Löve (game engine)

LÖVE

Initial release	January 13, 2008; 14 years ago (2008-01-13)[1]
Stable release	11.4[2] / January 2, 2022; 52 days ago (2022-01-02)
Repository	github.com/love2d/love
Written in	C++
Platform	Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, Android, other
Type	Game engine
License	zlib license
Website	love2d.org

LÖVE (or Love2D) is an open-source cross-platform engine for developing 2D video games. The engine is written in C++ and uses Lua as its scripting language. It is published under the zlib license.

The API provided by the engine 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 engine called piLöve has been specifically ported to Raspberry Pi.^[5]

It also provides a basic "sandbox" management of the files in order to avoid giving access to all its disk to the executed games.

LÖVE is still maintained by its original developers.

This engine is frequently found in the compositions of video game development competitions, such as the international competition Ludum Dare.^[6]

In July 2018, it was the 10th game engine most used by independents on the site itch.io,^[7] holding a 1.97% share.

History[]

Features[]

These features come with the game engine:

• support of OpenGL pixel shaders GLSL,
• touchscreen support,
• support for UTF-8,
• supports image formats PNG, JPEG, GIF, TGA and BMP,^[10]
• possibility to use the 2D physics engine Box2D (can be disabled, to lighten the library),
• luasocket library for network communications TCP/UDP,
• lua-enet library, another network library implementing Enet, a reliable protocol based on UDP
• native management of tiles created in the Tiled Map Editor.^[11]

Portability and usage[]

LÖVE is cross-platform.

Application compatibility is not ensured between different LÖVE versions.

Additional Libraries & Implementations[]

There are various libraries and forks of LÖVE to improve basic functions, such as object-oriented programming with inheritance and overloading, interpolations, camera management, network multiplayer management, game state management, configuration, etc.

• The Simple Tiled Implementation library allows users to load levels as tiles, edit using Tiled^[12] and display them in games. It works in conjunction with Box2D for collision management with this decor.^[13]
• The anim8 library allows users to load animations, for characters for example, from an image grid into a bitmap file (PNG or JPEG).^[14][15]
• There is also a free platform (GPLv3) called LIKO-12, inspired by the PICO-8 fantasy console and using LÖVE, allowing to develop applications in a limited resolution, backup/restore in the modified PNG format, in the same way as the video game cartridges of the game consoles or some of the first microcomputers, and export them to HTML5 or to systems supported by LÖVE.^[16]
• Lutro is a Lua game framework for libretro, a partial port of the LÖVE^[17] API. ChaiLove follows a similar path by offering an implementation in , an embedded and cross-platform scripting language for C++ (C++14).^[18]
• 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.^[19]

Bibliography[]

• Damilare Darmie Akinlaja (2013). LÖVE2d for Lua Game Programming -master the Lua programming language and build exciting strategy-based games in 2D using the LÖVE framework. PacktPub. ISBN 9781461946038. OCLC 864886612.
• Jayant Varma (2012). Learn Lua for iOS game development. Apress. ISBN 9781430246633. OCLC 834071764.

References[]

External links[]

• Official website
• "Love repo". on GitHub.
• "Your First Love2d Game in 200 Lines - Part 1 of 3". osmstudios.
• Agam More. "How to Learn LÖVE (Love2D)". .