Electronic games are part of the daily lives of millions of people and represent a market that generates billions of dollars annually. In addition to providing entertainment to players, game development also brings various benefits. To facilitate the creation of these products, game engines emerge as a result of decades of development in the gaming industry. Through them, creating games has never been as easy and accessible as it is today. However, given the wide variety of options available, choosing the most suitable engine for a project requires understanding its functionalities, capabilities, and suitability for the desired type of game. In this context, three of the most popular free game engines - Unity, Godot, and GameMaker - were selected for a detailed analysis of their capabilities and features. The evaluation took place through the development of the game ”Fox vs Plants” in each of the selected engines, and participation in three game jams, where it was possible to develop two more games, thereby increasing the validity of the study. The comparison results reveal that each engine has its strengths and weaknesses: Unity has more resources, Godot is easier to use, and GameMaker is learned more easily.
