A list of game development resources

A list of game development resources to make magic happen. Created by awesome people for awesome people.

• Graphics
  • Assets/Placeholders
  • Spritesheet Tools
  • Bitmap Compression
  • Texture Tools
  • Character Generators
  • Tile/Level Editors
  • Animation
  • Vector/Image Editor
  • Modeling
  • Terrain Generators
  • Voxel Editors
• Code
  • Engines and Frameworks
    • 2D
    • 3D
• Audio
  • Collections
  • Music and Audio Editors
• Board Games
• Must see
  • Blogs and Portals
  • Books
  • Magazines
  • Game Jams
  • Complete Game Sources
• Ads
• Learn
  • General Game Development
  • Computer Graphics
• Other Awesome Lists

Graphics

Great graphics placeholders and tools to turn that squared game into a picasso painting

Assets/Placeholders

• 2D Cartoon Mobile Game UI Pack - cartoon user interface asset pack. It comes as a layered psd file.
• 420 Pixel Art Icons for RPGs - Set of 420 RPG icons, free for commercial use.
• CGTextures - A large collection of textures.
• GameDev Market - a community-driven marketplace that connects indie game developers with talented asset creators.
• Games-Icons Set - free icons for your games.
• Iconmonstr - Another free icons resource for your games.
• OpenClipart - Collection of free cliparts.
• OpenGameArt - a media repository intended for use with free software game projects.
• PlainTextures
• Reiner's Tilesets - A blog with free 2D and 3D graphics.
• Sketchfab - Publish & embed interactive 3D models.
• SpriteLib - a collection of static and animated graphic objects (also commonly known as sprites).
• TextureKing
• Tree Generator - An Online tree generator.
• Upando - Marketplace with lots of resources for game developers.
• Vecteezy - Free Vector Art.
• Yobi3D - Free 3D model search engine.

Spritesheet Tools

• Aseprite - animated sprite editor & pixel art tool.
• GraphicsGale - Animation graphic editor easy to use.
• PiskelApp - Free Online Pixel Art and Animated Sprite Tool.
• PyxelEdit - Pixel art editor designed to make it fun and easy to make tilesets, levels and animations.
• ShoeBox - ShoeBox is a free Adobe Air based app for Windows and Mac OSX with game and ui related tools. Each tool uses a drag and drop - or clipboard interaction for a quick workflow.
• Spritesheet Preview - A simple and free tool to preview sprite sheets
• TexturePacker - Great spritesheet creation editor.

Bitmap Compression

• ImageAlpha — Mac OS X GUI for pngquant and other tools
• Kraken.io - robust, ultra-fast image optimizer and compressor with best-in-class algorithms.
• PNGGauntlet - Smash PNGs for faster sites
• PNGoo - Windows GUI for batch conversion.
• Pngyu - simple PNG image file compression tool.
• SuperPNG Photoshop plug-in — Mac and Windows. Comparison with "Save for Web"
• TinyPNG - Advanced lossy compression for PNG images that preserves full alpha transparency.

Texture Tools

• FilterForge - A plugin for Adobe Photoshop that allows you to build your own filters.
• PixPlant - PixPlant is a smart 3D texturing tool that creates high quality normal, displacement, specular maps and seamless textures from photos.
• STG - a tool for creating professional seamlessly-tileable textures from photographs quickly and easily.

Character Generators

• Charas - Charas is a charset generator for RPG Maker.
• Loose Leaf

Tile/Level Editors

• ArrayPainter - Array Painter is the easiest and fastest way to make 2D arrays ready for copy pasting into your own program.
• AutoTileGen - AutoTileGen is an automatic tileset generator for 2D game terrains.
• OGMO Editor - generic level editor.
• Overlap2D - a 2D level and UI editor with an engine agnostic philosophy.
• Mappy - Free tilemap editor.
• Tiled - free, easy to use and flexible tile map editor.

Animation

• Fusion Character Animator - small tool for Clickteam Fusion 2.5 to facilitate the animation of 2D character sprites for developers.
• Spine - Spine is dedicated to 2D animation, providing an efficient workflow both for creating amazing animation and for integrating it into your games.
• Spriter - Modern tool for sprite animation.
• DragonBones - The Open Source 2D skeleton animation solution for Flash
• LWF - Lightweight SWF. LWF is an animation engine which can play animation data converted from FLASH contents in HTML5, Unity, Cocos2d-x, iOS UIKit, and more.

