LÖVE (game framework) explained

LÖVE
Released:	^[1]
Latest Release Version:	11.5^[2]
Programming Language:	C++
Platform:	FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, Android
Genre:	Application framework
License:	zlib license

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

Version!class=unsortable

Code name	class=unsortable	Added	Release date
0.1.1	Santa-Power	Reading and displaying images. Reading and playing sounds. Loading and rendering fonts. Keyboard and mouse support.
0.2.0	Mini-Moose	Added a screen that displays if no game is loaded. Adding an animation system. Added text formatting functions.
0.2.1	Impending Doom	Added many filesystem functions. Added dedicated save folders for games.
0.3.0	Mutant Vermin	Addition of the particle system.
0.3.1	Meat Space	Bug fixes.
0.3.2	Lemony Fresh	Added several graphical functions.
0.4.0	Taco Beam	Added physics engine Box2D.^[8]
0.5.0	Salted Nuts	Added joystick support. Support of protocols TCP/UDP using luasocket.
0.6.0	Jiggly Juice	Removed the animation system. Added support for managing events like key presses.
0.6.1	Jiggly Juice	Added function to set and get a Box2D body's fixed rotation. Added function to set the inertia of a Box2D body.
0.6.2	Jiggly Juice	Bug fixes.
0.7.0	Game Slave	Added support for working with fonts.
0.7.1	Game Slave	Bug fixes.
0.7.2	Game Slave	Updated libraries for Windows version.
0.8.0	Rubber Piggy	Added UTF-8 support for fonts. Added PNG and JPEG encoding.
0.9.0	Baby Inspector	Added better multiplayer networking support.
0.9.1	Baby Inspector	Added support for opening a URL with a web or file browser.
0.9.2	Baby Inspector	Added UTF-8 encoding support.
0.10.0	Super Toast	Supports Android and iOS.^[9] Added touch screen support. Added video support.
0.10.1	Super Toast	Added configuration option for saving files in internal or external storage on Android devices.
0.10.2	Super Toast	Added the ability to restart the application.
11.0	Mysterious Mysteries	Support for meshes. Various additions to shaders (such as the effect method). Ability to record from a microphone. Consolidation of many object methods into new methods. Added many new formats to stencil/depth buffers. Audio effects such as reverberation and echoing. Added support for Base64 encoding, MD5 hashing, and more.
11.1	Mysterious Mysteries	Bug fixes.
11.2	Mysterious Mysteries	Added functions to set and get a Box2D body's transform.
11.3	Mysterious Mysteries	Added support for loading FLAC audio files. Added support for recording audio from the microphone on Android devices. Added support for uncompressed DirectDraw Surface files.
11.4	Mysterious Mysteries	Added native Apple Silicon support on macOS.
11.5	Mysterious Mysteries	Added new game launcher on Android for easier loading of games.
12.0	TBA		In Development

Features

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

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

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]

External links

• • Web site: LÖVE GitHub repository. on GitHub. 10 April 2022. en.
• Web site: Chart of LÖVE engine games on itch.io. 2000+ titles, circa 2024. . . August 21, 2024 . en.

Notes and References

1. Web site: LÖVE version history . 2019-06-01 .
2. Web site: LÖVE 11.5 . 2024-01-07 .
3. Web site: 0.10.0 - LOVE. love2d.org. 7 August 2023.
4. Web site: en. The power of Löve !. Korben. January 14, 2011. Korben.info.
5. Web site: en. PiLove - LÖVE on RaspberryPI. mitako.eu.
6. Web site: en. Posts Tagged'love2d'. Ludum Dare.
7. Web site: The most popular engines for indie games. Rob Beschizza. July 17, 2018. Boingboing.
8. Web site: Florent Zara. Release of Löve 0.4.0, a free 2D game engine. LinuxFr. September 1, 2008.
9. News: en. Christian Nutt. New version of free LÖVE 2D game framework adds mobile support. Gamasutra. December 22, 2015.
10. Web site: love.touch - LOVE. love2d.org. 7 August 2023.
11. Web site: love.joystick - LOVE. love2d.org. 7 August 2023.
12. Web site: utf8 - LOVE. love2d.org. 7 August 2023.
13. Web site: Image Formats - LOVE. love2d.org. 7 August 2023.
14. Web site: Audio Formats - LOVE. love2d.org. 7 August 2023.
15. Web site: love.video - LOVE. love2d.org. 7 August 2023.
16. Web site: love.physics - LOVE. love2d.org. 7 August 2023.
17. Web site: socket - LOVE. love2d.org. 7 August 2023.
18. Web site: lua-enet - LOVE. love2d.org. 7 August 2023.
19. Web site: Kingdom Rush. steamdb.info. 26 March 2024.
20. Web site: Mari0 Source. github.com. 26 March 2024.
21. Web site: oh my giraffe · a delightful game of survival. www.ohmygiraffe.com. 7 August 2023.
22. Web site: BLUE REVOLVER. bluerevolvergame.com. 7 August 2023.
23. Web site: BLUE REVOLVER. steamdb.info. 26 March 2024.
24. Web site: Move or Die. steamdb.info. 26 March 2024.
25. Web site: Warlock's Tower on Steam. store.steampowered.com. 7 August 2023.
26. Web site: Aeon of Sands - The Trail on Steam. store.steampowered.com. 7 August 2023.
27. Web site: BYTEPATH on Steam. store.steampowered.com. 7 August 2023.
28. Web site: BYTEPATH development tutorial. github.com. 26 March 2024.
29. Web site: Metanet Hunter G4 by NIGHT KAWATA. itch.io. 7 August 2023.
30. Web site: Intravenous' IGDB bio . www.igdb.com . August 21, 2024.
31. Web site: Gravity Circuit's IGDB bio . www.igdb.com . August 22, 2024.
32. Web site: Moonring. itch.io. 12 January 2024.
33. Web site: Balatro. steamdb.info. 26 March 2024.
34. Web site: en. Tiled. mapeditor.org.
35. Web site: Simple Tiled Implementation. github.com. 8 April 2022.
36. Web site: en. Anim8. love2d.org.
37. Web site: en. An animation library for LÖVE. github. 8 April 2022.
38. Web site: [LIKO-12 V0.0.5 PRE] An open-source pico-8-inspired game dev environment for love2d]. love2d.org. September 18, 2016.
39. Web site: en. Lutro. github. 2 March 2022.
40. Web site: en. ChaiLove - Another Take on 2D Game Development. December 26, 2017. RobLoach. libretro.
41. Web site: en. love.js. github.com.
42. Web site: g3d. github.com.