Defold
 | |
| Original author(s) | Christian Murray, Ragnar Svensson |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Defold Foundation |
| Stable release | Lua error in Module:Wd at line 2189: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
/ Lua error in Module:Wd at line 2189: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
| Repository | https://github.com/defold |
| Written in | C++ |
| Engine | |
| Operating system | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Platform | Windows Linux macOS HTML5 iOS Android Nintendo Switch PlayStation 4 |
| Type | Game engine |
| License | Defold License.[1] |
| Website | defold |
Search Defold on Amazon.
Defold is a free and source-available game engine developed by the Defold Foundation[2]. It allows to create two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) games with an emphasis on 2D development.
Defold provides an integrated development environment along with the option to export to desktop, mobile, web, and console platforms, all at no charge and without royalty fees.
Features
Defold uses Lua for scripting and logic, with the option to use native code to extend the engine with additional functionality. The fundamental building blocks of a Defold project are game objects containing in-game entities and collections that organize them into hierarchies. A messaging system enables communication between objects and collections.
Supported Platforms
All tools for exports are available to developers free of charge. Source code access for console development tools are available for a fee. Defold supports exports for:
- Windows (32-bit and 64-bit)
- macOS (x86_64 and Apple Silicon)
- Linux
- HTML (HTML5 and WebAssembly)
- Android (32-bit and 64-bit)
- Nintendo Switch (requires approval from Nintendo)
- PlayStation 4 (requires approval from Sony)
The editor is currently supported on:
- Windows (Vista or newer; 64-bit)
- macOS (11 Big Sur or newer)
- Ubuntu (18.04 or newer; 64-bit)
Scripting and Editor
Users communicate with the engine via a Lua API. LuaJIT is the Lua version of choice on all platforms except HTML and just-in-time compilation is enabled on permitted platforms. Users can extend the engine using C, C++, Java, Objective-C, and JavaScript for platform-specific or more performant code. In addition, the community maintains TypeScript[3] and Haxe[4] bindings. Scripts are platform-agnostic.
The editor includes a visual scene editor, debugger, asset management, tilemap editor, and all templates required for bundling the game. Hot-reloading is available, allowing users to make changes to assets and scripts on the fly without having to rebuild.
Rendering
The render pipeline can be customized via a render script API, which can be translated into OpenGL, OpenGL ES, Vulkan, or Metal (via MoltenVK) depending on the user's needs. Shaders can be written in GLSL for various post-processing effects.
Engine Extensions
Defold offers an extension system analogous to plugins in other ecosystems where users can integrate auxiliary solutions into their projects. There are libraries for simplifying game systems, interacting with hardware, and integration with third-party software. Both the Defold Foundation and the community host their extensions on the Defold Asset Portal[5].
History
Defold was created by Christian Murray and Ragnar Svensson[6] as a side-project while they were working at Avalanche Studios, and later as a full time business before being acquired by King in 2014. Defold was developed and used internally at King for a few years before the decision was made to make Defold available to developers outside of King[7][8]. The announcement and release of Defold as a free to use game engine was made at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco in March 2016[9][10]. Development has continued with bi-weekly incremental releases of the engine and editor, with a major milestone being the release of the new editor in 2017.
In 2020, the Defold Foundation was established to oversee the development and stewardship of the engine, ensuring its independence from any single entity. In the process, the source code for the engine was made public.
Notable Games Developed with Defold
Several successful games have been created using the Defold Game Engine, including:
- Family Island[11] by Melsoft Games
- Void Scrappers[12]
- Blossom Blast Saga[13] by King (company)
- Fates of Ort[14]
- Monkey Mart[15]
- ZOOM-BE[16]
- Curious Fishing[17]
- Plague Lords[18]
- Interrogation[19]
- Craftomation 101[20]
- BoxRob[21]
- Bring me Cakes - Fairy Maze[22]
- Raft Wars Multiplayer[23]
Licensing
There are no upfront costs, no licensing fees, and no royalties for games developed with Defold. Defold is released under the "Defold License", derived from the Apache License, Version 2.0. The engine is "source available" and developers can access the engine's source code on GitHub. The "Defold License" license prohibits the sale of the Defold editor and tools.
Funding
Defold development is funded both by community donations and corporate partnerships[24][25][26]
Community and Support
There is an active Defold Community available on the official forum[27] and on other online platforms, where developers share resources, tutorials, and extensions.
Additionally, Defold offers documentation and support through its official channels.
References
- ↑ "The Defold License".
- ↑ "The Defold Foundation".
- ↑ "TypeScript support library for Defold".
- ↑ "Haxe support library for the Defold game engine".
- ↑ "Defold Asset portal".
- ↑ Riis, Jacob (May 9, 2016). "The Story of Defold". Nordic Game Community.
- ↑ "Here's why King gave away its 2D mobile game engine Defold". March 19, 2016.
- ↑ "Why King is entering the game engine space with Defold and how it will help other devs launch their games". pocketgamer.biz. September 19, 2016.
- ↑ "GDC - King presents Defold".
- ↑ "It's a Tool That We Use to Build Games Ourselves".
- ↑ ""We have no interest in directly profiting from the success of game developers." Defold creators on engine's new license and current status". Game World Observer. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
- ↑ "Void Scrappers post mortem". Defold. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
- ↑ "The Story of Blossom Blast Saga - Nordic Game Community". Nordic Game. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
- ↑ "Engine · Defold · Technologies · SteamDB". SteamDB. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
- ↑ "Monkey Mart is bananas!". Defold. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
- ↑ "Zoom & Be - my new game - Showcases - Defold game engine form". Defold. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
- ↑ "#01: History and Motivations - Curious Fishing by RhythmLynx". itch.io.
- ↑ "Plague Lords on Steam". Steam.
- ↑ "Interrogation: You Will Be Deceived Now Available on Nintendo Switch". Player.One. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
- ↑ "Meet Craftomation 101 - by Oleg Chumakov". Substack.
- ↑ "The making of BoxRob". Defold.
- ↑ "Bring Me Cakes. Red Riding Hood Puzzle - Dev diaries - Defold game engine forum". Defold.
- ↑ "Pirate Battle - #22 by BunBunBun - Dev diaries - Defold game engine forum". Defold.
- ↑ "Heroic Labs partners with the Defold Foundation to further open-source game development".
- ↑ "Melsoft Games partners with the Defold Foundation".
- ↑ "The Defold Foundation partners with Rive Inc".
- ↑ "Defold game engine official forum".
External links
- Official website
- "Defold GitHub repository". on GitHub. 10 April 2022.
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