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defold avatar

defold/defold

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Defold

Defold is a cross-platform game engine and integrated development environment used to create 2D and 3D games for desktop, mobile, and web targets. It combines a game development IDE for asset and scene management with a multi-platform build system and a scripting environment based on Lua.

The engine includes a specialized headless runtime for hosting game servers and performing automated testing without a graphical interface. It supports native engine extensions, allowing custom low-level code to be integrated into the core to expand functionality beyond the standard scripting interface.

The toolset covers game build automation for distribution to platforms such as Steam and the Epic Games Store, alongside asset packaging and project localization management. Development capabilities include real-time game debugging with live state updates, build size analysis, and automated smoke testing.

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Features

  • Game Development Frameworks - Provides a high-performance framework for building and deploying games across desktop, mobile, and web platforms from one codebase.
  • Cross-Platform Build Systems - Provides automated build configurations for compiling a single codebase across multiple operating systems and hardware architectures.
  • Game Development IDEs - Ships an integrated editor for managing game assets, scene composition, and project configuration in one environment.
  • Multi-Platform Export Tools - Provides utilities for packaging and exporting game projects to native mobile devices and web browsers.
  • Native Engine Extensions - Supports native engine extensions that allow custom low-level C++ code to be integrated into the core engine functionality.
  • Headless Servers - Implements dedicated game server instances that operate without a graphical interface for server-side logic and match management.
  • Binary Cross-Compilation - Compiles source assets and scripts into native executable binaries for mobile, desktop, and web platforms.
  • Lua Game - Uses an embedded Lua interpreter for runtime game logic scripting with support for hot-reloading.
  • Live Configuration Updates - Updates code and assets in a running instance immediately without requiring a full application restart.
  • Headless Execution Environments - Provides a mode for running the engine without a graphical interface for server-side logic and automated testing.
  • Hot Code Reloading - Allows updating application logic and assets in a running environment without requiring a full process restart.
  • Asset Packagers - Provides tools for bundling game textures and sounds into optimized portable archives to reduce disk footprint.
  • Game Build Packaging - Bundles game assets and executables into platform-specific distributable files.
  • Cross-Platform Game Compilation - Includes a toolchain for building native binaries across multiple platforms from a single source codebase.
  • Game Asset Management - Implements systems for creating and tracking internal engine resources like textures and sounds within a resource manager.
  • Game Build Automation - Provides automated compilation and upload processes for distributing game binaries to platforms like Steam and the Epic Games Store.
  • Real-time State Debugging - Enables inspecting and modifying game object properties and state in real time during live execution via an interactive console.
  • Native Engine Extensions - Enables the integration of low-level C++ code to provide specialized functionality beyond the Lua scripting interface.
  • Headless Runtimes - Includes a specialized runtime mode that executes engine logic without a graphical interface for servers and testing.
  • Smoke Testing - Verifies software stability by executing key event sequences while monitoring logs and capturing screenshots.
  • Game Development Engines - Free engine for developing desktop, mobile, and web games.
  • Game Engines - Open-source engine optimized for cross-platform 2D game development.
6,138 stars·439 forks·C++·29 views

Star history

Star history chart for defold/defoldStar history chart for defold/defold

How this analysis was created: This summary and feature list are AI-generated from collected project material and can contain mistakes. Stars, license and language are imported from GitHub. Inclusion does not mean that we have tested or audited this project. Check the source documentation for any feature you depend on. Learn more on our About page.

Frequently asked questions

What does defold/defold do?

Defold is a cross-platform game engine and integrated development environment used to create 2D and 3D games for desktop, mobile, and web targets. It combines a game development IDE for asset and scene management with a multi-platform build system and a scripting environment based on Lua.

What are the main features of defold/defold?

The main features of defold/defold are: Game Development Frameworks, Cross-Platform Build Systems, Game Development IDEs, Multi-Platform Export Tools, Native Engine Extensions, Headless Servers, Binary Cross-Compilation, Lua Game.

Which projects share features with defold/defold?

Projects with overlapping indexed features include: terrycavanagh/vvvvvv — This project is a cross-platform game engine framework and build pipeline designed to produce playable executable… amzeratul/halley — Halley is a modular C++ game engine designed for building cross-platform interactive applications. Its core identity… renpy/renpy — Ren'Py is a cross-platform game engine and interactive storytelling tool built around a Python-based scripting engine.… openra/openra — OpenRA is an open-source game engine designed for the development and modernization of real-time strategy titles. It… flaxengine/flaxengine — FlaxEngine is a cross-platform game engine and development kit designed for creating high-fidelity 2D and 3D games. It… cocos/cocos-engine — Cocos Engine is a cross-platform game engine designed for building high-performance 2D and 3D interactive experiences…

Projects sharing features with Defold

These projects share indexed features with Defold. Shared tags can include platform or build tooling; verify the primary use case before treating a result as a replacement.
  • terrycavanagh/vvvvvvTerryCavanagh avatar

    TerryCavanagh/VVVVVV

    7,916View on GitHub↗

    This project is a cross-platform game engine framework and build pipeline designed to produce playable executable binaries for desktop and Android devices. It provides a collection of core libraries for game development, including a native Android build system and a C++ build pipeline. The framework features a specialized bitmap font rendering system that displays stylized typography by mapping character indices to image atlases using coordinate and spacing metadata. It also implements a hardware abstraction layer to decouple application logic from graphics and audio drivers, ensuring portabl

    ActionScript
    View on GitHub↗7,916
  • amzeratul/halleyamzeratul avatar

    amzeratul/halley

    3,837View on GitHub↗

    Halley is a modular C++ game engine designed for building cross-platform interactive applications. Its core identity is defined by a hardware-abstraction graphics pipeline for consistent rendering across different operating systems and an entity-component-system architecture that separates game state from processing logic. The framework features a hot-reloading development environment that allows updating application logic and assets at runtime without requiring a full process restart. It also includes a multiplayer networking framework based on an asynchronous messaging system to manage real

    C++
    View on GitHub↗3,837
  • renpy/renpyrenpy avatar

    renpy/renpy

    6,549View on GitHub↗

    Ren'Py is a cross-platform game engine and interactive storytelling tool built around a Python-based scripting engine. It is designed for creating visual novels and branching narrative games, where player choices determine story paths and character interactions. The engine provides a complete development framework for building narrative-driven experiences, from simple dialogue trees to complex life simulation games. The engine distinguishes itself through a comprehensive set of integrated systems that handle the full lifecycle of interactive storytelling. Its script-based story engine compile

    Ren'Pyenginegamenovel
    View on GitHub↗6,549
  • openra/openraOpenRA avatar

    OpenRA/OpenRA

    16,450View on GitHub↗

    OpenRA is an open-source game engine designed for the development and modernization of real-time strategy titles. It provides a modular framework that allows developers to build standalone games or total conversion modifications by leveraging a trait-based entity composition system. The engine is built to support both the preservation of classic strategy games and the creation of new experiences, offering cross-platform compatibility and a flexible architecture for defining game rules and unit behaviors. The engine distinguishes itself through a configuration-driven approach where game logic,

    C#command-and-conquercross-platformcsharp
    View on GitHub↗16,450
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