Game Engines: Free & Open Source
Free and open-source game engines.
| Software | Description | License | Tags | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Frame | An easy web framework for building 3D/AR/VR experiences. | Open Source | WebXR · JavaScript | Web AR/VR experiences |
| Armory3D | Blender-integrated Haxe game engine. | Open Source | Blender-Integrated · Haxe | Blender-integrated game engine |
| axys | A fork of Cocos2d-x-4.0, it has Full Support OpenAL for all platforms, single texture multi GPU texture handler and C++ 17. | Open Source | ||
| Babylon.js | JavaScript 3D engine/framework for browser games and apps. | Open Source | Browser · JavaScript | Browser 3D apps/games |
| Bevy | Rust data-driven ECS game engine. | Open Source | Rust · ECS | ECS architecture, data-driven games |
| Blend4Web | JavaScript framework for interactive 3D in browsers. Blender integration. | Open Source | Browser · Blender Integration | Browser 3D from Blender |
| Blitz3D | 3D BASIC-like programming language for fast 3D desktop games. | Open Source | BASIC · Legacy | BASIC 3D desktop games |
| Ceramic | Haxe cross-platform 2D framework. Exports to Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, HTML5/WebGL, Unity. | Open Source | Haxe · Cross-Platform 2D | 2D cross-platform (Haxe) |
| Cocos Creator | TypeScript mobile/web game engine. | Open Source | Mobile/Web · TypeScript | Mobile/web games (huge in China) |
| Cocos2d X | C++ OpenGL 2D/3D engine with JS and Lua bindings. Targets all major mobile and desktop platforms. | Open Source | C++ · Mobile | Cross-platform 2D/3D mobile games |
| CopperCube | CopperCube is an all-in-one 3D game engine. Very easy to use. | Free | No-Code · All-in-One | No-code 3D games |
| CopperLicht | JavaScript library and WebGL 3D engine for games and 3D applications. | |||
| Dash | A free and open 3D game engine written in D. | Open Source | D Language · Niche | D-language 3D |
| Defold | Lua-based 2D mobile game engine by King. | Open Source | 2D Mobile · King (Candy Crush) | 2D mobile games |
| Diligent Engine | Modern cross-platform low-level graphics library supporting D3D11/12, OpenGL/GLES, and Vulkan. | Open Source | Low-Level · Multi-API | Low-level cross-API graphics |
| Ebitengine | Go 2D game engine. | Open Source | Go · 2D | Simple 2D games |
| Flax Engine | High-fidelity 3D engine. Free for small studios. | Open Source | High-Fidelity · C# + C++ | High-fidelity 3D, free for small studios |
| FNA | C# XNA reimplementation for ports. | Open Source | XNA Port · Shipping Games | XNA reimplementation for ports |
| Folded Paper Engine | Blender-to-Godot game mechanics engine/plugins. 2.5D/FPS/TPS controls, triggers, inventory, holdable items. | Open Source | Blender-to-Godot · No-Code | Blender-Godot mechanics |
| Fusee | A multiplatform 3D C# real-time engine with strong emphasis on content transformation. | Open Source | C# · Multiplatform | C# multiplatform 3D |
| Fyrox | Rust 3D engine with scene editor. | Open Source | Rust · Scene Editor | 3D games with scene editor |
| gameplay | A free, open-source, cross-platform, 2D + 3D game framework written in C++. It is aimed towards indie game developers who are creating desktop and mobile games. | Open Source | ||
| Godot 4 | MIT-licensed 2D/3D engine. GDScript, C#, C++. | Open Source | MIT-licensed · 2D + 3D | 2D/3D indie games, MIT-licensed |
| Harfang 3D | C++ 3D visualization library usable in Python, Lua, and Go. | Open Source | C++ · Visualization | 3D visualization |
| Heaps.io | Haxe engine. Dead Cells, Northgard. | Open Source | Haxe · Dead Cells | Shipping 2D/3D indie games |
| Irrlicht | Open source high-performance realtime 3D engine (C++). | Open Source | C++ · Classic Engine | C++ realtime 3D (classic) |
| jMonkeyEngine 3 | 3D open-source game engine for Java developers. | Open Source | Java · 3D | Java 3D games |
| JPCT | 3D engine for desktop Java and Android. | Free | Java · Android | Java/Android 3D |
| Juno | Framework for making 2D games with chunky pixels in Lua. | Open Source | Lua · Pixel Art | Pixel-art 2D in Lua |
