What is a Game Engine?

Most people think of a game engine as the underlying code to a computer game, plus the utilities used to create the game. So, what exactly is a Game Engine?

A game engine is the reusable, underlying code for a game, along with the collection of tools and utilities used to create the game. A game engine usually consists of two parts: a game skeleton that can be used as a template for other games, and a game editor for processing artwork. The game editor is actually a collection of tools for building games. You can use the game editor to create tiles, edit levels, import and edit sprites, and manage files. The second part of the game engine, the game template, should be thought of as a skeleton for creating side-scrolling arcade games.

A game engine should be flexible enough so that it can be easily modified to accommodate a great number and variety of games. It should also be powerful enough to be significantly useful. That means the developer using the game engine will have a major advantage over the developer starting from scratch. The game engine should give the developer extensive functionality without getting in the way when the developer wants to be experimental. The game engine should also be thoroughly tested, and should have practical, as well as theoretical, applications.