This table contains primarily HTML5 based game engines and frameworks. You might also want to check out the Feature Matrix and Game Resources.
Name | Size (KB) | License | Type | Unit Tests | Docs | Repository | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AactionJS | no | github | AS3 like in Javascript | ||||
Akihabara | 453 | GPL2, MIT | Classic Repro | no | API | github | Intended for making classic arcade-style games in JS+HTML5 |
atom | 2.8 | BSD | 2D, minimal | github | A tiny game library intended to get out of the way and let you write your game. | ||
Aves | Commercial | Obsolete. Company bought by Zynga. E3 2010 Aves Engine Prototype "Suburban World" | |||||
bdge | github | Badly Design Game Engine, an HTML5 Javascript game engine Demo. | |||||
BXG | 150 | Commercial | 2D, Isometric, Orthogonal, Hexagonal | ||||
CAAT | MIT | 2D, 3D WebGL | github | multi-instance director-based Scene graph manager | |||
Canvex | FPS | An experimental browser-based FPS game engine in the HTML | |||||
CasualJS | 215kb zipped | Apache 2.0 | 2D, Flash-like | no | API | google code | CasualJS provides seamless transition to HTML5 from ActionScript 3.0. Features include frame-based rendering and object collisions. |
ChesterGL | MIT | 2D (WebGL/Canvas),iso,ortho | tests | github | ChesterGL is a simple scene-based 2d rendering engine, with full support for WebGL and a simple (automatic) fallback to canvas when there's no WebGL support. Support time-based actions and animations as well as TMX files and spritesheets. | ||
ClanFX | Tile based | clanfx is a 2D, tile-based Javascript game engine developed using Javascript and CSS. It currently works in Firefox, Epiphany and Opera browsers. Features include many animated sprites, spell effects, buildings, tiles/textures and basic game AI. | |||||
Cocos2D | MIT | 2D | API | github | Cocos2d-javascript is a 2D game/graphics engine based on cocos2d-iphone but designed to run in the web browser. It uses the latest features available in HTML 5 allowing real-time rendering of 2D graphics without the need for plug-ins such as Adobe Flash | ||
Construct 2 | Commercial (early adopter, $32 or $169) + Free Version | 2D | Construct 2 is a visual HTML5 game development tool for Windows. Aimed for both beginners and advanced users. | ||||
Crafty | 8.7KB | GPL, MIT | API | github | A lightweight, modular JavaScript game engine to easily produce high quality games. Includes a large variety of components such as animation, event management, redraw regions, collision detection, sprites and more | ||
cssgameengine | Javascript Game Engine with CSS. Aimed for beginners | ||||||
Diggy | BSD | github | DHTML-based, abandoned | ||||
Doodle-js | 17k, gzipped | BSD | 2D, Flash-like | github | JavaScript animation library for Canvas. Features a scene graph and event handling. Easy to add to an existing page element where Flash no longer displays. | ||
EaselJS | 575kb zipped | MIT | 2D, Flash-like | API | github | Developed by Grant Skinner, retained graphics mode for canvas including a full, hierarchical display list. | |
Effect Games | Effect Games provides free, online tools for building, sharing and playing your own browser based games. | ||||||
enchant.js | GPL, MIT | ||||||
EntityJS | 27kb | MIT | 2D | yes | API | github | Flexible javascript game engine utlizing entity-component design. Supports sprites, animation, collision, keyboard, mouse, math and more. |
Flax | Apache 2.0 | Not released yet. Uses GWT and HTML5. Focus on web-based gaming for GNU/Linux and Mac OS X. About | |||||
FlashJS | Apache 2.0 | github | Uses Flash development model that is verified for years. Also good for everybody who knows Flash. About | ||||
FlixelJS | MIT | 2D | github | Demo Port of Flixel (Flash) to JS. Announcement thread | |||
Float Engine | Commercial | 2D, Isometric and Tile Based | Float Engine is a 2d,isometric and tile based game engine built entirely using existing native web technologies such as HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript | ||||
GameJs | 20-80KB | MIT | 2D | yes | API. Tutorial | github | similar to PyGame (easy) for Canvas only. CommonJs modules. Comes with development server (only Java needed). |
gameQuery | MIT | API. Docs | github | gameQuery is a jQuery plug-in to help make javascript game development easier by adding some simple game-related classes. It's still in an early stage of development and may change a lot in future versions. | |||
GammaJS | MIT | 2.5D Platform | Tests | API. Tutorials. Topics | github | Gamma is a new Javascript library which can be used to create 2.5D platform games for a web browser using the power of HTML, JavaScript, CSS and WebGL. | |
Geom | Commercial ($69) | 2D | Docs | Javascript / HTML5 Game and Content Engine with Pro Editor. | |||
gTile | Tile based | ||||||
The GMP Javascript Game Engine | GPL2, MIT | API. Manual | Emphasis on speed and simplicity, "easy to learn and use" | ||||
Hydra | MIT | github | Geared towards mobile, powering a few small commercial games. There's no documentation at all, so I wouldn't recommend it to users, but some pieces may be of interest to other engine developers, such as: How to build a library compatible with Closure Compiler's advanced optimizations, using CSS3 transitions for game animation in a sane way, and abstracting touch events to allow the use of a mouse when playing mobile games on the desktop | ||||
Hydrax | MIT | github | Haxe port of the PushButton Engine, works with js (css and canvas), flash, and soon C++. | ||||
