/awesome-love2d

A curated list of amazingly awesome LÖVE libraries, resources and shiny things.

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Awesome Löve Awesome

Awesome Löve

A categorized community-driven collection of high-quality, awesome LÖVE libraries, projects, and resources.

Contents

3D

3D-centric Libraries

  • 3DreamEngine - An awesome 3D engine for LÖVE.
  • anim9 - 3D skeletal animation library (design to be used with IQM and IQE).
  • Brinevector3D - FFI-enabled vector library for 3D (x,y,z).
  • bump-3dpd - A 3D collision detection library for Lua.
  • IQE - Inter-Quake Export loader (text).
  • IQM - Inter-Quake Model loader (binary).
  • love-gltf - Gltf asset loader and test renderer; Supports skeletal animations and morph targets.
  • Lovox - Pseudo-3D library for working with voxels.
  • g3d - Simple and easy 3D engine for LÖVE.
  • Menori - Library for 3D rendering with LÖVE.

AI

Navigation, Decision-Making and AI Libraries

  • Jumper - Grid-based pathfinding library.
  • Lua-star - Easy and pure Lua A* path finding.
  • astar - An other A* library. Any map (grid, point, mesh or infinite map) and support path cost.
  • pathfun - Pure Lua library for 2D pathfinding using the funnel algorithm.
  • beehive.lua - A functional behavior tree implementation.
  • Luafinding - Class-based A* implementation written purely in Lua.

Animation

Animation & Frame-Managing Libraries

  • andross - A Lua library for 2D skeletal/bone animations with a Löve backend.
  • anim8 - Animation library.
  • animx - A featureful Animation library for loading animations from XML files!.
  • Aseprite loader - Complete ase/aseprite file loader (no json).
  • chiro - Convenience wrapper around Spine.
  • Peachy - A parser/renderer for Aseprite animations in LÖVE.
  • skeletor - 2D skeletal animation system.
  • Walt - Animation library.
  • Lump - Adobe Flash animation runtime.
  • lovanim - A minimal stateful animation library.
  • SYSL-Text - Text animation and automatic wrapping library based on tags.

Camera

Viewport & Camera Libraries

  • Brady - Camera library with parallax scrolling.
  • cam11 - Camera library that leverages the Transform object introduced in love2d 11.0+.
  • Editgrid - Gamera and HUMP compatible scaling grid.
  • gamera - Camera system.
  • hump.camera - Camera library with window locking and smooth camera movement interpolation.
  • parallax - Parallax scrolling with any camera system; seamlessly tile background images.

Development

Development assisting Libraries, that enrich your development experience

  • FPSGraph - Small FPS graphing utility.
  • debugGraph - Small OO FPS graphing utillity based on FPSGraph.
  • Lovebird - Browser-based debug console.
  • LoveDebug - Inline console-like debugger utility.
  • lurker - Auto-swaps changed Lua files in a running game.
  • LÖVE API - The complete API documentation of LÖVE in a Lua table.
  • LÖVE Build - GitHub Action for automated cross-platform builds.
  • LÖVE TypeScript Definitions - Write LÖVE games with TypeScript.
  • lovelier - A LÖVE live reloader with Moonscript support.
  • loveprofiler - LoveProfiler is an extremely simple logger and profiler.
  • vudu - Broad in-game debugging gui with a console, variable browser/editor, speed controls, and more.

