Paradox
Xenko is a cross-platform game engine with a focus on VR/AR development, now known as Stride.
What is Paradox?
Xenko (now called Stride) is a cross-platform game engine that enables developers to create 2D and 3D games, simulations, and VR/AR applications. It provides a comprehensive set of tools including a visual editor, physically-based rendering, and support for multiple platforms from a single project.
Game developers and studios looking for an open-source alternative to commercial engines, particularly those focused on VR/AR development or requiring C# as their primary programming language.
Xenko offers a fully open-source MIT-licensed engine with professional-grade features, strong VR/AR support, and the flexibility of C# scripting, making it appealing to developers who want both power and freedom in their game development workflow.
Overview
Old repo for Xenko Game Engine. Please use https://github.com/xenko3d/xenko instead.
Use Cases
Best For
- Developing VR applications with native engine support
- Creating cross-platform games targeting PC and mobile devices
- Building 3D simulations with real-time editing capabilities
- Teams wanting visual scripting alongside C# programming
- Projects requiring physically-based rendering on a budget
- Educational game development with open-source tools
Not Ideal For
- Teams requiring a vast library of pre-made assets and plugins for rapid development
- Projects heavily dependent on out-of-the-box online multiplayer features
- Beginners seeking extensive step-by-step tutorials and large community support
- Rapid prototyping of 2D games where drag-and-drop simplicity is prioritized
Pros & Cons
Pros
Enables building for Windows, Linux, Android, iOS, and more from a single C# codebase, reducing porting efforts and maintenance.
Offers built-in integration for virtual and augmented reality development, eliminating the need for third-party plugins in many cases.
Combines node-based visual scripting for designers with full C# scripting for programmers, facilitating efficient team workflows.
Live editing allows changes to game assets and code while the game is running, speeding up iteration and debugging.
Cons
The original SiliconStudio/xenko repo is inactive, forcing users to migrate to the new Stride organization, which can complicate setup and onboarding.
Has fewer pre-built assets, plugins, and community extensions compared to mainstream engines like Unity, increasing development time for custom features.
Due to its niche status, tutorials and documentation are less comprehensive, making it harder for new users to get started without prior experience.
Open Source Alternative To
Paradox is an open-source alternative to the following products:
Unity is a cross-platform game engine and development environment used to create 2D, 3D, VR, and AR games and interactive experiences.
Unreal Engine is a powerful real-time 3D creation tool developed by Epic Games, used for game development, film production, architecture visualization, and other interactive experiences.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Projects
MonoGameOne framework for creating powerful cross-platform games.
CocosSharpCocosSharp is a C# implementation of the Cocos2D and Cocos3D APIs that runs on any platform where MonoGame runs.
UrhoSharpCode to integrate with the Urho3D engine
CocosCreatorCocos Creator for Xamarin Platform
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