Vector/Image Editor

• Gimp - GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed piece of software for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring.
• Inkscape - An open-source vector graphics editor similar to Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw, Freehand, or Xara X.
• Krita - Krita is a KDE program for sketching and painting, offering an end-to-end solution for creating digital painting files from scratch by masters.
• Ormr - Ormr is a fast, light-weight, cross-platform procedural graphics editor.
• Paint.NET - Paint.NET is free image and photo editing software for PCs that run Windows.
• Pickle - Another Pixel art Editor.
• Pixelmator - Full-featured image editing app for the Mac
• Pixen - OpenSource Pixel Art Editor for OSX

Modeling

• Blender
• MakeHuman
• sculptris
• Maya
• 3ds Max
• Clara.io

Terrain Generators

• Artifex Terra
• Canyon Terrain Editor
• Nem TG
• World Machine

Voxel Editors

• goxel
• MagicaVoxel
• Q-Block
• Sproxel
• VoxelShop

Code

Set of game frameworks, engines and platforms

Engines and Frameworks

2D

• Agen - Cross-Platform framework for making 2D games with Lua, compatible iOS, Mac and Windows devices.
• Allegro - Allegro 4 & 5 are cross-platform, open source, game programming libraries, primarily for C and C++ developers.
• AndEngine - 2D Android Game Engine
• Bacon2D - A framework to ease 2D game development, providing ready-to-use QML elements representing basic game entities needed by most of games.
• Bladecoder - Classic point and click adventure game engine and editor.
• Box2D - A 2D Physics Engine for Games.
• Chipmunk C# - C# implementation of the Chipmunk2D lib.
• Chipmunk2D - A fast and lightweight 2D game physics library.
• Cocos2D - graphic library for games and multimedia, for python language
• Cocos2d-x - a C++ OpenGL 2D and 3D game engine. Uses C++ but has JS and Lua bindings. Target all the major mobile platforms and operating systems. Additional tools CocoStudio and Cocos Code IDE.
• Construct 2 - an HTML5 game maker, meaning you are not actually writing JavaScript. Instead, you use actions, events and conditions to do the heavy lifting.
• Coquette - A micro framework for JavaScript games. Handles collision detection, the game update loop, canvas rendering, and keyboard and mouse input.
• Corona SDK - A Cross-Platform Mobile App Development for iOS and Android.
• Duality - C# / OpenGL 2D Game Engine that comes with visual editor.
• Ejecta - A Fast, Open Source JavaScript, Canvas & Audio Implementation for iOS.
• EnchantJS - A simple JavaScript framework for creating games and apps.
• ENGi - A multi-platform 2D game library for Go.
• Farseer - a collision detection system with realistic physics responses.
• FlashPunk - free ActionScript 3 library designed for developing 2D Flash games.
• Flixel - an open source game-making written in ActionScript3.
• GameMaker - GameMaker accommodates the creation of cross-platform video games using drag and drop or a scripting language known as Game Maker Language, which can be used to develop more advanced games that could not be created just by using the drag and drop features.
• GameSalad - Game Creation Engine for Mac and Windows.
• Gideros - A Cross-Platform framework to create Mobile Apps and games for iOS, Android using Lua programming language.
• HaxeFlixel - Create cross-platform games easier and free.
• iio.js - A javascript library that speeds the creation and deployment of HTML5 Canvas applications
• ImpactJS - Impact is a JavaScript Game Engine that allows you to develop stunning HTML5 Games for desktop and mobile browsers.
• Jitter - a fast and lightweight physics engine written in C#.
• Juno - Framework for making 2D games with chunky pixels in Lua
• Kivy - Cross platform Python framework for creating apps and games for Linux, Windows, OS X, Android and iOS
• Kivent - A 2D game framework for Kivy.
• KiwiJS - a fun and friendly Open Source HTML5 Game Engine. Some people call it the WordPress of HTML5 game engines
• LibGDX - Powerful (totally free) library for Java, code once and run the game on desktop, Android, Web, and iOS.
• LimeJS - HTML5 game framework for building fast, native-experience games for all modern touchscreens and
• Loom SDK - 2D mobile app and game framework with live reload of code and assets, AS3/JS/C#-like scripting language, and powerful 2D rendering and UI framework. Open source with paid "Turbo" service.
• Lums - A 2D / 3D framework written in C++11. Very efficient and modern. Still under heavy development.
• Lycheejs - JavaScript Game library that offers a complete solution for prototyping and deployment of HTML5 Canvas, WebGL or native OpenGL(ES) based games inside the Web Browser or native environments.
• LÖVE - Lua 2D Game Engine.
• Matter.js - a 2D physics engine for the web.
• MINX - Open Source 2D game framework written in C++ (to the style of XNA)
• MOAI - Cross-Platform framework designed for pro game developers to create iOS, Android, Windows, Linux, Chrome and OSX games using C++, OpenGL and Lua scripting.
• MelonJS - open source light-weight HTML5 game engine.
• Monkey X - Multi-platform programming language and cross-compiler, aimed at fast game programming.
• Monogame - Open Source implementation of the Microsoft XNA 4 Framework.
• NodeBox - a family of Python tools to create generative design.
• OpenRA - OpenRA is a Libre/Free Real Time Strategy Game Engine.
• p2.js - JavaScript 2D physics library
• PandaJS - Open Source HTML5 Engine.
• Phaser - free and fast 2D game framework for making HTML5 games for desktop and mobile web browsers, supporting Canvas and WebGL rendering.
• PICO-8 - A fantasy console for making, sharing and playing tiny games and other computer programs.
• PixiJS - is a 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 canvas.
• Processing - Processing is a programming language, development environment for artists, designers, researchers.
• PyGame - a 2D game engine in Python.
• PuzzleScript - open-source HTML5 puzzle game engine.
• QICI - Efficient web-based tool for creating HTML5 games.
• Ren'Py - An open-source visual novel engine using the Python language in simplified form. It supports Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Android and iOS.
• Rpgboss - A 2d rpg game engine and editor based on scala and libgdx. Ease of use, with no programming knowledge.
• RPGMaker - series of programs for the development of role-playing games.
• SDL - SDL is a cross-platform library designed to provide low level access to audio, keyboard, mouse, joystick, and graphics hardware via OpenGL and Direct3D.
• SFML - Simple and Fast Multimedia Library.
• SpriteKit - iOS/Mac 2D Game Engine.
• Stage.js - Lightweight and fast 2D HTML5 rendering and layout engine for cross-platform game development.
• Starling - The GPU powered 2D Flash API
• Stencyl - a game creation platform that allows users to create 2D video games for computers, mobile devices, and the web.
• Twine - Downloadable or browser-based game development platform that allows users to create linked story paths. Not just text-based, Twine supports music, images, and sound effects. Very little coding knowledge required for basic text adventure games.
• XNA - Microsoft's game development framework.

