Construct is a game engine built for people who don’t want to write code. Made by the London company Scirra, it lets you build games with event sheets, readable lists of “when this happens, do that” rules, in an editor that runs in your web browser. It’s best known for fast 2D development, and it’s behind indie games such as Hypnospace Outlaw. Construct has evolved through three generations since 2007, and today’s Construct 3 has been adding 3D features through 2026.
This profile covers what Construct is, how it works under the hood, how the three versions differ, its pricing model, the games made with it, and which engines to consider instead. Versions and dates were checked against Scirra’s release notes and other sources in October 2026.
What Is the Construct Game Engine?
Construct is a commercial game engine from Scirra Ltd that lets you make games without programming, using visual event sheets, with optional JavaScript or TypeScript. Construct 3, the current version, runs in a web browser, renders through WebGL or WebGPU, and exports to the web, desktop, mobile and Xbox. It’s sold as an annual subscription, with a limited free version.
Construct at a glance
| Developer | Scirra Ltd, London, UK (founded by Ashley and Tom Gullen) |
|---|---|
| Current version | Construct 3 (released December 4, 2017) |
| Latest stable release | r506.3, October 19, 2026 |
| Earlier versions | Construct Classic (2007–2013, open source); Construct 2 (2011–2021) |
| Programming | Event sheets (no code); optional JavaScript or TypeScript |
| Editor runs on | A web browser, on any desktop operating system |
| Runtime | JavaScript, rendering through WebGL or WebGPU |
| Exports to | Web (HTML5), Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Xbox (via UWP) |
| Best for | 2D games, with growing 3D features (3D editor view, rotation and lighting in 2026) |
| Pricing | Annual subscription (Personal, Business, Education); limited free version |
| Known for | Hypnospace Outlaw (Construct 2) |
Three Generations of Construct
Construct started as an open-source hobby project and became a commercial product:
| Version | Years | What it was |
|---|---|---|
| Construct Classic | 2007–2013 | Free, open-source (GPL) Windows editor built on DirectX, with Python scripting. First released in October 2007; discontinued in April 2013 |
| Construct 2 | 2011–2021 | A rewrite that exported to HTML5 instead of DirectX, under a proprietary licence. Launched in August 2011; new sales ended July 1, 2020, and it was fully discontinued on July 1, 2021 |
| Construct 3 | 2017–present | A further rewrite that runs entirely in the browser, sold by subscription. Released on December 4, 2017, and still updated in 2026 |
Construct Classic’s lead developer, Ashley Gullen, went on to found Scirra with his brother Tom to build Construct 2 as a company (80 Level interview, 2016). The version history above follows Wikipedia’s Construct article.
How Construct Works
Construct 3 is web technology from end to end. That’s what sets it apart from most engines on our site, which are written in C++ and programmed in C++, C# or a scripting language:
- The editor runs in a web browser. There’s nothing to install, and projects can be saved locally or to cloud storage.
- Game logic lives in event sheets. Each event pairs conditions (“on collision with Enemy”, “every 2 seconds”) with actions (“subtract 1 from health”, “spawn an explosion”). Behaviors such as Platform, 8 Direction, Physics and Pathfinding add common movement and logic without any events at all.
- Code is optional. You can mix JavaScript into event sheets or write whole script files, and Construct’s manual includes a guide to using TypeScript. Plugins and behaviors (addons) are written in JavaScript with Scirra’s SDK.
- Games run on Construct’s JavaScript runtime, which draws through WebGL or the newer WebGPU API. The same runtime powers previews in the editor and every exported game.
- Exporters package the game for the web, desktop (Windows, macOS and Linux, including Steam Deck), Android and iOS, and Xbox through the Windows UWP route.
Is Construct Written in C++? Is It 2D Only?
Two common descriptions of Construct are out of date.
It isn’t a C++ engine. Construct Classic was a native Windows program built on DirectX, but Construct 2 moved to HTML5, and Construct 3 runs entirely on web technology. You don’t write C++ in any current version of Construct; the optional programming languages are JavaScript and TypeScript.
