Defold is a free and open-source game development framework for Windows, Mac and Linux platforms. It's renowned for its intuitive design, powerful features, and extensive community support. Its focus on rapid iteration and collaboration makes it an ideal choice for teams of all sizes, from solo developers to large studios.

Defold is primarily used for creating 2D games, but it also has the capability to handle 3D games. Additionally, games created with Defold have the advantage of using minimal system resources, and having small bundle sizes. This efficiency is achieved through the engine's modularization and optimized core.

Defold's visual scripting system enables designers and engineers to work together seamlessly, bridging the gap between technical and creative disciplines. With its robust high-level API, developers can access the engine's core functionality without compromising accessibility.

Defold's advanced physics engine provides realistic and interactive physics simulations, enhancing gameplay experiences with immersive physics-based interactions. Its asset pipeline and editor tools streamline the development process, allowing artists and designers to create and integrate assets efficiently.

Defold supports various platforms, including Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, HTML5, and consoles like Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4, empowering developers to reach a wide audience. By leveraging the power of Lua scripting language, it offers a unique blend of flexibility and performance, making it an excellent choice for prototyping, small-scale games, and complex AAA titles alike.

Key Features

Feature Description
No setup Defold comes fully featured out of the box. There's nothing to set up or configure, not even when building. Simply download the editor and get creative!
  • Visual Editor
  • Code Editor
  • Lua Scripting
  • Lua Debugger
  • Scene Editor
  • Particle Editor
  • Tilemap Editor
  • 2D & 3D
Truly cross-platform Using just one code base, and without the need for external tools, Defold lets you publish your game to all of the major platforms:
  • PlayStation®5
  • PlayStation®4
  • Nintendo Switch
  • Android
  • iOS
  • macOS
  • Linux
  • Windows
  • Steam
  • HTML5
  • Facebook
  • Q3 2024 XBox
Turn-key solution
  • Use basic building blocks to create complex behaviour.
  • Everything you need to make a game in one tool
  • Write game logic using Lua.
  • Zero-config cloud build for native code
Custom configuration
  • Add new functionality from the Asset Portal.
  • Setup your own local build environment.
  • Write your own native code to extend the engine.
  • Integrated with tools such as Atom, VS Code, Spine and Tiled.
Free. Forever.
  • No up-front cost.
  • No licensing cost.
  • No royalties.
  • No runtime fee.
  • Free forever. Thanks to the objectives of the Defold Foundation.
Production ready
  • Proven track record of game releases on mobile, web, desktop and consoles.
  • Integrations with analytics, app economy and game services available out of the box.
  • Actively developed, with a new release every month.
  • Technical support contracts available if needed.

Official Demo Videos

Related Links

Download URLs

License Version Download Size
Freeware Latest (mir1, mir2) n/a
(Homepage | SourceForge | GitHub | Steam)