Drawing

Drawing specific Libraries, that simplify the Drawing process

  • Artal - A .PSD parsing library for LÖVE.
  • Autobatch - Small LÖVE module to automate the use of SpriteBatches.
  • center - A simple module to dynamically align and fit content to screens of any size.
  • deep - Adds Z axis; allows you to queue actions and draw calls.
  • draft - A module for drawing complex shapes.
  • grove.draworder - Similar to deep, but you can set a custom sorting method and create multiple, nestable instances.
  • Hot particles - "Hot Particles is a particle editor for the LÖVE game framework."
  • HSLUV - Lua implementation of HSLuv (a human-friendly alternative to HSL).
  • Maid64 - Low resolution scaler for LÖVE.
  • Push - A simple resolution-handling library for LÖVE.
  • renderplanet - Realistic orthographic planet rendering.
  • Resolution Solution - Scale library, that help you add resolution support to your games!
  • svglover - Library to import and display simple SVGs in LÖVE.
  • SYSL-Pixel - Pixel art focused scaler for graphics, position, screen-captures and shaders.
  • Sölar - A fairly simple solar system simulator.
  • Tove2d - Animated vector graphics for LÖVE.
  • turtle.lua - Turtle graphics library for LÖVE.
  • Runtime-TextureAtlas - Texture atlas packer and renderer at runtime; no external tools.
  • Export-TextureAtlas - Extends Runtime-TextureAtlas as a commandline tool to export an atlas.

Entity

Entity and Gameobject Managing Libraries

  • adorbs - Minimal, Functional Entity Component System.
  • Concord - A feature-complete ECS library.
  • ecs-lua - ECS Lua is a fast and easy to use ECS (Entity Component System) engine for game development.
  • knife.system - Minimalist functional ECS.
  • nata - Hybrid OOP/ECS entity management.
  • tiny-ecs - Entity Component System for Lua that's simple, flexible, and useful.

Helpers

Game specific Library bundles, that provide reuseable functions

  • astray - Astray is a lua based maze, room and dungeon generation library for dungeon crawlers and roguelike video games.
  • batteries - Fills out lua's sparse standard library and provides implementations of common algorithms and data structures useful for games.
  • cartographer - Small Tiled map loader and drawer.
  • clove - A helper library which allows you to quickly loads huge amount of assets.
  • grove.color - Blend, convert and interpolate colors using 'color objects'.
  • hump - Collection of tools for developing games with LÖVE (Gamestates, Timers/Tweens, Vectors, Classes, Signals, Cameras).
  • iffy - A SpriteSheet and Tileset helper library for LÖVE.
  • knife - Collection of useful micro-modules for Lua (Class, State Machines, Bind, Chain, Coroutines, Event, Memoize, Entity, Tests, Timer).
  • shard - Collection of useful mini modules.
  • lovely-windows - A Window/Screen Manager Module for virtual windows.
  • love-state-switcher - State switcher class for Lua LÖVE Engine.
  • lua-state-machine - Lua Finite State Machine.
  • lue - Lue is a LÖVE library that allows you to display hue color effects in your game.
  • lume - Collection of functions for Lua, geared towards game development.
  • Manami - An improved "reflowprint" with UTF-8, multicolor, and justify support.
  • narrator - An Ink narrative scripting language parser and runtime implementation.
  • reflowprint - A library designed for alignment of text that is shown one character at a time.
  • roomy - Screen management library for LÖVE.
  • rotLove - Roguelike Toolkit in LÖVE. A LÖVE/lua port of rot.js.
  • YAS - Yet Another Screen manager.
  • Scenery - A dead simple scene/state management system.
  • ScreenManager - Screen/State Management for the LÖVE framework.
  • shack - Shack is a LÖVE library that lets you easily add screen effects such as shake and rotation.
  • Simple Tiled Implementation - Tiled map loader and renderer.
  • Vivid - Color math, manipulation and conversion library.
  • Yonder - A ridiculously easy to use game state management library for LOVE2D.
  • GameStateManager - A lightweight, optimized, and easy-to-implement solution for efficient game state management.

Input

Input & Binding Libraries

  • baton - Input library for LÖVE that bridges the gap between keyboard and gamepad controls.
  • GamepadGuesser - Get the right button icons for gamepads; load updated gamepad db.
  • input - Simple and powerful input library. support check operation time, sequence.
  • Kazari - Multitouch gesture and input library.
  • love-microphone - Simple microphone support for LÖVE.
  • LoveKeys - A simple input handeling library that keeps track of things for you.
  • Swipe - A simple radial keyboard library.
  • tactile - A straightforward and flexible input library.

