Anura Game Engine is an open-source, C++-based game engine designed primarily for creating 2D games. It is known for its flexibility, ease of use, and powerful scripting capabilities. Below is an overview of its history, features, and what makes it a unique choice for 2D game development.
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History of Anura Game Engine
- Origins:
- Anura Game Engine was originally developed as part of the Frogatto & Friends project, a 2D platformer game.
- The engine was created to meet the specific needs of the game, including support for rich animations, physics, and scripting.
- Open Source:
- The engine was released as open-source software under the zlib license, making it freely available to the community.
- Development:
- Anura has seen continuous development, with contributions from both the core team and the open-source community.
- While the engine is primarily associated with Frogatto & Friends, it has been used for other 2D game projects as well.
Key Features of Anura Game Engine
- C++ Core:
- Written in C++, Anura provides high performance and low-level control, making it suitable for demanding 2D games.
- Powerful Scripting:
- Anura uses FML (Formula Language), a custom scripting language designed specifically for the engine.
- FML is easy to learn and allows developers to create complex game logic without needing to modify the engine’s C++ code.
- Rich Animation System:
- The engine supports skeletal animation and blend shapes, enabling smooth and complex character animations.
- It also includes tools for creating and managing animation states.
- Physics and Collision Detection:
- Anura integrates a physics engine for realistic movement and interactions.
- Supports collision detection and response, making it ideal for platformers and other physics-based games.
- Cross-Platform Support:
- Games created with Anura can be exported to multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and iOS.
- Customizable Editor:
- Anura includes a level editor that allows developers to create and modify game levels with ease.
- The editor is highly customizable, enabling developers to tailor it to their specific needs.
- Open Source and Free:
- Released under the zlib license, Anura is free to use, modify, and distribute, making it accessible to indie developers and small studios.
- Active Community:
- Anura has a dedicated community of developers and artists who contribute to its development and share their knowledge.
Anura game engine is written 80% in C++ and 14% in C.
OpenHub
Anura provides its own markup language, FSON, its own logic language, FFL, and comes with its own graphical level-editor. It supports Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
Anura – Specifications
- Anura supports motion blur by allowing a custom object to have a number of blur objects attached to it.
- Anura supports particle systems, a common graphical technique used to visually simulate things like spraying water, smoke, fire, sparks, dust.
- It provides level editor to edit the current level in the game.
Games Developed using Anura
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Useful Resources
- Anura Game Engine Website: https://github.com/anura-engine/anura
- Building Games using Anura: https://frogatto.com/developing-games-using-the-frogatto-engine-table-of-contents/