| Leadwerks | Easy-to-learn game engine for 3D and VR. | Free | Beginner-Friendly · VR | Beginner 3D/VR |
| Love2D | Lua 2D game framework. | Open Source | Lua · Jam-Friendly | 2D prototyping, game jams |
| LumixEngine | 3D game engine built on C++. | Open Source | C++ · Lightweight | C++ 3D engine |
| Lums | 2D/3D framework written in C++11. Efficient and modern. Heavy development. | Open Source | C++11 · WIP | Modern C++11 framework |
| Macroquad | Rust minimal 2D/3D with WASM support. | Open Source | Rust · WASM | Minimal 2D/3D, WASM support |
| Magnum (site) | Lightweight modular 2D/3D graphics/game engine written in C++11. | Open Source | C++11 · Modular | Lightweight modular C++ graphics |
| MonoGame | C# XNA successor (Celeste, Stardew Valley). | Open Source | XNA Successor · C# | XNA successor |
| Neo Axis Engine | Integrated development environment with built-in 3D and 2D game engine. | Open Source | IDE-Integrated · C# | Integrated 2D/3D IDE |
| O3DE | AAA-grade Linux Foundation open-source engine. | Open Source | AAA-grade · Linux Foundation | AAA-grade, Linux Foundation |
| Ogre | Open source graphical rendering engine (C++). | Open Source | C++ · Rendering Engine | C++ rendering engine |
| Overload | 3D game engine with editor. | Open Source | C++ · Editor | 3D engine with editor |
| Panda3D | Python-based 3D engine (originated at Disney VR Studio, now CMU ETC). | Open Source | Python · Disney Origin | Python 3D games |
| Pixel Vision 8 | Teaches retro game development with streamlined workflows. 8-bit fantasy console. | Open Source | Fantasy Console · 8-bit | 8-bit fantasy console |
| PixiJS | Newcomer HTML5 game renderer - first released in early 2013. A main appeal of the engine is its use of WebGL for faster performance. If WebGL isn't supported, the engine falls back to standard | Open Source | ||
| Raylib | Minimal C library for learning game programming. | Open Source | Library (not engine) · C | Learning game programming, no engine overhead |
| Screen 13 | Easy-to-use Vulkan rendering engine with render graph for Rust. | Open Source | Rust · Vulkan | Rust Vulkan rendering |
| Solar2D | Lua 2D mobile framework (formerly Corona SDK). | Open Source | 2D Mobile · Lua | 2D mobile games |
| SpriteBuilder | Open source game development suite for macOS. | Open Source | Mac-only · 2D | 2D games on Mac |
| Stride | C# 3D game engine (formerly Xenko). | Open Source | C# · 3D | 3D games |
| Superpowers | HTML5 Collaborative 2D/3D Game Maker | Open Source | games · opensource-alt | |
| Three.js | JavaScript 3D library. The standard for web 3D. | Open Source | Browser · Standard JS 3D | Web 3D graphics (broad) |
| Torque3D | C++ engine with decades of Torque technology lineage. | Open Source | C++ · Legacy | C++ game engine |
| UPBGE (GitHub) | Integrated game engine in Blender. | Open Source | Blender-Integrated · Python | Blender-integrated game engine |
| UPBGE (site) | Open-source 3D game engine forked from old Blender Game Engine, deployed with Blender itself. GitHub | Open Source | ||
| Urho3D | Cross-platform rendering and game engine. | Open Source | C++ · Cross-Platform | Cross-platform 2D/3D |
| ursina | A game engine powered by Python and Panda3D. | Open Source | Python · Prototyping | Easy Python game prototyping |
| Whitestorm.js (GitHub) | 3D JavaScript framework for building apps and games. | Open Source | JavaScript · Browser | Browser 3D apps |
| Wonderland Engine | WebXR-focused engine with visual editor. Targets VR, AR, and standard browser 3D. Free for indies. | Freemium | WebXR · Editor | WebXR apps, browser VR/AR |
Related:
- Coquette. A micro framework for JavaScript games. Handles collision detection, the game update loop, canvas rendering, and keyboard and mouse input.
- Gorgon. A 2D rendering API for.NET, written in C#.
- OpenXRay. Community-modified X-Ray engine used in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game series.
- Py Game CE. Pygame - Community Edition is a FOSS Python library for multimedia applications (like games). Built on top of the excellent SDL library
- Stage.js. Lightweight and fast 2D HTML5 rendering and layout engine for cross-platform game development.