Top Mobile Game Engines for iOS and Android in 2025: Trends, Tools, and Market Outlook

During the last few years, mobile game development has changed a lot – and that's why we updated our article to include some new trends and market changes – significant shifts in license policy, rapid growth of Artificial Intelligence, and a now-formed standard of cross-platformity. Your choice of the mobile game engine depends on your technical abilities, business model, and target market – and can either increase or hinder your chances of success in the mobile game engine market.

Our updated guide will assist you in this decision – we'll provide you with some data on the market and trends. We'll briefly cover the new list of the best mobile game engines for mobile game development – and give you some practical recommendations that will enable you to make the most out of the latest developments. 

Mobile games market in 2025: data and trends

According to the report from Adjust, the global game market demonstrates a strong recovery after 2023. Some data is expected – the overall industry value is expected to rise to 103$ billion by the end of 2025. Mobile games keep the first place among other categories with $103 billion of value  (compared to console games – $45.9 bn, and PC games – $39.9 bn).

Key trends in 2024-2025:

• The global number of uploads rose +4%, and the session length slightly decreased by -0.6%
• Problems with retention: Decreased session time shows the intense competition for players' attention
• Hybrid monetization as an industry standard – a combination of IAP (in-app purchases), ads, battle paths, and subscriptions
• Rapid growth of mobile game development tools and frameworks
• Increased demand for game engines for mobile games that support both 2D and 3D development

Rapidly growing markets:

It is more important than ever to focus on rapidly growing markets because of better revenues and a bigger market share that you can take. We highlighted the following regions:

1. LATAM (+8% uploads, +7% session time): The fastest-growing region.  Notably, Mexico demonstrates an 11% growth in session time. The paid/organic traffic ratio increased from 3.7 to 4.32, indicating intense competition.
2. MENA (+10% uploads, +5% session time): Second in terms of growth rate. Saudi Arabia and the UAE show record CTR (Click-through rate) figures (18% and 10%, respectively). The high level of consent to tracking (ATT opt-in rate ~50%) creates ideal conditions for targeted advertising.
3. Asia-Pacific (+4% uploads): A diverse market with multidirectional dynamics. Indonesia (+21% of installations) and India (+11% of sessions) show explosive growth, offsetting saturation in other countries of the region.

Conclusion: The strategy for success in 2025 is to focus on high-growth markets (LATAM, MENA), but requires readiness for the high cost of engagement and the need for flawless audience retention.

Key trends driving engine choice in 2025

The choice of technology now depends directly on how well it enables the integration of new market trends.

AI Integration in Game Engines

Artificial intelligence has gone from being a futuristic "feature" to a must-have tool in game engines for mobile. According to a report, the majority of studios are already using AI to personalize gameplay. Common applications:

• Procedural content generation and dynamic level creation
• AI assistants for development and testing (Unity Muse, Unreal Engine tools)
• Game experience personalization and predicting user retention

Cross-Platform Development
By 2025, players expect a seamless experience across devices — cross-platform support has become an industry standard rather than a unique advantage. Games that embrace cross-platform functionality typically see:

• Higher player engagement and conversion to purchases due to broader audience reach
• Longer player lifetime value (LTV), as users can switch devices without losing progress
• Stronger and more active multiplayer communities

Hybrid monetization

Hybrid games dominate the top charts, combining simple gameplay with deep meta systems. Monetisation through ads + IAPs requires game engines for mobile with:

• Easy integration with top ad networks (IronSource, AppLovin, Google AdMob)
• Flexible monetisation management systems
• Built-in analytical tools

In the autumn of 2023, Unity attempted to implement a Runtime fee (charging developers per game installation), but faced significant backlash from developers, including boycotts, and a loss of trust within the game development community. Although the company revised its policy and the then-CEO stepped down after facing severe criticism, the damage to trust cannot be undone. Following these events, Godot and other open-source solutions have come to be seen as a trustworthy business alternative. As for 2024, 72% of developers are considering implementing hybrid monetization in some way or another (with mid-core games based on that model leading in revenues, and catching up to IAP-based casual games) – see more details in the AppsFlyer data report.

