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Stencyl vs Adventure Game Studio

Stencyl logo

Stencyl

Software

Create games with visual programming

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: Stencyl the free Starter tier can publish to the web only; 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: Stencyl covers Visual block programming, Adventure Game Studio covers Point-and-click editor.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Stencyl and Adventure Game Studio differ
AttributeStencylAdventure Game Studio
PlatformsWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, FlashWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web
Founded20111997

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 Stencyl

  • Visual block programming
  • Drag-and-drop interface
  • Physics engine
  • Sound and music
  • Tilemap editor
  • Actor system
  • Haxe support
  • Dropbox

Only in Adventure Game Studio

  • Point-and-click editor
  • Room system
  • Built-in scripting
  • Inventory system
  • Dialog system
  • Audio support
  • Resolution scaling
  • Git

Both cover

  • Sprite animation
  • GitHub
  • Local deployment
  • Mobile deployment
  • Web deployment
  • Windows support
  • Macos support
  • Linux support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Stencyl

  • Building 2D games with visual block based logicnot Adventure Game Studio
  • Publishing the same project to web, desktop and mobilenot Adventure Game Studio

Adventure Game Studio

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

Where each one falls short

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

Stencyl

  • The free Starter tier can publish to the web only
  • Desktop publishing requires the Indie plan at $99 a year
  • iOS and Android publishing require the Studio plan at $199 a year
  • Licences are annual, so continuing to publish means continuing to pay

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

Stencyl

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full editor access
    • Desktop export
    • Mobile export

Adventure Game Studio

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Stencyl if

  • You need visual block programming.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Flash.
  • You also want drag-and-drop interface.
Stencyl 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 Stencyl or Adventure Game Studio better?
Neither clearly leads. Stencyl 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, Stencyl or Adventure Game Studio?
Stencyl starts at Free and Adventure Game Studio at Free.
Does Stencyl or Adventure Game Studio run on more platforms?
Stencyl runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Flash. Adventure Game Studio runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
Can I use Stencyl for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Stencyl best used for?
Stencyl is most often used for building 2d games with visual block based logic, publishing the same project to web, desktop and mobile. Of those, building 2d games with visual block based logic and publishing the same project to web, desktop and mobile are not what Adventure Game Studio is typically brought in for.
What can Stencyl do that Adventure Game Studio cannot?
Stencyl covers Visual block programming, Drag-and-drop interface, Physics engine, Sound and music. Adventure Game Studio covers Point-and-click editor, Room system, Built-in scripting, Inventory system. Both handle Sprite animation, GitHub, Local deployment, Mobile deployment.
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