ingenioJS | <2KB | GPL | 2D/2.5D RPG Engine | yes,included | github | JavaScript / HTML5 RPG Game Engine. Its structure allows independent rendering methods, such as WebGL, Canvas or DOM Elements. By default it makes usage of DOM Elements and a 2D environment. Currently Tile-Based and 2D, can be easily used for 2.5D and other Rendering Methods. | |
Impact | Commercial ($99) | 2D | Docs. API | Javascript / HTML5 Game Engine with world editor. Video tutorial | |||
Isogenic Engine | Commercial + Free Version | Isometric & 2D | Docs & API | HTML5 Isometric & 2D Game Engine. Emphasis on real-time persistent worlds, MMO games & plugin architecture, micro-transactions, cloud-based hosting. Realtime networking. Support for canvas and HTML-based output, Node.js + MongoDB. Physics support using Box2D. | |||
j5g3 | GPLv3 | github | Still WIP | ||||
The Javascript 2D Game Engine | GPL | Emphasis on gravity/physics/collision detection; uses HTML5 Canvas and ExplorerCanvas for IE support. Focus on limiting CPU usage. | |||||
Javascript Gamelib | GPL | Abandoned. Provides relatively simple routines for animation, sprites, collision detection and control. | |||||
Jaws | 33KB (minified), 86KB (full) | LGPL | 2D | Test Suite | yes | github | Jaws is a HTML5 2D game development library written in javascript. Sprite, viewport, gameLoop, input handling etc. The core to create a 2D game. Comes with examples. |
jGen | Isometric | wiki | google code | An attempt to recreate "old school" isometric techniques in the modern web browsers without using a canvas, with only JavaScript and HTML. Map editor online demo | |||
Jomoho JS | MIT | 2D | github | Framework for quick game sketching. features: preloading, animations, sound, input, tile Engine, fullscreen, requirejs asynchronous modules | |||
jsGameSoup | LGPLv3 | 2D | API | bazaar / google code | Cross browser event handling. Game entity management. Rudimentary polygon, box, circle collision detection. Sprite management. Fast, deterministic random number generator. Networking (ajax) abstraction layer. Basic cookie management. Auto-init to launch code attached to a specific HTML canvas. | ||
js-verge | MIT | 2D | github | A javascript game engine largely based on (and importing file assets from) the VERGE game engine. Demo | |||
LimeJS | Apache License | API | github | Special attention to touchscreen devices. HTML5 game framework for fast, native-experience games for all modern touchscreens and desktop browsers. | |||
MelonJS | unknown | github | Can use Tiled Map Editor, the engine is declared "lightweight" | ||||
Mibbu | 4.35KB (gzip 1.81KB) | MIT | micro-framework for fast prototyping | Mibbu page | github | blog post | |
Monwarp | github | Simple game engine based on using dojo toolkit with box2dweb integration. | |||||
Paladin | |||||||
PixieEngine | MIT | Yes | Docs Tutorials | Gamelib IDE | Hosted IDE with easy import and export. CoffeeScript support. | ||
Play My Code | Free to use | No | Docs | Hosted IDE with asset management and image editing. Uses own language that compiles to JavaScript/HTML5. | |||
PlayN | Apache 2.0 | yes | Docs | Google Code | HTML5 Canvas and WebGL, plus Flash, Android and JVM backends | ||
PropulsionJS | 19.6KB | MIT | API | github | Uses HTML5 Canvas element | ||
pp3Diso | 37.3KB | CC BY-SA 3.0 | 2D Isometric | no | To display and manage an 2D isometric map. JavaScript and HTML. Compatible IE6+, Firefox, Safari, iOS, Android, Chrome, ... | ||
QuarkJS | 2D | Successor of CasualJS. | |||||
Red Locomotive | 2D, 2.5D | ||||||
The Render Engine | MIT | 2D | API. Tutorials | google code | Object oriented. Cross-browser. Extensive API. Open-source. Supports canvas and DOM rendering. Support for Touch Input. Box2DJS Physics Engine Features | ||
Rocket Engine | Commercial | Obsolete. Company bought by Disney. Canvas support. WebGL support. Supports IE8, Mobile. Orthographic and isometric tile rendering. Collision detection. Pathfinding. Real-time multi-user Level editor. Common services required by MMOs. Demo | |||||
Rosewood | 2D | github | Rosewood is a JavaScript library/engine for creating 2d browser-based games that are somewhat in the spirit of old 16-bit games. | ||||
RPG JS | |||||||
Sarien.net interpreter | GPL | 2D Adventure | google code | Focuses on making classic Sierra style adventure games. | |||
Spaceport | spaceport.js is 30K | Commercial | 2D, Flash-like | yes, not publicly available | API | Supports multiple targets (iOS, Android, Flash, HTML5). Same API as ActionScript 3, hardware accelerated vector graphics automatically converted from Flash SWFs | |
Squarepig | 8K | zlib | 2D | no | github | A simple framework for learning and jamming. | |
SpellScript | Online/MUD | WIP | |||||
Sprite.js | 23K | BSD | 2D | HTML5 Game framework | API | github | |
Steppe | 2.5D | Raycast landscape renderer, not full engine (yet). 2D canvas, no WebGL! Includes a PHP port for server-side rendering where the HTML5 canvas element isn't supported. | |||||
Traffic Cone | MIT | 2D-2.5D | github | Traffic Cone is a 2D and isometric tile based game engine written for html5. It makes complex animations of sprites and tiles based worlds fairly simple. | |||
Tom's Halls | Platform | ||||||
TuteiJS | MIT | 2D | github | Demos: | |||
UltimateJS | Commercial | 2D | Cross-platform, target mobile platforms. Box2D integration. Scene Editor. Cross-platform sounds. | ||||
Unity3D | Commercial | 3D | JS backend | ||||
vegalib | LPGL | google code | A library and other related tools for creating games using Vexi | ||||
xc.js | BSD | 2D | Docs | github | xc.js is a framework for HTML Canvas games in Javascript | ||
WebSonic | BSD | 3D | Docs | github | WebSonic is a Sonic engine showcased on Sonic Retro in 2010 | ||