How do I build a Carimbo game for web browsers?

Carimbo uses WebAssembly for web deployment; compile the engine and your game to WASM using the provided build scripts in BUILDING.md. You'll need Emscripten or similar tools set up for the toolchain.

Is Carimbo better than Godot for 2D games?

Carimbo offers more control with C++23 and Lua, and better web integration via WebAssembly, but lacks Godot's visual editor and large ecosystem. Choose Carimbo for code-centric projects needing cross-platform web support.

Can I use Carimbo to make mobile games for iOS and Android?

Yes, Carimbo supports native mobile development through SDL integration, but you'll need to set up platform-specific SDKs and follow build steps, which may require additional configuration compared to desktop.

How to add physics like collisions in Carimbo?

Integrate Box2D via Carimbo's API; define physics bodies and behaviors in your C++ or Lua code, with examples likely in the documentation or demo games on carimbo.games.

Does Carimbo support multiplayer or networking features?

The README doesn't mention built-in networking; you'd need to implement it yourself using external libraries, as Carimbo focuses on core engine components like graphics and physics.

What's the learning curve for Lua scripting in Carimbo?

If you're familiar with Lua, it's straightforward due to sol2 integration; you can attach scripts to entities in the ECS system, but debugging may require manual tools since there's no integrated IDE.

Open-Awesome

Carimbo

MITC++v7.0.60

A modern, cross-platform 2D game engine written in C++23 with Lua scripting and WebAssembly support.

Visit Website GitHub

184 stars8 forks0 contributors

What is Carimbo?

Carimbo is a modern, cross-platform 2D game engine written in C++23, designed for creating games that run on desktop, mobile, and web platforms. It integrates Lua scripting for flexible game logic and uses an Entity-Component-System architecture for efficient game object management. The engine emphasizes portability, leveraging WebAssembly to enable browser-based gameplay without installation.

Target Audience

Game developers and hobbyists looking for a lightweight, performant 2D engine with strong cross-platform support and scripting capabilities. It's suitable for those familiar with C++ or Lua who want to build games for multiple targets, including the web.

Value Proposition

Developers choose Carimbo for its modern C++23 foundation, seamless WebAssembly portability, and pragmatic use of proven libraries like SDL and Box2D. It offers a balanced combination of performance, scripting flexibility, and broad platform reach without unnecessary complexity.

Overview

A 2D game engine developed in modern C++ using SDL, an Entity-Component-System (ECS) architecture, miniaudio, and Box2D. It features Lua scripting and is designed for web portability via WebAssembly

Use Cases

Best For

Developing 2D games that need to run both natively and in web browsers
Prototyping game ideas quickly with Lua scripting
Building cross-platform games for desktop and mobile from a single codebase
Learning game engine architecture with modern C++ and ECS patterns
Creating lightweight 2D games with integrated physics via Box2D
Projects requiring permissive licensing for commercial use

Not Ideal For

Projects requiring 3D graphics or advanced visual effects beyond 2D
Teams that prefer drag-and-drop visual editors over code-centric development
Developers needing a large, established asset store or plugin marketplace
Environments with C++ compilers that do not support C++23

Pros & Cons

Pros

Broad Platform Reach

Supports Linux, Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and the web via WebAssembly, as evidenced by the CI badges and cross-platform focus in the README.

Efficient ECS Architecture

Uses EnTT for Entity-Component-System management, enabling flexible and performant game object handling without boilerplate code.

Flexible Lua Scripting

Integrates sol2 for Lua scripting, allowing dynamic game logic changes without recompilation, ideal for rapid prototyping and iteration.

Leverages Proven Libraries

Builds on high-quality libraries like SDL, Box2D, and miniaudio, ensuring reliability and performance without reinventing core components.

Commercial-Friendly License

Offers a permissive license with minimal restrictions, as stated in the README, allowing easy use and distribution in commercial projects.

Cons

Complex Build Process

Requires following separate BUILDING.md instructions, indicating a non-trivial setup that may involve multiple dependencies and toolchains.

Limited Development Tooling

Lacks integrated visual editors or debugging tools, making it more suitable for developers comfortable with code-based workflows.

Heavy Dependency Stack

Relies on external libraries like boost and SDL, which can complicate dependency management, deployment, and increase project footprint.

Niche and Evolving

As a spiritual successor to Wintermoon, it may undergo breaking changes and has a smaller community compared to mainstream engines like Godot or Unity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Projects

Pyxel

A retro game engine for Python

Stars17,497

Forks925

Last commit13 days ago

bgfx

Cross-platform, graphics API agnostic, "Bring Your Own Engine/Framework" style rendering library.

Stars17,071

Forks2,098

Last commit3 days ago

EnTT

Gaming meets modern C++ - a fast and reliable entity component system (ECS) and much more

Stars12,709

Forks1,094

Last commit16 hours ago

Nakama

Scalable open-source game backend server: multiplayer, matchmaking, leaderboards, chat, and social features for games.

Stars12,664

Forks1,419

Last commit2 days ago

Community-curated · Updated weekly · 100% open source

Found a gem we're missing?

Open-Awesome is built by the community, for the community. Submit a project, suggest an awesome list, or help improve the catalog on GitHub.

Submit a project Star on GitHub