I want to start programming 2D games and I don\'t know what engine I should use

Question

I want to start programming 2D games and I don't know what engine I should use (I work on my own and I am a beginner; plus I'm very young).

I've tried Kodu but it doesn't have a lot of possibilities and it crashes a lot. I also tried Unity but it is too complex even though it says it is for beginners.

Here is my list of requirements:

Free
For beginners (not very complex)
Offers a lot of possibilities for programming (2D) games
Has a simple interface that is easy to work on
Offers help and tutorials if any difficulties (optional)
Windows 7

Explanation / Answer

Python and Pygame

Python is a high-level programming language. It is beginner friendly and its codes are intuitive and very readable, you can get the Windows setup here

Pygame is an easy to use Python library for writing games. You can get the latest setup here (and not on the main site pygame.org)

As for the learning part, I suggest that you start with Invent with Python. It has three detailed books that are targeted towards beginners, and you can download them for free. The first one is about the Python syntax, and the second is focused on Pygame. They come with a complete set of example games along with detailed code explanation and instructions.

Regarding your requirements:

Python and Pygame are both free
Lots of examples online and the ability to create any 2D game you put your mind into
Simple interface: you can code it with your favorite text editor, and run with the python command. Or simply use IDLE, the IDE packaged with Python
Has beginner friendly tutorials linked above
Is cross-platform and runs on Windows

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