tools

bevy

A refreshingly simple data-driven game engine.

godot

The great foss game engine.

raylib

Very simple c library. Slightly higher level than opengl/glfw.

sdl

Much more popular, but slightly more ornary game dev library.

https://deepnight.itch.io/ldtk

2D level design tool.

https://rxi.itch.io/tilekit

Similar to above, but paid.

https://lexaloffle.itch.io/pico-8

The cutest lil game engine.

https://bleubleu.itch.io/famistudio

Simple DAW for chiptune.

https://rxi.itch.io/sfxia

Sound effect generator.

https://watabou.itch.io/one-page-dungeon

Dungeon map generator.

techniques

ecs

Describing your game in terms of entities, components, and systems.

ray tracing

A technique of modeling light transport. Generally, it's a more accurate, but slower technique compared with scanline rendering.

game movement

How to not be framerate dependant.

world generation

Various techniques for creating realistic terrain.

game grids

Grids are great for tactical gameplay of turn-based games because they allow discrete movement steps.

https://www.realtimerendering.com/

A "practitioner's manual" of real-time rendering techniques, including shadows, GI, and pretty much everything else.

https://www.pbr-book.org/

A brilliant new (2023) free book about PBR, contains the latest algorithms and techniques. Probably a better introduction than realtimerendering.

https://fabiensanglard.net/another_world_polygons/

Old game optimizations.

https://sszczep.github.io/ray-casting-in-2d-game-engines/

2D ray casting.

https://jobtalle.com/swarm_behaviour.html

Swarm AI.

https://jobtalle.com/simulated_ecosystems.html

Simulated ecosystems.

http://tksharpless.net/vedutismo/Pannini/

The Pannini projection is a mathematical rule for constructing perspective images with very wide fields of view.

https://dysonlogos.blog/2011/09/03/dungeon-doodles-a-crosshatching-tutorial/

Notebook dungeon map aesthetic.