Lighting

Lighting & Shadow Libraries

  • lighter - A performant dynamic light implementation with a simple API.
  • Shädows - A Shadows & Lights engine for LÖVE.
  • Light World - A lighting model.
  • Simple Love Lights - A very simple raycasting light implementation.
  • Light - A simple dynamic light implementation.

Math

Math specific Libraries

  • Bresenham - Bresenham's line algorithm written in Lua.
  • brinevector - Standalone lightweight luajit ffi-accelerated 2D vector library for great performance.
  • Cirno's Perfect Math Library - Math/intersection library designed for games.
  • delaunay - Delaunay triangulation for convex polygons.
  • hump.vector - Powerful 2D vector class.
  • MLib - Math and shape-intersection detection library written in Lua. It's aim is to be robust and easy to use.
  • nvec - Hump.vector-compatible LuaJIT FFI-accelerated 2D vector library.
  • shash - A simple, lightweight spatial hash for Lua.
  • vector.lua - A simple vector library based on the PVector class from processing.

Music

Music related libraries

  • denver - A Löve custom waveform generation library.
  • lovebpm - A LÖVE library for syncing events to the BPM of an audio track.
  • ripple - An audio manager with tagging support.
  • wave - A sound manager with audio parsing and rhythm functionalities.

Networking

Networking & Online-Play Libraries

  • Grease - Networking library intended to make networking easy for lovers (TCP, UDP, Enet). (IPv6)
  • LoverNet - A networking library that leverages bitser and enet. (IPv4)
  • NoobHub - OpenSource multiplayer and network messaging. (IPv6)
  • Sock.lua - A Lua networking library for LÖVE games. (IPv4)
  • löve-ws - A websocket client and server library.
  • love2d-lua-websocket - A simple event-driven websocket client library. (IPv4)

OO

Object Orientation Libraries that support Class-Commons

  • 30log - Minified framework for object-orientation in Lua. It features named (and unnamed) classes, single inheritance and a basic support for mixins.
  • classic - Tiny class module for Lua. Attempts to stay simple and provide decent performance by avoiding unnecessary over-abstraction.
  • hump.class - Small, fast class/prototype implementation with multiple inheritance (class-commons).
  • knife.base - Extremely minimal base class providing single inheritance and constructors.
  • middleclass - Simple OOP library for Lua; has inheritance, metamethods (operators), class variables and weak mixin support (class-commons).
  • muun - Moonscript compatible class implementation.
  • selene - Project template for writing games in Moonscript instead of Lua without precompiling.

Performance

Performance measurement tools

  • AppleCake - Profiling library for LÖVE, with detailed profiling and thread support.
  • jprof - Profiling library/tool for LÖVE.
  • Piefiller - Graphical profiler for LÖVE.
  • ProFi - A simple lua profiler that works with LuaJIT and prints a pretty report file in columns.

Physics

Collision Detection & Physics Wrappers

  • breezefield - A lightweight and easy love.physics wrapper (windfield alternative).
  • Bump - Collision detection library for Lua.
  • HC - Collision detection with arbitrary polygons; allows rotation of objects.
  • loveblobs - A softbody library with support for both dynamic and static arbitrary softbodies.
  • Strike - 2D collision detection library. Extendable, based on Separating-Axis-Theorem.

Platforms

Ports for Platforms other than the ones officially supported by LÖVE

  • LoveDos - A Lua framework for 2D DOS games, implementing a subset of the LÖVE API.
  • LoveFTW - Work-in-progress port to Windows phone 8.1.
  • LÖVE Potion - Unofficial implementation of the LÖVE for Nintendo (3DS, Switch and Wii U) Homebrew.
  • LOVE-WrapLua - A small and simple wrapper for OneLua, lpp-vita, and Lua Player PS3.
  • Love.js - LÖVE ported to the web using Emscripten.
  • LÖVR - LÖVE for virtual reality devices.

Publishing

Guides to distributing LÖVE games in 3rd party stores

  • Love-Snap-Template - A template for packaging LÖVE games for distribution in the Snappy Store.
  • AppImageKit - Using AppImageKit you can package LÖVE games as AppImages that run on common Linux-based operating systems, such as RHEL, CentOS, Ubuntu, Fedora, debian and derivatives; one game = one file.

