C# is a popular language in game development, widely used thanks to Unity, but it is not limited to it.

In this article, I present 15 game engines developed with C#, showing various alternatives for those who want to explore new options beyond the most well-known ones, as well as a comparison table, more bindings and engines that have C# as a scripting language.

01. MonoGame

C# framework based on XNA. Focus on multiplatform. Main games: Stardew Valley, Fez, Axiom Verge.

02. SharpGDX

C# port of libGDX. Incomplete and outdated project. Main games: None known.

03. MoonWorks

Modern game engine in C#, based on FNA, with functional design and focus on performance.

04. ShapeEngine

2D C# engine for simple games with basic physics and UI support. Main games: None known.

05. OSU Framework

C# framework used to create the game osu!lazer. Advanced UI and animation support. Main games: osu!lazer.

06. FlatRedBall

2D C# engine with educational focus and integration with MonoGame. Main games: The Incredible Baron, Tiled Map Editor integrations.

07. FNA

Reimplementation of XNA in C#. High compatibility and stability for game porting. Main games: Celeste, Axiom Verge, FEZ (ported).

08. Murder

2D ECS game engine in C# with built-in editor. Focus on productivity. Main games: Internal/experimental, no major releases yet.

09. Prowl

Modern 3D engine in C#, still in development. Uses Vulkan via Veldrid. Main games: None published yet.

10. Stride

Full 3D engine in C#. Support for VR, PBR, C# scripting and robust editor. Main games: Children of the Galaxy, independent projects.

11. Duality

2D C# engine with modular editor and plugin system. Main games: No notable commercials.

12. RogueSharp

C# library for creating roguelikes (maps, FOV, pathfinding). It is not a complete engine. Main games: Used in prototypes and personal projects.

13. SadConsole

C# library for console/roguelike games. Based on ASCII grids and tiles. Main games: None publicly known.

14. StereoKit (with C++)

AR/VR framework in C# and C++. Support for OpenXR, HoloLens, Quest. Main games: Used in XR experiences, not commercial games.

15. NeoAxis (with C++)

3D C# + C++ engine with integrated editor, focused on visualizations and games. Main games: None of great importance.

Comparison Table

• “Editor Included” refers to a visual or scene editor.
• “Partial” means it includes some level of editor but not a full one.
• “Active?” refers to recent activity on GitHub (last few months).

Libraries that have bindings for C#

Or that have CSharp as their scripting language.

01. SFML

SFML.NET is the official SFML binding for the .NET family of languages ​​(C#, VB.NET, C++/CLI, etc.).

It is built on top of the C, CSFML binding, to ensure maximum compatibility between platforms. The SFML.NET API is close to C++ One, but in the .NET style: Naming conventions are different, event handling uses native event support, etc.

Official address: https://www.sfml-dev.org/download/sfml.net/

02. Raylib

There are several CSharp bindings for Raylib, among them:

• raylib-cs
• Raylib-CsLo
• Raylib-CSharp-Vinculum
• Raylib-CSharp

03. SDL

SDL also has bindings for CSharp, in two versions:

• For SDL2.0: SDL2-CS
• And for SDL 3.0: SDL3-CS

04. Allegro

AllegroDotNet is a library for .NET Standard 2.0 or .NET 6+ for Allegro 5. Compatible with native AOT (.NET 8).

05. Engines that have CSharp for scripting

These are engines made with C++, but have CSharp as a scripting language for game development:

• UnrealSharp
• Unity
• Godot C#

See also

Top 100 Game Engines C++

csharp gamedev

Marcos Oliveira

Software developer

https://github.com/terroo