What is the best choice: general-purpose vs specialized game engines?

[AvaM]

I've been trying to get a handle on the different types of game engines for my first project, but I'm stuck on whether to use a general-purpose engine or a specialized one. I see a lot of talk about the trade-offs in flexibility versus built-in features, and I'm worried about committing to a tool that might limit me later if my design changes.

[Evelyn_L]

I started with a general purpose toolset for a tiny project. It was powerful, but I spent more time wiring tools than actually building content. The built in editor helped me once I understood the scripts, but the learning curve dragged.

[Jack_R]

A friend used a specialized 2D toolkit for a puzzle game; tilemaps, physics, and animation were plug and play. It got us to a playable demo in days. Then when we wanted 3D assets or more unusual gameplay, we hit walls and had to rewrite core parts.

[Michael.L]

I tried a middle ground option with some abstractions. It felt okay until we hit a hard requirement that the abstraction didn't support, and we spent a week fighting the API. Do you have a clear target for how your design might pivot, or should you just pick something and test?

[Amelia63]

Maybe the real problem isn't the choice of tool but the process: set small milestones, build a vertical slice, and see whether the core ideas survive. I kept chasing polish and forgot to validate the core mechanic early.