It's also worth noting that no-code/low-code tools are now ripe for creating marketable products, not just prototypes. They are mainly in demand in the hybrid-casual niche and for educational projects.

Gamedev engines review: best options in 2025

AAA and Mid-core

1. Unity

A versatile engine for creating 2D, 3D, VR, and AR games, widely adopted across the mobile market. Unity remains one of the most popular choices among developers, especially in indie and mobile segments, and is often considered the market leader. While exact market share figures vary, industry reports consistently show that a large portion of mobile titles — particularly in casual and mid-core genres — are built with Unity. Despite the scandal in 2023, it continues to be the popular choice — supports all major platforms (mobile, PC, console, VR/AR) and is also attractive to novice developers.

Plans and pricing:

Key advantages:

• A rich Asset Store with thousands of ready-made resources and an active community
• Integration of AI tools (Unity Muse and Unity Sentis for content generation)
• Ideal for rapid prototyping and indie development, while also scalable to AAA projects

2. Unreal Engine 5

A powerful game engine for Android and iOS from Epic Games with an emphasis on high-quality graphics that supports all major platforms (mobile, PC, console, VR/AR). Best suited for AAA projects where the highest quality graphics are a key competitive advantage. 

Unreal Engine uses a simple model: the first $1 million in revenue per game is royalty-free, and after that, a 5% royalty applies. Starting in 2025, developers who launch on the Epic Games Store at the same time as other platforms may qualify for a reduced 3.5% rate. Among the new features, it is essential to mention the active development of UEFN (Unreal Editor for Fortnite) – the development and publication of games/locations within the Fortnite platform.

Key advantages:

• Photorealistic graphics with Nanite and Lumen technologies
• Professional tools, including Blueprints, visual programming without coding
• The best game engine for mobile projects with large open worlds and robust multiplayer

3. Open 3D Engine (O3DE)

The successor to Amazon's Lumberyard with open source code. Supports major platforms: iOS, Android, PC, and consoles. It is completely free for developers and also facilitates game creation thanks to the integration with AWS services (a cloud computing system that provides on-demand IT resources and tools via the Internet, allowing users to run applications and manage infrastructure without the need to own physical equipment). Best suited for big companies with their own tech specialists.

Key advantages:

• Modular architecture for customization
• Support for advanced physics and AI
• Designed for studios that need complete control over the engine and its adaptation to specific needs

4. CryEngine

An engine for mobile games with an emphasis on advanced graphics and visual effects, supporting all major platforms. CryEngine can be used for free. A 5% royalty applies once your project is released, but the first $5,000 of annual revenue per project is royalty-free.

Key advantages:

• High-quality graphics and advanced visual effects
• Powerful tools for animation and rendering
• Strong at creating games with high visual fidelity, but requires significant technical resources

Open-Source and Indie favorites

1. Godot

A fully open-source game engine for mobile development that supports 2D and 3D games on iOS, Android, PC, Web, and consoles. Free for developers under the MIT license (you don't have to pay royalties, even if your game becomes a huge success). The main alternative for developers after the Unity scandal in 2023 is a perfect platform for creating prototypes and games with complete control over the code. Best suited for startups and indie game developers.

Key advantages:

• Lightweight and low system requirements
• Visual programming and support for Cand GDScript
• Active community and regular updates

2. Cocos Creator

A cross-platform framework and game engine for Android and iOS development, especially popular in Asia; supports the following platforms: iOS, Android, HTML5, Windows, and Mac. It is free for developers and optimal for hyper-casual and rapid game development.

