Freedom251 › Game Engine Software
melonJS
by melonJS
What melonJS is
melonJS is a free, open-source 2.5D game engine for indie developers. Released under the MIT License, it supports JavaScript and TypeScript for web browsers and mobile devices through Capacitor-wrapped apps. Rendering uses WebGPU, WebGL 2, or Canvas2D, with automatic fallback. The engine is approximately 250 KB minzipped and has no dependencies. Its toolkit includes physics, tilemaps, audio, input, cameras, tweens, particles, and UI. It loads glTF and GLB scenes with meshes, materials, cameras, lights, and node animation. Tiled maps can use orthogonal, isometric, or hexagonal layouts with multiple layers and parallax scrolling. Physics includes polygon SAT collision plus pluggable Matter.js and Planck adapters, and an official Spine 4.3 plugin is available. Inputs include mouse, touch, keyboard, gamepad, and accelerometer. Mobile export is supported, while visual scripting and console export are not. The published bundle targets ES2022.
Who it suits
It suits indie developers building browser games or Capacitor-based mobile apps with JavaScript or TypeScript. Developers targeting older browsers must account for the ES2022 bundle target.
What it does well
- Free under the MIT License
- Supports WebGPU, WebGL 2, and Canvas2D
- Approximately 250 KB minzipped
- No dependencies
- Exports to mobile through Capacitor
What to know first
- No visual scripting
- No console export
- Older browsers require transpiling
- No built-in multiplayer tools
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| melonJS | Open-source game engine · MIT License · no cost | Free |
As melonjs.org lists them, read 8 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
melonJS provides a compact, dependency-free 2.5D engine with broad rendering, input, physics, and level-design features. Its ES2022 target and lack of visual scripting may affect project setup choices.
Facts from melonJS's own pages
- 3D scenes
- It loads glTF and GLB scenes, including meshes, materials, cameras, lights, and node animation. · melonjs.org, 8 Oct 2026
- Compatibility limit
- The published bundle targets ES2022, so older browsers require transpiling melonJS together with the user's code. · melonjs.org, 8 Oct 2026
- Console export
- No · melonjs.org, 24 Sept 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · melonjs.org, 24 Sept 2026
- Game features
- Its feature set includes physics, tilemaps, audio, input, cameras, tweens, particles, and UI. · melonjs.org, 8 Oct 2026
- Headquarters
- Singapore · melonjs.org, 19 Oct 2026
- Input
- Supported inputs include mouse, touch, keyboard, gamepad, and accelerometer. · melonjs.org, 8 Oct 2026
- Level design
- It supports Tiled maps, including orthogonal, isometric, and hexagonal maps with multiple layers and parallax scrolling. · melonjs.org, 8 Oct 2026
- License and price
- The engine is released under the MIT License at no cost. · melonjs.org, 8 Oct 2026
- Maker
- The GitHub README says melonJS is actively maintained by the team at AltByte in Singapore. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
- Mobile export
- Yes · melonjs.org, 24 Sept 2026
- Multiplayer tools
- No · melonjs.org, 24 Sept 2026
- Other integrations
- It provides official plugin integration for Spine 4.3. · melonjs.org, 8 Oct 2026
- Physics integrations
- Physics supports polygon SAT collision and pluggable Matter.js and Planck adapters. · melonjs.org, 8 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- melonJS is an open-source 2.5D game engine for indie developers. · melonjs.org, 8 Oct 2026
- Rendering
- It supports WebGPU, WebGL 2, and Canvas2D with automatic fallback between renderers. · melonjs.org, 8 Oct 2026
- Scripting languages
- JavaScript; TypeScript · melonjs.org, 24 Sept 2026
- Size and dependencies
- The engine is approximately 250 KB minzipped and has no dependencies. · melonjs.org, 8 Oct 2026
- Source code model
- open_source · melonjs.org, 24 Sept 2026
- Support
- The site links to a Discord community for chat and support. · melonjs.org, 8 Oct 2026
- Target platforms
- Web browsers; mobile devices via Capacitor-wrapped apps · melonjs.org, 24 Sept 2026
- Visual scripting
- No · melonjs.org, 24 Sept 2026
Where melonJS stands on Freedom251
- Game Engine Software#43 of 92