Enjoy playing popular games like Mandora or The Lost City and wondered on what platform they were built? Guess what? These were developed using Corona SDK and have managed to grab the attention of gaming enthusiasts because of its amazing range of functions available to the developers. But what is Corona SDK? It is a cross-platform development framework, best to build 2D games and apps. This software development kit was launched by Corona Labs Inc in 2009. Using an easy to learn Lua scripting language, Corona SDK has become the favorite for many 2D mobile game developers.

Be it mobile game development on Android or iOS, Corona SDK is known to be the fastest development tool/framework. With an OpenGL hardware acceleration for graphics and animation, we won’t be wrong to term it as a high-performing multimedia development tool.

Although with tough competitors like Unity and Amazon Lumberyard along with the other cross-platform frameworks flooding the market, Corona SDK changed their strategy to bring transparency to the development process after being acquired by Appodeal in 2017. The transformation was to make it into an open-source model. How is it going to uplift the brand to run along with its competitors? That can be seen only with time.

While it has many features that would attract a mobile game developer, we are going to talk about the very prominent ones that keep this framework on the front tab for seekers.

1. Having more than 1000 API’s and plugins, which makes it easy for any developer to transform their ideas into fascinating games and apps, making it optimal for cross-platform development.
2. Cross-platform development enables the developer to save time by writing the codebase only once, which is applicable for other platforms. Constantly writing codes can be a task for a developer and cost you money and time.
3. Bringing in the community for sharing of information, knowledge and depth. The Corona SDK has around 347 studios around the world that allows developers to join its community, only to discuss the scope of development by using third party tools.
4. Using Lua as the scripting language has enabled developers to take up CoronaSDK as a framework and library. Being a lightweight, easily embedded language, it is efficiently put up in web applications, games, image processing etc.
5. Ability to Call any native library. You can call any native (C/C++/Obj-C/Java) library or use API.
6. Another feature that reflects its transparency is its real-time device testing. This saves a lot of time for developers. As what they change or build is instantly reflected in the results.
7. Best known for monetization plugins, where you can take support of ads and banners and earn from the apps or games built.
8. It also allows automatic AEL-GS integration to make easy screen manipulation unlike any other software.
9. The availability of Corona Marketplace is a huge advantage for developers to explore the territories and find exclusive third party assets like graphics and tools, audio and sounds etc.
10. The liberty to be your own designer along with a developer. The enormous selection of features and elements provides the developers the ability to create something unique even within a short span of time.
11. The smooth running of the game or application credit goes to its FNPs. There is zero to no lapping and it also allows the developer to adjust different screen resolutions. This feature is generally lacking in other SDKs and that makes Corona unique to its name.
12. You also get a fast emulator that refreshes each project as soon as you save a file. That makes development free flowing and comparably less time consuming. Bringing on to the developer’s advantage.
13. No SDK IDE (Integrated Development Environment). Since Corona SDK does not have an IDE, it has many other plugins to access various platforms as per use. A viable solution at an affordable cost.  
14. Pricing. The core functionality is free to use with no hidden charges or royalties. Some plugins are free and some are paid.

This was all about the variables of Corona SDK. These benefits make it one of the most underrated, yet efficient cross-platform frameworks for your next mobile game development. Corona SDK has secured a place that can be called a significant vertebral of mobile game  development. As mobile game development is transforming from its earlier existence of being formative, now there are other trajectories that are forging its way.

Corona SDK fits those criteria to become one of the best usable tools and frameworks as per the present need of the developers. There is no doubt that people who want to embrace Android development, Corona SDK can become their best friend. Being accessible to native languages like C,C++,Obj-C and Java makes this software really powerful for developers.

If you are still confused about how to begin with it, there are various forums, tutorials and videos for beginners available on their website and other forums. This would help you gain a detailed knowledge about the framework and its usability. For other development solutions you can always contact Juego studio and we assure you to provide the best of experience. If you want to learn mobile game app development, learn the basics from our blog (how to make a game app). We help you perpetuate your ideas into the best mobile or web solutions. We design, develop and deliver you the abstracts turned into reality.