LÖVE (game framework)
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Initial release | January 13, 2008[1] |
---|---|
Stable release | 11.5[2]
/ December 3, 2023 |
Repository | |
Written in | C++ |
Platform | FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, Android |
Type | Application framework |
License | zlib license |
Website | love2d |
LÖVE is a free, open-source, cross-platform framework released under the zlib license for developing video games. The framework is written in C++ and uses Lua as its scripting language and is still maintained by its original developers. The framework is cross-platform supporting the platforms Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS.
The API provided by the framework gives access to the video and sound functions of the host machine through the libraries SDL and OpenGL, or since version 0.10 also OpenGL ES 2 and 3.[3] Fonts can be rendered by the FreeType engine.[4] A version of the framework called piLöve has been specifically ported to Raspberry Pi.[5]
The framework is frequently found in the compositions of video game development competitions, such as the game development competition Ludum Dare.[6] In July 2018, it was the 10th most popular game development software used by independent game developers on the site Itch.io,[7] holding a 1.97% share.
Version History
[edit]Version | Code name | Added | Release date |
---|---|---|---|
0.1.1 | Santa-Power |
|
January 13, 2008 |
0.2.0 | Mini-Moose |
|
February 6, 2008 |
0.2.1 | Impending Doom |
|
March 29, 2008 |
0.3.0 | Mutant Vermin |
|
June 17, 2008 |
0.3.1 | Meat Space |
|
June 21, 2008 |
0.3.2 | Lemony Fresh |
|
July 4, 2008 |
0.4.0 | Taco Beam |
|
August 29, 2008 |
0.5.0 | Salted Nuts |
|
January 2, 2009 |
0.6.0 | Jiggly Juice |
|
December 24, 2009 |
0.6.1 | Jiggly Juice | February 7, 2010 | |
0.6.2 | Jiggly Juice |
|
March 6, 2010 |
0.7.0 | Game Slave |
|
December 5, 2010 |
0.7.1 | Game Slave |
|
February 14, 2011 |
0.7.2 | Game Slave |
|
May 4, 2011 |
0.8.0 | Rubber Piggy |
|
April 2, 2012 |
0.9.0 | Baby Inspector |
|
December 13, 2013 |
0.9.1 | Baby Inspector |
|
April 1, 2014 |
0.9.2 | Baby Inspector |
|
February 14, 2015 |
0.10.0 | Super Toast | December 22, 2015 | |
0.10.1 | Super Toast |
|
February 14, 2016 |
0.10.2 | Super Toast |
|
October 31, 2016 |
11.0 | Mysterious Mysteries |
|
April 1, 2018 |
11.1 | Mysterious Mysteries |
|
April 15, 2018 |
11.2 | Mysterious Mysteries |
|
November 25, 2018 |
11.3 | Mysterious Mysteries |
|
October 27, 2019 |
11.4 | Mysterious Mysteries |
|
January 22, 2022 |
11.5 | Mysterious Mysteries |
|
December 3, 2023 |
12.0 | TBA | In Development |
Features
[edit]The framework provides these features:
- Supports OpenGL pixel shaders GLSL.
- Supports touchscreen for mobile devices.[10]
- Supports joysticks by providing interface for connected joysticks.[11]
- Supports UTF-8.[12]
- Supports image formats: PNG, JPEG, GIF, TGA and BMP.[13]
- Supports audio formats: WAV, OGG, and MP3.[14]
- Supports video formats: OGV.[15]
- Supports the physics engine Box2D in games, which can be disabled to lighten the library.[16]
- Supports the LuaSocket library for network communications TCP/UDP.[17]
- Supports the lua-enet library, another network library implementing Enet, a reliable protocol based on UDP.[18]
Notable Games
[edit]Semi-popular games that have been made with LÖVE.
