Hello all.

I am looking for a game engine where the user clicks buttons on a flat 2D image. That will be the main point of contact for the user and the main requirement of the game engine, anything else is gravy, it doesn't need fancy graphics just images and text. So there would be an explore button, a home button etc, perhaps over a fixed map.

I was looking at Visual Studio but it seems perhaps overkill for what I need. Google isn't being my friend today looking for options. Googling: Menu driven game engine, or button driven game engine etc.

Thanks for any suggestions.

try just googling:

2d game engine

button/listeners/action listeners/interface (the 'Java' programming language can do this stuff)

I don't really know of game engines myself... other than...

(VACE/ACE --- whatever: there most recent version engine)/RPG Maker
Unity
Unreal

The best match I can think of is Belle, ostensibly a visual novel engine that's a lot more flexible than it sounds, but only exports to HTML5.

A more powerful solution is Ren'Py, another VN engine that exports desktop games for all major platforms, but it's not as easy to use in non-default ways; you'd have to learn some of its more advanced features first.

Last but not least, Twine should also be able to do it, with the same caveat. And then it also only exports to HTML5.

Other solutions exist, like the Wintermute engine that's supposedly designed for Myst-like games, but I haven't tried it. And Clickteam Fusion, the engine used for the first Five Nights at Freddy's, is supposedly intended for just the kind of game you're describing, but it's a commercial product...

YMMV, but I'd stay with Belle. Hope this helps.

VB6 programmer here...
Could you draw a picture of what you are picturing?
I may be able to help...

Here is an example of one I created in VB 6...
http://textadventures.co.uk/forum/games/topic/bt0kaxbq9069truzwzg2iq/a-game-from-the-outside-not-a-quest-game

If you know Javascript, what you are describing can easily be done in Squiffy. With scripting you can update any element of the page with new graphics, text and content. I actually managed to make a prototype point and click adventure system in Squiffy, with animation. But as I said, you will need Javascript, and lots of it.

An option, Sex scripts...
http://ss.deviatenow.com/
It may be set-up for sexual usages, but there is nothin that says it can be used for other uses...
Picture, text, and button controlled interface...