When I started making this game I could have used an engine like Unity.

I decided to roll my own in Monogame using the Nez framework for a few reasons:

• I didn’t want to deal with licensing or subscriptions
  • The recent Unity drama more than justifies my choice
• A fully-featured engine tends to bloat file size and memory usage
  • I’ve seen several 2D indiegames that have ridiculously large memory footprints due to using Unity or GameMaker
• Others like ConcernedApe who made Stardew Valley have found success in using their own engine, so it’s a proven route