Solarus

Solarus is a 2D game engine; judge it by the adventure you want to build, not a general-purpose engine checklist. Make one small map with movement, an NPC, a switch, a locked door, and a save point.

Use the Solarus documentation to set up the quest and script interactions. Ask another contributor to change dialogue and tile art, then package the game for the target platform. Test controller behavior, save/load, and frame pacing on the weakest intended device.

Compare alternatives on asset pipeline, scripting, level editing, localization, and how easy it is to add ten more maps. Solarus may be a strong fit for a classic 2D adventure; it may be less appropriate for a project whose core mechanics require a very different rendering or physics model. A small playable slice reveals that quickly.