- Kingdom Rush (2011)[19]
- Mari0 (2012)[20]
- Oh My Giraffe (2014)[21]
- Blue Revolver (2016)[22][23]
- Move or Die (2016)[24]
- Warlock's Tower (2017)[25]
- Aeon of Sands - The Trail (2018)[26]
- BYTEPATH (2018)[27][28]
- Metanet Hunter G4 (2020)[29]
- Intravenous series (2021-2024)[30]
- Gravity Circuit (2023)[31]
- Moonring (2023)[32]
- Balatro (2024)[33]
Libraries & Implementations
[edit]There are various libraries and forks of LÖVE to improve basic functions, such as OOP with inheritance and overloading, interpolations, cameras, gamestates, etc. This is a small list of some:
- The Simple Tiled Implementation library allows users to load levels as tiles, edit using Tiled[34] and display them in games. It works in conjunction with Box2D for collision management with this decor.[35]
- The anim8 library allows users to load animations, for characters for example, from an image grid into a bitmap file (PNG or JPEG).[36][37]
- LIKO-12 is a free platform inspired by the PICO-8 fantasy console and uses LÖVE. It allows users to develop applications in a limited resolution, backup/restore in the modified PNG format, in the same way as video game cartridges or some of the first microcomputers, and export them to HTML5 or to systems supported by LÖVE.[38]
- Lutro is a Lua game framework for libretro, a partial port of the LÖVE[39] API. ChaiLove follows a similar path by offering an implementation in ChaiScript, an embedded and cross-platform scripting language for C++ (C++14).[40]
- love.js is a port of LÖVE that aims to make it possible to run LÖVE games on the web via HTML5, WebGL, and Emscripten.[41]
- g3d is a 3D engine that simplifies 3D capabilities in LÖVE. It allows for 3D model rendering, .obj file loading, first person movement and camera controls, perspective and orthographic projections, 3D collisions and more.[42]
References
[edit]- ^ "LÖVE version history". Retrieved 2019-06-01.
- ^ "LÖVE 11.5". Retrieved 2024-01-07.
- ^ "0.10.0 - LOVE". love2d.org. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
- ^ Korben (January 14, 2011). "The power of Löve !". Korben.info.
- ^ "PiLove - LÖVE on RaspberryPI". mitako.eu.
- ^ "Posts Tagged'love2d'". Ludum Dare.
- ^ Rob Beschizza (July 17, 2018). "The most popular engines for indie games". Boingboing.
- ^ Florent Zara (September 1, 2008). "Release of Löve 0.4.0, a free 2D game engine". LinuxFr.
- ^ Christian Nutt (December 22, 2015). "New version of free LÖVE 2D game framework adds mobile support". Gamasutra.
- ^ "love.touch - LOVE". love2d.org. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
- ^ "love.joystick - LOVE". love2d.org. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
- ^ "utf8 - LOVE". love2d.org. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
- ^ "Image Formats - LOVE". love2d.org. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
- ^ "Audio Formats - LOVE". love2d.org. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
- ^ "love.video - LOVE". love2d.org. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
- ^ "love.physics - LOVE". love2d.org. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
- ^ "socket - LOVE". love2d.org. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
- ^ "lua-enet - LOVE". love2d.org. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
- ^ "Kingdom Rush". steamdb.info. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ "Mari0 Source". github.com. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ "oh my giraffe · a delightful game of survival". www.ohmygiraffe.com. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
- ^ "BLUE REVOLVER". bluerevolvergame.com. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
- ^ "BLUE REVOLVER". steamdb.info. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ "Move or Die". steamdb.info. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ "Warlock's Tower on Steam". store.steampowered.com. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
- ^ "Aeon of Sands - The Trail on Steam". store.steampowered.com. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
- ^ "BYTEPATH on Steam". store.steampowered.com. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
- ^ "BYTEPATH development tutorial". github.com. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ "Metanet Hunter G4 by NIGHT KAWATA". itch.io. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
- ^ "Intravenous' IGDB bio". www.igdb.com. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
- ^ "Gravity Circuit's IGDB bio". www.igdb.com. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
- ^ "Moonring". itch.io. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
- ^ "Balatro". steamdb.info. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ "Tiled". mapeditor.org.
- ^ "Simple Tiled Implementation". github.com. 8 April 2022.
- ^ "Anim8". love2d.org.
- ^ "An animation library for LÖVE". github. 8 April 2022.
- ^ "[LIKO-12 V0.0.5 PRE] An open-source pico-8-inspired game dev environment for love2d". love2d.org. September 18, 2016.
- ^ "Lutro". github. 2 March 2022.
- ^ RobLoach (December 26, 2017). "ChaiLove - Another Take on 2D Game Development". libretro.
- ^ "love.js". github.com.
- ^ "g3d". github.com.
External links
[edit]- Official website
- "LÖVE GitHub repository". on GitHub. 10 April 2022.
- "Chart of LÖVE engine games on itch.io. 2000+ titles, circa 2024". on itch.io. Retrieved August 21, 2024.