Serialization

Save Game & Storage Libraries

  • arson - Companion library for registering custom data types that can be encoded and decoded by json.lua.
  • binser - Customizable Lua Serializer.
  • bitser - Serializes and deserializes Lua values with LuaJIT.
  • cdata - Serialize between Lua data and C data using LuaJIT's FFI.
  • knife.serialize - Serialize data as a Lua script.
  • Lady - Saving and loading savegames; based on Ser.
  • moonblob - Binary serialization and data parsing library.
  • Ser - Fast, robust, richly-featured table serialization library for Lua.
  • Smallfolk - A fast, robust, secure, richly-featured table serialization library for Lua.
  • trickle - A bitstream library focused on high compression for use in networking.

Shaders

GLSL related Libraries

  • LoveShaderConverter - Convert Shadertoy Shader files to LÖVE GLSL Files with handy utilities for infinite purposes.
  • ngrading - Simple color grading library.
  • Shadertoy viewer - Run code copied from shadertoy directly or output the converted code to a LÖVE shader.
  • Moonshine - Repository of common post-processing effects like blur, vignette, color-grading, etc.
  • ShaderScan - Adds hot reload, includes, and better error messages for faster shader iteration.

Testing

Libraries and Tools for Unit Testing

  • busted - Simple unit-testing framework with customizable assertions.
  • knife.test - Fixture-free test framework.
  • Luassert - Extends assert() with additional, customizable tests.
  • Lunatest - xUnit-style randomized unit testing framework.
  • lust - Minimal test framework.
  • Specl - Behavior Driven Development (BDD) tool.
  • Telescope - Highly-customizable BDD-style testing library.

Tweening

Smoothing & Timer Libraries

  • Flux - A fast, lightweight tweening library for Lua.
  • hump.timer - Timer and tweening library with flexible tweening methods.
  • knife.timer - Create timers and tweens with ease.
  • NAniTe - Timeline-based animation system that supports forward and backward update.
  • tick - Lua module for delaying function calls.
  • tween.lua - Tweening/Easing/Interpolating functions for Lua inspired on jQuery's animate method.

UI

User Interface Libraries

  • CatUI - A very light-weight GUI library for LÖVE.
  • cimgui-love - LÖVE module for Dear ImGui obtained by wrapping cimgui (programmatically generated C-api) using LuaJIT FFI, easy to update to the latest Dear Imgui version.
  • GOOi - Android-oriented GUI library.
  • Gspöt - A stateful GUI lib for LÖVE.
  • Hanker - Maximalist immediate mode-ish UI elements; gamepad-friendly.
  • Helium - A modern, customizable, high performance retained UI framework.
  • Layouter - A simple UI grid layout library for LÖVE 2D game engine.
  • ListBox - A dynamic ListBox for LÖVE that supports touch, mouse, and keyboard inputs.
  • LoveFrames Fork - 11.2 Fork of a GUI library.
  • Love Imgui - Imgui module for the LÖVE game engine.
  • Löve-Nuklear - Lightweight immediate mode GUI for LÖVE games.
  • Lovely Toasts - Floating speech bubbles with text of your choice.
  • Lynx - Very-lightweight list-based UI library.
  • NLay - Flexible layouting library.
  • Patchy - 9patch library.
  • Slicy - A newer 9patch/9slice library fixing some issues with Patchy.
  • Plan - A super simple Rule-based layout library.
  • Polywell - A highly-configurable text editor / coding tool written in Lua that runs on the LÖVE game engine.
  • SafeWord - An overscan detection library for LÖVE.
  • Slab - Slab is an immediate mode GUI toolkit for the LÖVE framework.
  • SUIT - Small immediate mode GUI library.
  • YALG - A very simple, cross-platform, reactive UI for last minute UIs.
  • YUI - Declarative UI library for LÖVE.
  • Inky - Any-purpose GUI framework.
  • Badar 🌕 - Declarative, retained* and flexbox inspired UI library and components.

