Just some random thoughts... I've been working with Swift since it was offered in Xcode 6 Beta 1. I'm having a blast with it, but it probably goes without sayi

Just some random thoughts... I've been working with Swift since it was offered in Xcode 6 Beta 1. I'm having a blast with it, but it probably goes without saying that I've also experienced my share of frustration each time a new beta is released; however, that is to be expected, as it is beta, after all. So, until it's officially launched, just be prepared for issues. Also, if you are not aware, you won't be able to deploy to an actual device until you enroll as an Apple Developer. It's $99 US per year. Until then, you can work with the simulator, but you will want to work on hardware to get the "Full Effect"... I mean, when you see your game on hardware, with full touch capability, music playing and all of the trimmings, you will find it extremely gratifying. I've mentioned this before [1], but I think you are going to find more support from Apple with regard to game development. We all know games are big-business, but it's interesting to note that Apple has really stepped up within the last 2 years. Take SpriteKit. It didn't exist until it was announced at WWDC 2013. Up until that point, the functionality offered by it was largely either hand-rolled by the developer, or achieved via framework (e.g., Cocos2D). I think Apple realized that they could capture more mind-share and confidence if they offered their own first-party framework offering. Fast-forward a year later, and we have an enhanced SpriteKit (i.e., light sources, field forces, per-pixel physics, inverse kinematics), and of course the newly-announced SceneKit (3D scene rendering for casual games), Swift and Metal... all within a year! I'll caveat that I haven't used RubyMotion, so I can't speak about it directly. You will have to do some research to find out how easily it integrates with Apple's frameworks, particularly SpriteKit and SceneKit. Maybe I missed it, but it doesn't immediately appear that they offer a free option, but it looks like they do have a return policy, so that would give you an opportunity to see if it is right for you. I know you didn't mention it as a potential tool, but you might want to look into Marmalade [2]. It's a cross-platform option. There is a free option, but it does have limitations (e.g., on-device debugging is unsupported with the free license). Here's a matrix that compares the different pricing and feature tiers [3]. Whatever you pick, you won't go wrong. It's all about having fun, experimenting, and learning. Enjoy the journey! * * * [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7841744 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7841744 [2] https://www.madewithmarmalade.com https://www.madewithmarmalade.com [3] https://www.madewithmarmalade.com/shop https://www.madewithmarmalade.com/shop