Best 2D library to use.

Game Play & Game Design
#1

Currently I’m using Swing and Java2D to develop my games, but after I’ll make one or two more games, I’m planning on starting to use a library.

I’m looking for a library to use. What I’m looking for is:

Most importantly: I want the knowledge and abilities aquired while working and studying with this library, to stay useful and beneficial, also when using a different library and maybe even a differnet language. I always want to keep progressing and advancing as a game developer and programmer, also when using an external library. Spending time on studying and creating games with a library, but in general not advancing as a game developer because my new knowledge and abilities will have no relevance outside of this library - is a waste of time. I want the work with the library to still advance my abilities and make me a better developer, in general and not only inside the boundaries of the specific library.

  • I want the library to be common and mainstream.

  • I want the library to have a good balance between low-level accesability (in the sense that I will have to understand some of the low-level machanisms of the library), and ease of use.

What is the best library in your opinion, to fit all of these requirments (especially the first one)? Thanks

#2

Points to the search bar at the upper right of the forum.

#3

Points to Roquen’s answer.

#4

Points to anon951759’s nearly meaningless comment.

#5

Depends on where you want to put the balance between ease of use and low-level.

LWJGL is low level, and with the exception of a few helper functions, is just a wrapper for OpenGL/AL/CL.
Jogamp is similar to LWJGL.
LibGDX is a library built on top of LWJGL or Jogamp, depending which backend you want.

Skills learnt from LWJGL can be easily transfered into other C-family languages with OpenGL bindings. Jogamp should be the same, but I don’t have any experience with it.

LibGDX is a Java-specific library. However, it’s main benefit is the ability to export to Android and HTML5.

#6

Would you recommend LWJGL? Is it common, mainstream, reliable and generally good?

#7

Yes.