/gedg/ - Game and Engine Dev General

Game and Engine Development General

The Game and Engine Development General, or /gedg/ is for the discussion of creating games and engines, including the many tools and libraries involved in dev. One large incentive for posting on /gedg/ is code blocks. On /g/, you can share code like so

[code] paste your code here [/code]

We have an IRC channel #/g/gedg on rizon!

Also make sure to check out the /gedg/ compendium: https://rentry.org/gedg!

Engines and Libraries

Open Source

• assimp: Model loading library made with C++.
• Bevy: Popular Rust game engine.
• bgfx: Thicc C/C++ rendering library with numerous bindings for other languages.
• Dear Imgui: C++ GUI library.
• EnTT: Fast entity component system written in C++.
• egui: Rust GUI library inspired by Dear ImGui.
• GLFW: Multi-platform C library for making windows and handling input events.
• Godot: 2D/3D game engine written in C++.
• libGDX: Java framework with bits of C/C++ for performance.
• LÖVE: 2D game engine in Lua.
• Lua: Lua is a simple and powerful language that can be used to embed scripts in programs.
• miniaudio: A simple cross-platform audio library written in C, contained in a single source file.
• MonoGame: C# framework for making games and engines.
• Ogre: 3D game engine made in C++.
• OpenGL: Ubiquitous cross-platform rendering API.
• OpenGL Mathematics (GLM): glm is a ubiquitous math library made for use with OpenGL. It is also commonly used with other graphics API such as Vulkan.
• PhysX: A powerful C++ physics library.
• pygame: Python library for game dev.
• Ren'Py: Engine for making visual novels.
• raylib: Simple to use C game engine. The raylib website provides examples and simple games.
• SDL: C/C++ library that provides access to graphics, audio, and hardware.
• spdlog: Speedy C++ logging library.
• sokol: Header-only C library that provides a large number of abstractions and utilities. This includes a wrapper for OpenGL + Metal + D3D11. There are also some handy samples.
• Stride: C# engine under the MIT license.
• Vulkan: OpenGL's hot younger sister.
• wgpu: Rust graphics library based on the WebGPU API.

Closed Source

The term "closed" also includes "pay to view" code.

• Havok: Physics engine, also has an AI module (pathfinding, navigation meshes, etc.).
• RPGMaker: Tool to easily make nipponese text and number simulators. But more likely you will use it to make a porn/fetish game. Allows for customization if you know Javascript.
• Unity: Widely known, uses C#.
• Unreal: AAA game engine, uses C++.

Open Source Games and Projects

Opportunities to learn from the source code.

• 0 A.D.: Historical RTS that started out as a mod for Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings.
• Amphibia: Calamity Beatdown: Fan-made side-scroller for the Disney animated series Amphibia. Source code here.
• Brogue: Roguelike game.
• Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead: Ambitious turn-based post-apocalyptic survival game.
• CnC Remastered Collection: Open sourced 2020 remaster of Command & Conquer (1995) and Red Alert (1996).
• Far Cry 1: Leaked original source code.
• Mindustry: TD/RTS factory management.
• OpenGOAL: Native port of Jak and Daxter to PC which involved decompiling the original GOAL code and developing a GOAL compiler.
• OpenLara: Open source recreation of Tomb Raider 1 to 5.
• OpenRCT2: Open source recreation of RollerCoaster Tycoon.
• Quake III Arena: FPS famous for popularizing an old bit hack trick.
• RuneLite: Popular Old School RuneScape client.
• SuperTuxKart: Racing game that is similar to Mario Kart.
• Tales of Maj'Eyal: A well-known roguelike game written in Lua and C.
• The Simpsons Hit & Run: Leaked original source code.

Resources

Gratis

Programming and Architecture

• C Builds and Libraries for the Inexperienced: Tutorial made for /gedg/, /agdg/, and /chad/.
• javidx9's A* Video: Video about the A* path finding algorithm.
• javidx9's Embedding Lua in C++ video: Video about the Lua C API in a C++ environment. C users can also obviously learn from it. He has a follow-up video here where the topic is coroutines.
• Programming in Lua: Official online book to learn Lua. Lua is great for embedding into software.
• learn-c: Collection of simple and interactive tutorials for the C programming language.
• The Unity Tutorial For Complete Beginners: Tutorial to get your feet wet with Unity.
• Wojciech Muła's website: SIMD techniques and tons of technical notes.