It isn’t strictly 2D any more. Construct is still primarily a 2D engine, and that’s where it’s strongest. But Scirra has been adding 3D features steadily: the 2026 stable releases alone added a 3D editor view with a movement gizmo (r487, May 2026), 3D rotation (r495, July 2026), and 3D lighting with 3D model updates (r506, October 2026), according to the Construct 3 stable release notes. It’s suited to 2.5D and simple 3D scenes, not to the kind of 3D games you’d build in Unreal or Unity.
Construct Pricing and the Free Version
Construct 3 is sold as an annual subscription, not a one-time purchase. There are separate plans for individuals (Personal), companies (Business) and schools (Education). Prices vary by country, so check Scirra’s site for your local price; the plans were revised in July 2023. Subscribers keep the price they signed up at until they cancel.
There’s also a free version that runs in the browser without payment. It’s limited: it caps the number of events and layers and leaves out some features, so it works for learning and small experiments but not for finished commercial games.
Games Made with Construct
Construct is popular for game jams, education and web games, and a number of commercial indie games have shipped with it:
| Game | Construct version | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hypnospace Outlaw (2019) | Construct 2 | Tendershoot’s 1990s-internet simulator, published by No More Robots. An Independent Games Festival 2019 finalist, later released on Switch, PS4 and Xbox One (Wikipedia) |
| Insanity’s Blade (2014) | Construct 2 | Retro action platformer from Causal Bit Games, released on Steam |
| There Is No Game (2015) | Construct 2 | KaMiZoTo’s first, free version of the game, which a Construct forum member credited with millions of mobile downloads |
| TowerClimb | Construct Classic | A climbing game released on Steam by its solo developer |
Developers confirmed the engines for Insanity’s Blade, There Is No Game and TowerClimb in Construct’s own community forum, and Wikipedia lists Construct 2 as Hypnospace Outlaw‘s engine.
Is Construct Still Used in 2026?
Yes. Construct 3 is actively developed, with frequent beta releases and regular stable releases; the latest stable release at the time of writing is r506.3 (October 19, 2026). Scirra reports more than 1.9 million unique users a year and 60,000 games exported a month (Scirra’s About page). Recent releases have focused on 3D features, desktop exporting (a Linux and Steam Deck exporter, single-file Windows builds) and Construct Game Services, Scirra’s online services for features such as player sign-in, broadcasts and XP.
Construct Classic and Construct 2 are both discontinued. Projects made in Construct 2 can generally be imported into Construct 3, but some third-party plugins have no Construct 3 equivalent.
Construct Alternatives
If you’re choosing a beginner-friendly 2D engine, these are the main options:
- GDevelop: the closest match. It’s open source, uses an event-based system very similar to Construct’s, runs in the browser or as a desktop app, and has a free tier (GDevelop’s website).
- GameMaker: a long-running 2D engine with its own drag-and-drop system and the GML scripting language. It’s free for non-commercial use, with a paid licence for commercial releases.
- Godot: a free, open-source engine with a full editor and its own GDScript language, if you’re ready to write code and want strong 2D and 3D tools. See our Godot engine profile.
- Adventure Game Studio: if you want to make point-and-click adventures specifically. See our AGS profile.
For more options, see the 2D and casual engines in our game engine directory.
Key Takeaways
- Construct is Scirra’s no-code game engine, built around event sheets, with optional JavaScript or TypeScript.
- Construct 3 runs in a web browser and exports to the web, desktop, mobile and Xbox through a JavaScript runtime with WebGL or WebGPU.
- It isn’t a C++ engine, and it’s no longer strictly 2D: 2026 releases added a 3D editor view, 3D rotation and 3D lighting.
- Construct Classic (2007) and Construct 2 (2011) are discontinued; Construct 3 (2017) is the only current version.
- It’s an annual subscription, with a limited free version for learning.
- Hypnospace Outlaw (Construct 2) is its best-known commercial game.
Conclusion
Construct has spent nearly two decades making game development accessible to people who don’t write code, and its move into the browser made it one of the easiest engines to start with. It isn’t the right tool for large 3D projects or for developers who want full control in C++, but for 2D games, game jams and teaching, it remains one of the quickest ways to get from an idea to a playable game.
For more engines across every genre, browse our game development hub.
