Hey!

I'm rather new to game development and many of its aspects.

I know it is usually recommended to start off with a few simple projects while utilizing easy-to-use game engines. However, I do already know a few programming languages and have already accumulated some knowledge regarding game development.

So why am I here? Well I would like to start developing a game of my own but I am unsure as to which of the MANY game engines I should choose.

I am going for an indie-style roguelike tower defense. That means 2D (simplistic) graphics, isometric or top down view and different item synergies throughout different runs as you may often see in roguelikes.

Now I know that there are many game engines which may accommodate my needs. However, I have also heard that many of the simpler game engines may present limitations in later development stages. And so, I would like to avoid or minimize those limitations as much as possible before hand, hence this post.

Any help will be much appreciated!

What types of limitations do you expect? Sounds like the game would be simple enough that most limitations would not apply.

I would recommend Godot. I have used all of “the big 3” for protyping and Godot is the one that is the most modular in terms of code because of its node system.

The standard approach is to try them. Think about what you are attempting to do. Attempt to do some of it.

You might quickly identify bad fits. Exclude those. For the ones that are left, look at what difficulties you see with your project. AFTER THAT you are at the point to publicly ask the questions. State which engines you have chosen and why, explain what specifically you are doing that might be questionable, and ask for specifics about the engines about what topics to avoid.

Generally the major game engines can handle anything and everything that an individual or a small team can throw at them. Some tasks may be a better fit than others, but the engines themselves are capable. The individuals involved, however, vary wildly.

For a 2D game with sprites, it's not clear you need an “engine” as much as just some library like SDL.

I'd suggest starting with SDL2 (or, if you're using Python, PyGame) and see if that's good enough for you.

If you think you need a “real engine,” then try Godot next.

Unity

Godot

I also vote for Godot, especially if you want to focus on 2D only. In the end there isn't any easy-to-use game engine for you, just more or less specialized ones but any of them is easy to learn and hard to master

Do you have a preferred programming language? If there's one that you're comfortable with, it may be worth prioritising engines that use that language.

Another thought: Do you prefer an engine with a graphical editor, or one with a more code-centric approach?

For the game that you described, you will not hit any limitations if you use any of the most popular game engines. Engine limitations are the problem when your game is doing something very specific technically that is different from most other games. For example: Kerbal Space Program required a smooth transition from the surface of a huge planet all the way to interplanetary distances. They were still able to do it in a general-purpose engine (Unity), but it required some clever technical design. An isometric tower defense game doesn't seem to have such technical challenges, so any general-purpose game engine should fit.

My recommendation is to use an engine that uses a language that you are familiar with. Other than that, pick the most popular engine, because the more popular the engine is, the more support and learning material it has, so it will be easier for you to use.