Utilities

Non-Game specific libraries and tools

  • ArrayRotation - Rotation of two dimensional arrays (square and non-square).
  • cargo - Asset manager.
  • chance.lua - Library for generating random data.
  • colorchanger - Change the colors in your LÖVE game.
  • Flirt - LÖVE version manager; allows to switch between multiple versions of engine on same machine.
  • GifCat - A simple module for saving gifs from LÖVE.
  • hex2color - A single function to use HEX color values.
  • i18n - Internationalization library designed to help localize your game.
  • Ini Parser - General purpose ini configuration parser.
  • log.lua - Library for configurable log output.
  • love-loader - Threaded resource loading.
  • love2d-assets-loader - Assets Loader.
  • love-pe - A tool made in LÖVE for changing LÖVE icon itself.
  • lovely-engine - A tool that makes setting up and using LÖVE easier and with Moonscript support.
  • Lily - Async Asset Loader.
  • luasteam - Lua bindings for the Steamworks API.
  • Luvent - Simple event-driven programming.
  • nativefiledialog - Open a file picker on Windows/Mac/Linux.
  • nativefs - Read and write files outside of LÖVE's allowed paths.
  • Optikon - WYSIWYG visual level designer.
  • ParticleEditor - An editor of particle for LÖVE.
  • particle-system-playground - A basic LÖVE particle system editor.
  • require.lua - Require all files in a folder.
  • splashy - Splash Screen Library.
  • ShakeDetectorLua - Uses accelerometer data for shake device detection written in Lua.
  • tick - Useful timing tweaks for LÖVE's run loop.

Tutorials

Blogs and tutorials

IDEs

Integrated Development Environments and text editor plugins

  • Brackets - A modern, open source text editor by Adobe (obsolete).
  • ZeroBrane Studio - ZeroBrane Studio is a lightweight Lua IDE with code completion, syntax highlighting, live coding, code analyzer, and debugging support.
  • IntelliJ IDEA - Capable and Ergonomic Java IDE.
    • EmmyLua - Lua IDE/Debugger Plugin for VSCode.
    • LÖVE IDEA - Snippets and code completion for IntelliJ-IDEA.
  • Vim - Vim is a highly configurable text editor built to make creating and changing any kind of text very efficient.
  • Notepad++ - Notepad++ is a free source code editor and Notepad replacement that supports several languages.
  • Visual Studio Code - VS Code is a new type of tool that combines the simplicity of a code editor with what developers need for their core edit-build-debug cycle.
  • Sublime Text - Sublime Text is a sophisticated text editor for code, markup and prose. You'll love the slick user interface, extraordinary features and amazing performance.
    • Package Manager - The Sublime Text package manager that makes it exceedingly simple to find, install and keep packages up-to-date.
    • SublimeLove - Supports syntax highlighting, auto-completion, and build system.
    • SublimeLinter-luacheck - Provides linting and static analysis of your Lua code.

Distribution

Tools that automate game publishing in one way or another

  • LÖVE Actions - Build & deploy cross-platform game packages on ALL popular platforms. Supports Android, iOS, Linux, maxOS, Windows.
  • love-packager - Simple CLI to package your LÖVE Game in seconds.
  • boon - Multi-platform, easy to use tool supporting Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • love-export - Fast and simple command-line tool that builds binaries for you. Supports Windows, macOS, and Linux.
  • love-release - A Lua script that automates game distribution. Supports Windows, macOS, Debian, Linux.
  • makelove - Advanced multi-platform tool to fuse your game written in Python 3. Supports Windows and Linux with AppImage.
  • love-deploy - Build and deploy games on itch.io (supports windows and web exports).
  • love-fuser - Packages LÖVE Games using GitHub Actions. Supports Windows, Linux, and Android.

Related

  • awesome-lua - A list like this one, but more general and encompassing all of Lua's uses.
  • awesome-love-shaders - A collection of shaders designed to work in LÖVE.
  • awesome-pico8 - A curated list of PICO-8 resources, tutorials, tools and more.

Other awesome lists can be found in the awesome-awesomeness list.