A roundup of this month's open source game projects
Every month, we scan the open source game development world for noteworthy releases, updates, and experiments. This time around, we've got a 1.0 release after more than a decade of work, a classic runner back in the browser, a new Unity tech demo, and a leaked 2005 FPS making a bid for modern systems.
Notable releases and projects
KeeperRL emerges from early access
After 11 years in development, KeeperRL has hit version 1.0 and left early access behind. Described by its creators as "the ultimate evil wizard simulator," this roguelike base builder has you carve out a dungeon underground and build up a fortress that keeps the countryside on edge. The 1.0 release adds minor villains, new workshops, new items, and a long list of refinements accumulated over the years. The game is now available on Steam, and the source continues to be published on GitHub.
Canabalt sprints back to the browser
Adam "Atomic" Saltsman's 2009 Flash hit Canabalt is playable on the web again, thanks to an official port from @ninjamuffin99. The endless runner that defined a genre was built on top of HaxeFlixel, a framework that descends from both Flash's ActionScript and the original Flixel library Saltsman used for the game. That lineage makes for a faithful translation, according to the porter. You can play it now or dig into the source on GitHub.
Unity's Megacity Metro shows off its multiplayer stack
Unity has shipped a new open source demo that pulls together a broad slice of the engine's capabilities. Megacity Metro is a competitive multiplayer sample built with server-authoritative gameplay, prediction netcode, cross-platform clients, and large-scale player counts. For developers curious about how a Unity game leverages many of the platform's systems at once, the project repo offers a full look under the hood.
Project Dreamland resurrects Area 51
The 2005 first-person shooter Area 51, originally released for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Windows, is getting a preservation effort. The group behind Project Dreamland obtained source code "found at a garage sale of a former THQ developer" and has started work to see if the game can be built and run on today's hardware. The effort is underway on GitHub for anyone who wants to help the team get the game back on its feet.
Engine and tool updates
Defold 1.7 arrives
Defold, the cross-platform game engine and editor, has released version 1.7. The update introduces an API for converting world coordinates to local ones, support for getting and setting vertex attributes on sprites, and a sizable heap of bug fixes. A full walkthrough of everything in the release is available in the official release notes.
The Mirror opens up
The Mirror, a no/low-code game development environment built on top of Godot, has gone open source. The project's pitch is realtime collaborative editing, letting multiple people work on a game together at the same time. The codebase went public on March 15, and the source is now available for anyone who wants to build with it or contribute to the platform itself.
Discord previews embedded app SDK
Discord announced a new embedded app SDK in developer preview. The SDK allows developers to build multiplayer games and other social activities that render inside an iframe within the Discord client itself, with the SDK handling coordination between Discord and the third-party application. More details are available from Discord directly.
Phaser Explorer: docs that go offline
Phaser, the web game framework, has launched a new documentation app called Phaser Explorer. The app is a fresh way to browse reference documentation, run sample code, and explore the Phaser API. One standout feature: it's a progressive web application, so everything works without an internet connection. In browsers like Microsoft Edge, it can also be installed as a standalone app.
Jams and community picks
Upcoming game jams
- Gamedev.js Jam—Take 13 days (April 13 to 26) to build an HTML5 game around a theme announced when the jam starts.
- Fish Fest—From April 1 to 8, all entries must feature fish prominently. Yes, really.
7DRL wraps up its 20th year
The 7-Day Roguelike challenge, where developers have a week or less to ship a roguelike, just finished its twentieth edition. Voting is ongoing, but highlights have emerged already:
- GladiatorRL (source) is a combat-focused roguelike where positioning matters. The movement system uses abilities that let you shift both your own character and your enemies around space, interrupt attacks, and intercept incoming blows rather than resorting to simple bump combat.
- A Snake on a Plane (source) wears its inspirations on its sleeve, mashing up Snakes on a Plane and Metal Gear into a roguelike that you'll get to appreciate only by playing it.
Game of the month: Lithic
Lithic, an entry to Brackeys Game Jam 2024.1, puts a twist on the sokoban formula. You'll move blocks around, sure, but progress often depends on the statues scattered through each level. The game asks you to not just think logically but also solve some light word puzzles along the way. With strong art, music, tutorial design, and written dialogue, it's worth a play in the browser or a look at the source.
