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Solomon Eseme
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May 2, 2025 ⋅ 15 min read

Best JavaScript and HTML5 game engines (updated for 2025)

Solomon Eseme I am a software developer who is geared toward building high-performing and innovative products following best practices and industry standards. I also love writing about it at masteringbackend.com. Follow me on Twitter @kaperskyguru, on Facebook, onLinkedIn, and on About.Me at Solomon Eseme." Follow me: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, about.me

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18 Replies to "Best JavaScript and HTML5 game engines (updated for 2025)"

  1. Nice!

    Check out the lib I made. It combines Phaser and Three.js and adds 3D physics to it.

    (I plan to support PixiJS as well in the future.)

    It is called enable3d.io 🙂

  2. I’ve used Isogenic Game Engine (IGE) a few times.
    It’s a 2.5d engine with scenegraph-based rendering pipeline and a ton of other features.
    Free and open source irrelon/ige on github

  3. First you say
    “Since Three.js is based on JavaScript, it’s relatively easy to add any interactivity between 3D objects and user interfaces, such as keyboard and mouse. This makes the library perfectly suitable for making 3D games on the web.”

    Then you say
    “Cons – Not a game engine: If you’re looking for features beyond rendering – you won’t find many here”

    Which is it then lol

  4. I made the friGame engine, back in 2011, you can check it out here:

    http://frigame.org/

    It’s very mature and stable, as it has nearly 10 years of development behind it.
    It focuses on compatibility (it’s the only engine that I know of that still supports IE6, other than gameQuery), without sacrificing speed or features.
    It’s geared towards 2D games, and all the Cownado ( http://cownado.com ) games are built using friGame.

  5. You can make a text game with plain html, a visual novel or click adventure with just html and graphics, etc. Three.js could make a simple game like this, but with no support for collision detection, it can’t even make pong.

    1. It can, collision detection logic can be created by you, just need some mathematical formulas calculating distance between objects.

      I created a ping-pong game with Pygame(2d game engine) which is base on Python.Most of the hardwork was done by me because Pygame lacks alot of features.

      Collision Detection can varies with objects like circle, squares or point(Xaxis and Yaxis)

      But the Formula you used depends on the game world(2d or 3d).

      distance = √(x2-x1)² + (y2 – y1)²

      X2 – object A “x” position
      X1 – object B “x” position

      Y2 – object A “y” position
      Y1 – object B “x” position

      This will work in a 2d game but haven’t tried it on a 3d game.I used Threejs but It is better of for animations.

      3d games are based on X, Y and Z axis.

      so the formula should become

      distance =
      √(x2 – x1)² + (y2 – y1)² + (z2 – z1)²

      This Formula for the 3d detection hasn’t be tried by me but I saw it in a text book that has to do with Vectors.This Formula will work when you calculating distances between Points. Other Programmers I know tend to draw a shape around each object and apply a detection formula to it.

  6. Thank you for compiling this comprehensive list of the best JavaScript and HTML5 game engines! Your article is a valuable resource for game developers looking to explore their options and create engaging experiences. I appreciate the effort you put into researching and sharing insights about these game engines. Keep up the excellent work in the game development community!

  7. You’re welcome! H5 games are indeed very popular, offering great compatibility across multiple devices. I’ve made a Sprunki game called Scrunkly.

  8. you for highlighting the top 6 JavaScript and HTML5 game engines. This compilation is incredibly valuable for both aspiring and experienced game developers looking to create browser-based games or cross-platform titles.

    JavaScript and HTML5 have revolutionized web-based game development, offering powerful tools that rival traditional game engines. These engines provide developers with robust frameworks, extensive libraries, and optimized performance, making it easier than ever to create engaging and visually stunning games that run directly in web browsers.

  9. These frameworks have contributed greatly to the development of games, and I believe that more and more visual effects will use Javascript and H5 technology stack.

  10. Great roundup of JavaScript and HTML5 game engines! 🎮 I appreciate how you’ve highlighted each engine’s strengths, making it easier for developers to choose the right one based on their project needs. Phaser and Three.js are definitely among my favorites, but it’s also exciting to see lesser-known engines getting the recognition they deserve.

    It would be interesting to compare performance benchmarks or real-world use cases of these engines. Have you encountered any recent trends in the game dev community regarding their adoption? Thanks for this well-structured and informative article.

  11. I appreciate the effort you put into researching and sharing insights about these game engines. Keep up the excellent work in the game development community!

  12. I always loved and giggled when purple rocket website had an informative article on any issue, especially those not very well explored and appearing as the first search result. But I can’t believe there is something missing this time! 🦖 KAPLAY.js really should have been in the list or mentioned at least, now that the article was updated for 2025! 🙂

  13. This article is a great overview of JavaScript game engines! It’s super helpful to see the comparison table. Maybe I’ll finally give Three.js a try. It would be cool to create something like Mage Arena using some of these tools.

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