Key advantages:

• Minimal build size (~1.5 MB)
• JavaScript/TypeScript support
• A selection of ready-made solutions for casual and hybrid games

3. Defold

A lightweight engine for mobile games on Lua, supporting iOS, Android, Web, PC, and consoles (including Switch). Free for developers, and ideal for 2D projects with a focus on efficiency and cross-platformity. As a game engine for Android, free of charge, it offers excellent value for indie developers.

Key advantages:

• Ease of learning and stability
• Active community support
• Small runtime size

4. Bevy (Rust)

A new open-source data-oriented game engine mobile development platform written in Rust that supports iOS, Android, PC, and Web. An interesting alternative for enthusiasts and teams willing to take a chance on a promising engine, it is gradually gaining popularity among Rust developers.

Key advantages:

• High performance thanks to Rust
• Modular architecture for increased performance and control
• Modern renderer and tools

No-Code / Low-Code Platforms

1. Construct 3

A visual builder for 2D games without programming, supports iOS, Android, Web, and Windows. Starting price: $99/year. Leads in educational projects and rapid prototyping, and is also an excellent platform for creating hyper-casual games.

Key advantages:

• Drag-and-drop interface and ready-made behaviors
• Instant preview in the browser
• One-click export

2. GDevelop

An open-source no-code game engine for mobile development that supports 2D games on iOS, Android, Web, and PC. It is the best free alternative to Construct 3 with an active community and educational resources.

Key advantages:

• Completely free and open-source
• Integration with advertising networks
• Support for JavaScript extensions

3. Buildbox

A specialized tool for creating hyper-casual games for mobile devices (iOS and Android). It has both paid and free plans and is the industry standard for the hyper-casual genre, where the speed of new project releases is critical.

Key advantages:

• Focus on instant iteration and testing of ideas
• Built-in templates and assets
• Ease of use for non-technical users

Comparison table (our top-5 in 2025)

Which engine to choose in 2025? Practical guide

Based on market analysis and engine capabilities, we recommend:

1. For AAA projects and studios with a large budget: Unreal Engine 5 (if graphics are a priority) or Unity (if development speed and access to assets are more important)
2. For indie studios and startups: Unity (maximum features) or Godot (if you have zero budget and need complete control)
3. For 2D and casual games: Unity, Cocos Creator (for the Asian market), Defold
4. For rapid prototypes and teams without programmers: GDevelop, Construct 3, Buildbox
5. For educational projects: GDevelop, Godot, Unity

Engine choice = only half of success

According to the report, in 2024:

• The average number of partners per app increased from 5.7 to 6.2
• CPI decreased from $0.38 to $0.36
• Day 1 retention decreased from 28% to 27%

In an increasingly competitive marketplace, those who understand their players better and promote the game more effectively tend to win. Here are a few mobile game development tools that are critical to utilize for success: Firebase and AppsFlyer for tracking metrics, ASOMobile for competitor analysis and keyword selection, and monitoring your app's position. Those tools are a must-have for a successful launch in 2025 as part of your mobile game development platform strategy.

In conclusion

The mobile game engine market in 2025 continues to grow, but competition is growing along with it. Mobile game development tools have become more powerful and accessible thanks to AI and open-source. Key findings indicate that game engines for mobile are becoming increasingly advanced with the assistance of AI. Notably, cross-platform has become a standard – with better revenues, retention rates, session times, and number of uploads. Hybrid monetization is now a widespread standard: fewer games still choose one way to monetize, with the majority switching to a combination of IAP, subscriptions, and battle paths. 

For the success of your project, you should also consider regional specifics – with MENA and LATAM markets rapidly growing and allowing you to grow faster on these target audiences and make significant revenues. When selecting from top game engines, consider your team's skills, project requirements, and target platforms.

All things considered, there is no single "best game engine for mobile" on the market. However, there is a tool that is best suited for your team, genre, budget, goals, and target region(s). The best mobile game development platform for you depends on your specific needs and expertise level.

Ready to launch your next hit game? Start by analyzing your niche and competitors. Use ASOMobile's service for comprehensive market analyses and a launch advantage in the competitive mobile game development landscape.

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