Owl aims to be a simple game engine. The main goal of this engine is learning game engine development.

Documentation

The full documentation is available on the dedicated website .

Platform

We try to be multiplatform and using different compilers:

• Windows x64
  • mingw g++ 14 (and above)
  • mingw clang++ 19 (and above)
• Linux x64 & arm64
  • Ubuntu 22.04 (glibc 2.35) g++ 12 (and above)
  • Ubuntu 22.04 (glibc 2.35) clang++ 15 (and above)

backends API

inputs

Different inputs backend are available:

• Null - for no windowing nor mouse/keyboard/gamepad managed input (for server use)
• GLFW - for windowing and user input management using glfw library.

graphics

This engine requires a graphic card that supports one of the following renderer:

• Null - for no graphic rendering (Server for example)
• OpenGL - Use OpenGL 4.5 (you must have Graphics device that supports it. Known that most arm644 device does not support it)
• Vulkan - Use Vulkan 1.3 (you must have Graphics device that supports it)

sound

This engine supports different sound device for either input stream or sound play:

• Null - for no sound (Server for example)
• OpenAL - Use OpenAL (you must have Sound device that supports it, and the required lib/drivers installed)

Dependencies

Dependencies manager

Dependencies are managed by my dependency tool: DepManger .

As we are using file based dependency definition in depmanager.yml, the dependency will be automatically downloaded with the right version during cmake configure step (the depmanager client should be configured to use a repository that contains the right packages).

Dependencies are hosted by my dependency server DepManagerServer.

Dependencies in the configuration file have explicit version number, that is done on purpose: it then requires a commit to upgrade (so keep a track of upgrades and keep stable the potential build of old revisions of this code).

Dependencies sources

All the dependencies and their recipes for DepManager are available in a separate repository OwlDependencies.

Most are configured as git submodules.

Build

To build the engine Cmake (>3.24) is required.

Most user will use one of the cmake's preset defined.

RoadMap

• [ ] v0.0.2 – Future – unordered Ideas & thoughts
  • [ ] sound
    • [ ] moving sound
  • [ ] graphics
    • [ ] HUD display
    • [ ] animated textures.
    • [ ] advanced materials.
    • [ ] simple lighting.
    • [ ] backgrounds/skyboxes
  • [ ] Gameplay
    • [ ] inventory
      • [ ] collectible objets
      • [ ] switches 'key-locked'
    • [ ] enemies
    • [ ] Possibility to jump between scenes.
  • Misc
    • [ ] Different Scene types
      • [ ] Games
      • [ ] Menus
    • [ ] Pausing games
    • [ ] General settings management
    • [ ] Configurable keymap
    • [ ] asset packing
      • [ ] game runner
  • Game designer (Owl Map)
    • [ ] Global game settings
    • [ ] menu edition
    • [ ] Node editing
    • [ ] Export 'game' for the game runner (everything needed for the runner to become standalone).
• [X] v0.0.1 – 2025-02-04 – First basic Release
  • Minimal Vital: possibility to run very simple games defined in scenes