3D

• Azul3D - A 3D engine written in Go.
• Blitz3D 3D basic-like programming language for fast 3D desktop games.
• Bullet - Real-time physics simulation.
• bgfx - Cross-platform, graphics API agnostic, "Bring Your Own Engine/Framework" style rendering library.
• Cinder - Cinder is a community-developed, free and open source library for professional-quality creative coding in C++.
• Dash - A free and open 3D game engine written in D.
• 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.
• Godot - Open source game engine with rich API.
• Havok Vision - a cross-platform game engine that provides a powerful and versatile multi-platform runtime technology.
• Haxor - Combine the power of HaXe language and HTML5+WebGL to easily develop powerful applications that can run in any modern browser.
• Hive3D - Real Time Collaboration 3D engine.
• Horde3D - small open source 3D rendering engine.
• Irrlicht - open source high performance realtime 3D engine written in C++.
• JPCT - jPCT is a 3D engine for desktop Java and Google's Android.
• Lumberyard - Amazon Lumberyard is a free AAA game engine deeply integrated with AWS and Twitch – with full source.
• ODE - ODE is an open source, high performance library for simulating rigid body dynamics.
• Ogre3D - is a scene-oriented, real-time, flexible 3D rendering engine (as opposed to a game engine) written in C++.
• Panda3D - a framework for 3D rendering and game development for Python and C++ programs.
• Paradox - Open Source C# Game Engine.
• Piston - a modular open source game engine written in Rust.
• PlayCanvas - A WebGL Game Engine.
• Polycode - Open-Source Framework for creating games in C++ (with Lua bindings).
• Spring - A powerful free cross-platform RTS engine.
• Rajawali - Android OpenGL ES 2.0/3.0 Engine
• Three.js - Javascript 3D Library.
• Turbulenz - Turbulenz offers the ability to build, publish, iterate and monetise high-quality games that react like no others, with immersive 3D effects and real-time physics that open up a whole new world of unprecedented and extraordinary web content.
• Unreal Engine 4 - the new game engine technology developed by Epic Games.
• Unity 3D - A development engine for the creation of 2D and 3D games and interactive content.
• Urho3D - Cross-platform rendering and game engine.
• Wave - Cross-platform engine written in C#
• jMonkeyEngine 3 - a 3D open-source game engine for adventurous Java developers.
• voxel.js - voxel.js is a collection of projects that make it easier than ever to create 3D voxel games like Minecraft all in the browser.

