LITIENGINE Documentation¶

Welcome to the official technical documentation for LITIENGINE, the free and open-source 2D Java Game Engine.

Documentation Sections¶

Quick Setup¶

Add LITIENGINE to your project build configuration:

repositories {
  mavenCentral()
}

dependencies {
  implementation("de.gurkenlabs:litiengine:0.13.0")
}

repositories {
  mavenCentral()
}

dependencies {
  implementation 'de.gurkenlabs:litiengine:0.13.0'
}

<dependency>
  <groupId>de.gurkenlabs</groupId>
  <artifactId>litiengine</artifactId>
  <version>0.13.0</version>
</dependency>

Your First LITIENGINE Window¶

Start your first LITIENGINE application in a few lines of Java:

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package com.example.game;

import de.gurkenlabs.litiengine.Game;

public class Program {
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    Game.info().setName("My First LITIENGINE Game"); // (1)!
    Game.info().setVersion("1.0.0"); // (2)!

    Game.init(args); // (3)!
    Game.start(); // (4)!
  }
}

1. Sets application metadata displayed in window title bars and logger outputs.
2. Sets application version string (1.0.0).
3. Initializes LITIENGINE's core infrastructure, including configuration, window and rendering infrastructure, input, physics, the game loop, and the default camera.
4. Starts the game loop and runtime systems such as audio and tweens.

Run this class and LITIENGINE opens your first game window!

Next Step: Load Your First Map¶

Once you create a .litidata resource bundle in the utiLITI Editor, load and start your game environment:

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package com.example.game;

import de.gurkenlabs.litiengine.Game;
import de.gurkenlabs.litiengine.resources.Resources;

public class Program {
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    Game.info().setName("My First LITIENGINE Game");
    Game.info().setVersion("1.0.0");

    Game.init(args);
    Resources.load("game.litidata"); // (1)!
    Game.world().loadEnvironment("level1"); // (2)!
    Game.start();
  }
}

1. Loads a .litidata resource bundle created with utiLITI.
2. Loads the specified map as the active game environment.

Ready to build your world? Follow the next guide:

Next: Create Your First Project & Map with utiLITI →

Community & Resources¶

Looking for general game engine news, indie showcase games, forum discussions, or downloads?

• Official Website — Engine overview, news, and official releases.
• Community Showcase — Featured games built by the community.
• Community Forum — Discussion boards and technical Q&A.
• Discord Community — Chat in real-time with fellow developers.
• GitHub Repository — Source code, issue tracker, and feature requests.
• API Quick Reference — Core engine method and class cheat sheet.

Support & Sponsor LITIENGINE¶

LITIENGINE is 100% free, independent, and open source. If LITIENGINE helps you build your games, please consider backing the project: