ZephyrJS is a Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) javascript library that adds game-engine features like input handling, file io, audio and music, and more. There's tons of web renderers out there (we started with building on PixiJS) so there's no sense reinventing the wheel. We provide what other libraries don't: a focus on commonly needed and often neglected (or poorly implemented) features. REGARDLESS of your graphics stack.
The project is maintained by Zephyr Studios, which is a small but passionate indie development team. We test our work with ZephyrJS through actual game development and compatibility testing with PixiJS. Consider joining our Discord Server to keep up with ZephyrJS or our studio's projects!
Zephyr is FOSS because there's no sense keeping it hidden. These are features that others could develop, and we value the ideas and contributions of others. It also doesn't make sense to slow down developers when they're creating their own projects, and they should be able to tweak Zephyr to better fit their needs. Free and Open-Source Software (FOSS) is about letting people choose what they want to use, and building a whole system just to add game development tools just dilutes the work of many talented teams building incredible renderers. Zephyr adds functionality to any stack instead of creating a new one, allowing developers to work with whatever system they know and love.
Web-based content has been providing a way to access all sorts of entertainment, and being able to game on the web is the next step. While flash games existed in the past, browsers didn't have the kind of power to run full games. They do now though, and browsers have been able to directly leverage the available hardware to speed up rendering for some time now. Many web renderers like PixiJS do this by using WebGL and WebGPU, letting anybody have access to speedy web renderers.
There are so many renderers and wrappers out there, and it's not Zephyr's goal to make another. Other projects have many more contributers, incredible documentation, and examples, so why try to compete? ZephyrJS adds the game engine features developers need that aren't included with existing renderers. Because of this, the Zephyr project only maintains documentation for its own features, meaning updates can get released faster while staying compatible with the latest and greatest in web technologies.