Audio

Audio editors, sounds collections and more.

Collections

• Free Game Sounds - Archive of all kinds of royalty-free game sounds.
• Freesound - collaborative database of Creative Commons Licensed sounds.
• Musopen - Royalty free music.
• Octave - free library of UI sounds.
• PacDV - royalty free sounds collection.
• SoundBible.com - Royalty-free, searchable archive of sound effects under various licenses.
• LaptopNoise - Large collection of random 'glitchy' computer effects free for use.

Music and Audio Editors

• Audacity - open source, cross-platform software for recording and editing sounds.
• Audiosauna - transforms your web browser into a fast and flexible music production studio with built in synthesizers and live effects.
• Audiotool - Online music producer.
• Bfxr - A tool to make sound effects for computer games.
• FamiTracker - free windows tracker for producing music for the NES/Famicom-systems.
• MadTracker - a powerful and efficient approach to making music. Versatility and compatibility are guaranteed due to full VST™, ASIO™ and ReWire™ support.
• Sekaiju - Open Source MIDI sequencer.
• Soundation - Online Professional music studio.
• iNudge - Create sound patterns online.
• jfxr - A JavaScript port of the Bfxr sound effect generator.
• musagi - open source, fairly large and sophisticated music editor and synthesizer

Board Games

Tools for making board games

• Boardgamizer - Board Game Design Idea Generator.
• RPTools - a brand of open-source programs designed to enhance traditional pen-and-paper role playing games.

Must see

Blogs, portals, magazines and more

Blogs and Portals

• Amit's Game Programming
• BigSushi
• Designer Notes
• Emanuele Feronato's Blog
• Extraguy
• Gamasutra
• Game Development on StackExchange
• GameDev
• GameDevs.org
• GameJolt
• GameMarketeers
• Greenlit Gaming
• HTML5 Game Devs Forum
• HobbyGameDev
• Html5 Game Development
• IndieDB
• Indius
• Java Gaming
• Lost Garden
• Polygon
• Real-Time Rendering
• Superlevel
• TIGSource
• TruePCGaming
• WhatGamesAre
• iforce2d
• indiegames
• indievault

Books

• Artificial Intelligence for Games
• Flow
• Game Coding Complete
• Game Development Essentials: Game Level Design
• Game Engine Architecture
• Game Mechanics: Advanced Game Design
• Game Programming Gems
• Game Programming Patterns
• Game Scripting Mastery
• Interactive Computer Graphics: A Top-Down Approach with Shader-Based OpenGL, 6/E
• Level Up!
• 3D Math Primer for Graphics and Game Development
• Mathematics For 3D Game Programming And Computer Graphics
• Essential Mathematics for Games and Interactive Applications: A Programmer's Guide
• Nature of Code
• Physics for Game Developers
• Programming Game AI by Example
• Real-Time Rendering
• Rules of Play
• The Art of Game Design
• The Ultimate Guide to Video Game Writing and Design
• The Visual Story
• Theory of Fun
• Tricks of the Windows Game Programming Gurus

Magazines

• Casual Connect
• Game Developer Magazine
• IndieMag
• indie-o-rama
• Making Games

Videos/Podcasts

• awesome-gametalks - A curated list of game talks (GDC, youtube, etc).

Game Jams

• CompoHub - A compilation site of many game jams in a timeline.

Complete Game Sources

• Doom 3
• Doom
• Duke Nukem 3D: Atomic Edition
• Prince of Persia
• Quake 2
• Quake III Arena
• Quake
• SimCity
• Wolfenstein 3D

Ads

We still need to make some money, right?

• [AdMob by Google] - Google's Ads and monetization service for mobile.
• AdColony - Mobile video Ads service.
• Appodeal - A programmatic ad mediation solution for mobile apps.
• ChartBoost - Monetization, analytics platform.
• RevMob - Monetization and Ads solution.
• Unity Ads - Unity3D Official Ads SDK.
• Vungle - Video Ads service.

Learn

Online courses, tutorials, screencasts

General Game Development

• Coursera: Beginning Game Programming with C#
• Khan Academy: Advanced JS: Games & Visualizations
• TheChernoProject
• Udacity: HTML5 Game Development
• Coursera: Introduction to interactive Python programming
• HandmadeHero: making 2D game from scratch
• Simple HTML5 Canvas Game

Computer Graphics

• Interactive 3D Graphics
• Interactive Computer Graphics

https://github.com/ellisonleao/magictools