Is it worth learning Adobe Animate to create games?

What is Adobe Animate’s intrinsic value in making games in 2023 and beyond? Does anybody care about Animate anymore?

You may be wondering if it is worthwhile for you to invest your time and energy to learn Adobe Animate. What is the point in learning a piece of software if it won’t benefit anybody in the future? Knowing this sooner rather than later can ease your mind and nervousness when selecting tools to make computer games.

Why learn a program to make a game if it has no obvious value or benefit? To answer and appease your mind fellow reader, I have constructed an answer based on my opinion and research – Is it worth learning Adobe Animate to create games? You’ve asked this on a positive day.

As a professional who was trained in using Flash – the predecessor to Adobe Animate. I can clarify that on a technical level, Adobe Animate can be used to make games. Whether Adobe Animate is worth learning to make games is another matter altogether and very subjective.

If you intend to make your own browser game, or HTML5 game with Adobe Animate then learning how to use it is beneficial to you. Adobe Animate is a reputable program for making rich media content and simple HTML5 browser games. Although it is very important to note, that Adobe Animate is not a ‘dedicated’ game engine for making and creating games. Other tools and programs on the market exist with the sole purpose of making large-scale cross-platform games. These engines are very powerful too for making both 2D and 3D games.

Adobe Animate is a suitable tool that is worth learning for making simple 2D browser games. But it is not always my number 1 choice for making games, depending on what I intend to create.

Is it worth learning Adobe Animate to create games?

Adobe Animate is a popular, fairly well-documented, and professionally supported program. Surpassing some dedicated game engines on the market with less support and capability. Adobe Animate also has a gentler learning curve than some engines and programs do.

But is Adobe Animate worth learning?

Adobe Animate is a versatile animation and rich media publication tool that is capable of making browser games.

Whether it is a program that is worth learning, it is. However, perhaps not the most popular choice for making games as it has its limitations. Not all professional game design positions are looking for experience with Animate as part of a skill set. Keep that in mind.

Since the dissolution of Flash and the succession of Adobe Animate, it has continued to remain a popular tool across a range of creative disciplines – not just game creation.

Adobe Animate is a great program for making browser games with a gentler learning curve than some of the other game-making tools on the market.

You may also be interested in reading, why Unity is a great engine to consider.

Learning Adobe Animate | Things to consider

When asking yourself whether Is it worth learning Adobe Animate to create games. Here are some questions to ask yourself.

Is this so you can make your own browser games?
Make a cross-platform game?
How much time do you have?
Can you code or do you need a no-coding game solution?
Are you making a game on your own?
Is this to procure game development work in the future?

If you intend to make your own HTML5 game, Adobe Animate is a suitable tool for the task.

With Adobe Animate you can use snippets of code that are included in the program. Or you write your logic from scratch. You can use Adobe Animate to publish to HTML5 and other auxiliary formats.

Depending on the task at hand, Adobe Animate is fine to use and is worthwhile knowing. It is another tool in your toolbox – but it is not my personal favourite. More on this later…

Is it worth learning Adobe Animate to create games | The Pros ( 2023 ) :

Using Adobe Animate allows you to create and publish HTML5 games.
The application is lightweight and easy to run.
It is easier to code with Adobe Animate compared to some languages.
It is compatible with other programs in the Adobe Suite.
The animation and game creation are integrated into one ( also a con ).
Adobe + Adobe Animate comes with a support network.
It gets updates.
Popular ‘enough’ for there to be continued support and documentation.

The against learning Adobe Animate | Negatives

One of the biggest cons stacked against Adobe Animate is the fact that it is not a dedicated game engine. The other, it is not as popular a game creation application anymore.

You could also argue that it’s a one-trick pony – browser-only games. The residual transition from its days as Flash, an animation- come-interaction-tool used for web development. Harsh, but with a grain of truth.

If you’re intending to make a game with the aspirations of it being cross-platform or needing to be wrapped in an installer shell, I would look to other solutions.

Learning Adobe Animate ( Cons )

Here is a list of cons as to whether it is worth learning Adobe Animate to make games:

It is not a dedicated game engine.
Adobe Animate is not as popular as other game engines – read why Unity is great.
Animate is not made for 3D output – used to require plugins to do so.
There is less market demand for Adobe Animate in comparison with other tools.
It is not as capable as other applications on the market.
There are other well-documented engines and tutorials on the market.
There are also larger dedicated game communities on the market.
Since the demise of Flash and Flash Player, many skills were left to a bygone Internet age – read is ActionScript still used.
With the closure of Flash, Animate has tried to evolve – but still lags behind in making games.
Many Flash developers ( now Adobe Animate ) had already gravitated toward other game-making engines and communities.
Too little, too late.
Better game-making solutions are on the market now.
It is not for free.

What is Adobe Animate ‘Really’ used for after 2020?

Still interested to know whether Adobe Animate is worth learning? Good!

Here is a bit more about the application and when it is best used. In lay terms, sometimes an oversimplification can be best served to describe the intents and purposes of a program or game engine. This is my thoughts on Adobe Animate and whether it is worthwhile learning, based on experience ( and opinion, remember – it is opinion ) :-

Adobe Animate is a popular program for creating 2D animations and interaction. By nature, it is not a dedicated or powerful game engine, even if it is referred to be as to as such. There are other solutions and engines on the market now that will make you say “Now that is a game engine.”
You can use this program to make HTML5 games or browser applications with JavaScript.
With Javascript, you can program and control your animations on a linear root timeline or by referencing objects on that stage, with basic Object Orientated Programming. Its predecessor was Flash and used ActionScript. Here is a bit more information about this legacy language.

It is fundamentally an animation program and rich media tool with dexterous interaction capabilities. It is mostly used for making HTML5 games and web animations. Hearing of indie developers using it to create indie games is now a rarer occurrence.

However, it is very capable of making sprites and spritesheets I would like to add for 2D games.

What about in a professional environment – Is it worth learning as a professional?

Adobe Animate is still used in a professional setting.

This post is dedicated to answering whether Adobe Animate is still being used professionally.

Adobe Animate is used from time to time in professional settings but not as much as it once was for creating computer games – nowhere near as much!

There are still listings on job boards advertising for experience with Adobe Animate but it’s not as common a requirement – especially, in the game design field. Other engines such as Unity or Unreal trump Adobe Animate for desirability.

Is it worth learning Adobe Animate to create games? Final Notes

In my own opinion, don’t obsess too much about the software you use if you’re looking to create your own indie game or a hobby project. Especially if this is a hobby and you are just starting out Just get creating and learn.

If however, you are looking to work in the games industry, do your research. Look at the jobs market, look for courses, and ask questions to help set a path you wish to take.

Adobe Animate is still used in business for creating games, namely browser games, and for creating interactive animations. However, AAA studios tend to use other software instead of Adobe Animate. The same goes for double AA studios and indie developers.

Is it worth learning Adobe Animate to create games? In certain instances yes. Depending on the game type, platform, and how much you like Adobe Animate.

To help you navigate between which software may help you may find some of these posts helpful.

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