Over the past few days, I’ve been thinking a lot about the journey so far and how much still lies ahead.
And I came to a simple but important truth: Making a game engine into a mass-market product alone is impossible.
Yes, you can write code that:
- Renders graphics
- Computes physics
- Executes scripts
- And even put together an editor
But that doesn’t make the code a product.
What turns code into a product? The answer is simple — users.
A product is when users see not a “pile of code” but a comprehensible tool. When there is:
- Documentation — to understand how it works
- Video tutorials — for those who prefer to watch
- Examples — to get inspired and learn
- A portal with a clear structure and understandable development goals
Is this feasible for one person in the context of a game engine? My answer is NO.
So, if game engine development resonates with you — join in! Together, we have a much better chance of creating something truly great.
At the moment, the project can be conditionally divided into 5 key areas. If you have the knowledge and, most importantly, the desire — you can contribute to any of them!
Thunder Engine
Stack: C++, OpenGL, Vulkan, Metal
The core of the engine with its modules. This is where all the graphics, physics, scripts, and architecture live.
https://github.com/thunder-engine/thunder
WorldEditor
Stack: C++, Qt
The world editor: scene composition, asset management, developer tools.
https://github.com/thunder-engine/thunder
Documentation
Stack: reStructuredText, Sphinx, Python, QDoc
Documentation for the editor + automatically generated API documentation.
https://github.com/thunder-engine/thunder-doc
Thunder Hub
Stack: C++, Qt, QML
A launcher application for managing projects and installed engine versions.
https://github.com/thunder-engine/thunder-hub
Website
Stack: HTML, GitHub Pages, Jekyll
The official project website. In the future — a platform for network services.
https://github.com/thunder-engine/thunderengine.org
This list will grow — new projects and areas will emerge. If any of these topics resonate with you — join in! Together, we can achieve more!