Linear Algebra and Spacial Transformations

• 3Blue1Brown's linear algebra series: Babby's first matrix, some nice visualizations of linear algebra concepts.
• 3Blue1Brown's quaternion visualization video: Nice video for visualizing quaternions and 3D rotations.
• Andy Sloane's donut.c: Spinning ASCII donut written in delicious byte sized code.
• Quaternion explanation by Nathan Vegdahl and The Blender Foundation: Segment in the Blender Open Movie Workshop series.

Rendering APIs and the GPU

• GetIntoGameDev's Vulkan playlist: Video series in C++ that goes through and explains concepts.
• GPU Gems: Nvidia's free online book containing a large variety of topics such as N-body and fluid simulation, volumetric light scattering, and AES encryption.
• Hash Functions for GPU Rendering: Short article by Nathan Reed.
• Inigo Quilez's Shadertoy page: Includes raymarching, Mike Wazowski, and more.
• learnopengl: Most popular site for getting started with OpenGL.
• lighthouse3d: Some old but gold OpenGL.
• Mike Bailey's Vulkan webpage: This webpage has plenty of useful Vulkan notes and resources.
• Song Ho Ahn's website: Notes on OpenGL and some relevant mathematics.
• Vulkan documentation
• vulkan-tutorial: Vulkan tutorials in C++.

Noise

• Improved Perlin Noise: 2002 algorithm by Ken Perlin used for terrain generation. Here is a Java implementation of the algorithm.
• Noise-Based RNG: 2017 GDC Math for Game Programmers talk where Squirrel Eiserloh discusses how RNGs can replace noise functions. An update of the code by Squirrel was later created.

Fluid Simulation

• How to write an Eulerian fluid simulator with 200 lines of code: Concise and effective fluid simulation video by Ten Minute Physics.
• Jamie Wong's WebGL fluid simulation: Fluid simulation explained nicely with good visuals.

General Math and Physics

The things here either don't fit in the other sections or they so largely encapsulate more than one section that putting them there wouldn't do the material justice.

• 3Blue1Brown's differential equation series: Rudimentary look at vector fields, ODEs, and PDEs.
• 3D Math Primer for Graphics and Game Development: Free online book for game math.
• Inigo Quilez's website: Website by a professional software engineer and graphics programmer.
• Physically based modeling Pixar lecture notes: Lecture notes by Andrew Witkin and David Baraff. Some of the topics include rigid body dynamics, cloth and fur simulation, and differential equations.

Paid Books

Technically non-gratis, but we all know how to use search engines.

Programming and Architecture

• Game Engine Architecture: Powerful and thicc.
• [https://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Algorithms-Techniques-Sorting-Encryption/dp/1565924533/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3GIFE1JFXSK97&keywords=mastering+algorithms+with+c&qid=1693241531&sprefix=mastering+algori%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-1 Mastering Algorithms with C by Kyle Loudon): Data structures and algorithms explained and written out in C
• The C Programming Language: If you can't build your game in assembly, you may as well settle for this. A legendary tome that is easy to find online for free.

Math and Physics

• Game Physics Cookbook: Lots of tasty game recipes.
• Linear Algebra Done Right: For those that want to go further down the linear algebra rabbit hole. Requires an understanding of basic proofs and sets.
• No Bullshit Guide to Linear Algebra: Book well-liked by many for being intuitive. There is also a free extended preview for those who don't want to buy the book.
• Numerical Recipes in C: The Art of Scientific Computing: Numerical methods like inverting a matrix and solving differential equations.
• Ordinary Differential Equations: Learn differential equations from chad Russian mathemetician V.I. Arnold. Easy to find free online.

Rendering APIs and the GPU

• Vulkan Programming Guide: The Official Guide to Learning Vulkan: The official Vulkan guide, not to be confused with the online Vulkan documentation.