Engine updates: Babylon.js 6.0, Phaser’s anniversary release, and more
Babylon.js 6.0
Babylon.js, the open source 3D rendering engine for the browser, ships version 6.0 with a redesigned physics API built on Havok’s physics engine. The release also brings fluid rendering, improved reflections, and Node Material enhancements, plus a new GUI editor and refreshed documentation. Full details are in the release announcement.
Phaser marks a decade
The Phaser web game framework celebrates its 10th year with v3.60. The update adds new special effects shaders, notably better mobile device performance, spatial audio support, and ESM support for developers. The release announcement covers the project’s history and what lies ahead.
Raylib trends on GitHub
Raylib, the minimalist C game engine, has seen a surge of new stars on gamedev GitHub recently. Unlike full-featured engines such as Godot or Phaser, Raylib is deliberately bare-bones: everything fits on a single-page cheat sheet, and you supply your own editor, debugger, and companion tools. Its simplicity has attracted a community that maintains bindings for dozens of languages.
Pico3D: 3D on a microcontroller
Pico3D proves a $1 microcontroller can run a full open-world 3D game. Built for the Pimoroni PicoSystem—a handheld console using the same chip as the Raspberry Pi Pico—it’s a striking demonstration of squeezing a complete game experience into the tightest hardware constraints.
VCMI 1.2.0
The open source Heroes of Might and Magic III recreation, VCMI, reaches version 1.2.0. The project aims to surpass the original’s limits with better modding and broader platform support. This biggest release yet improves rendering quality and performance, refreshes the UI with more options, adds translation support, and fixes numerous bugs. More in the release notes.
Game releases: Open Hexagon, Minetest, Freeciv21, and Bitburner updates
Open Hexagon gets performance boosts and ranked packs
Open Hexagon, a fast-twitch rhythm game inspired by Terry Cavanagh’s Super Hexagon, has shipped a new incremental release. The community behind the long-running project collaborates on the engine and crafts fresh level packs. The game is also available on Steam.
Minetest 5.7.0
Minetest, the voxel game engine for building and modding, is now at 5.7.0. The release introduces a post-processing pipeline for current and future visual effects, improved graphics performance, and a range of smaller refinements. See the detailed blog post for more.
Freeciv21 hits 3.0
Freeciv21, a competitive-multiplayer fork of the classic 4X strategy game Freeciv, reaches version 3.0. Maintained by the Longturn team—which runs one-turn-per-day games that can last months—the release is tailored to that slower, more diplomatic format. UI improvements, refreshed icons and fonts, and bug fixes are on the list. The GitHub release has the details.
OpenRC2 reopens the theme park
OpenRCT2 revives RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 with more than just emulation: it adds time acceleration, cooperative multiplayer, and a multilingual interface to the classic park-builder. See the v0.4.4 release notes for what’s new.
Bitburner 2.3.0
Bitburner blends incremental RPG mechanics with actual JavaScript programming under a cyberpunk aesthetic. The web version is playable in the browser, and the latest “Rick Rollin’” release notes are up on Steam.
Tools for players and developers
DFHack for Dwarf Fortress
DFHack is far more than a memory editor for Dwarf Fortress. It offers deep inspection and modification of the simulation, with gameplay automations, bug fixes, UI tweaks, and an infrastructure for plugins and mods—effectively letting you see behind Dwarf Fortress’s curtain.
Proton 8.0
Steam Deck owners already benefit from Proton, the compatibility layer built atop Wine that lets Windows games run on Linux through the Steam client. Proton 8 brings the layer up to date with Wine 8.0, extends compatibility to more games—joining the thousands already reported as playable—and applies assorted fixes. Development progress is tracked in the release notes.
Game Jams to Watch
Several game development challenges are open for registration or starting soon, covering a range of engines and themes.
- Godot Wild Jam 57 — May 12–21
- Game Boy Showdown 2023 — May 13–20 (restricted to Game Boy hardware/emulation)
- Adventure Jam 2023 — May 26 – Jun 9
- GitHub Game Off — Nov 1 – Dec 1
Jam Highlight: Cannon Knight
This month's featured jam entry comes from the Gamedev.js Jam 2023. In Cannon Knight, you control a knight launched from a cannon, aiming to travel as far as possible before the clock runs out. Along the way, you can air jump and even slow or rewind time to avoid dangerous creatures. The game, built with Godot and GDScript, is available to play in the browser, with source code on GitHub. The developer describes it as "The ultimate knight-launching simulator."
You can play Cannon Knight directly in your browser or explore its source on GitHub.
The CEO Snake Challenge
Also worth a look is a game of Snake created by GitHub CEO @ashtom during a live demo at Web Summit Rio last week. With the help of GitHub Copilot, he wrote the entire game in 15 minutes on stage. The result is playable here; the source is on GitHub and uses JavaScript.
If you want to take up the challenge, the repository is open for forking — feel free to improve on the world's greatest game of Snake. The original live build session is recorded on YouTube.
