Phaser or Adventure Game Studio run on more platforms?
Phaser runs on Web, Ios, Android. Adventure Game Studio runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
Can I use Phaser for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Phaser best used for?
Phaser is most often used for building 2d html5 games that run in the browser, rapid browser game prototyping with a code editor, tilemap and atlas tools, publishing web games with one click hosting. Of those, building 2d html5 games that run in the browser and rapid browser game prototyping with a code editor, tilemap and atlas tools are not what Adventure Game Studio is typically brought in for.
What can Phaser do that Adventure Game Studio cannot?
Phaser covers Canvas and WebGL rendering, Physics engine (Arcade), Input handling, Animation system. Adventure Game Studio covers Point-and-click editor, Room system, Sprite animation, Built-in scripting. Both handle Audio support, Git, Open-source, Web deployment.
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