# axmol
**Repository Path**: simdsoft/axmol
## Basic Information
- **Project Name**: axmol
- **Description**: A Multi-platform Engine for Desktop, XBOX (UWP) and Mobile games. (A radical fork of Cocos2d-x-4.0)
- **Primary Language**: C++
- **License**: MIT
- **Default Branch**: dev
- **Homepage**: None
- **GVP Project**: No
## Statistics
- **Stars**: 49
- **Forks**: 11
- **Created**: 2020-02-28
- **Last Updated**: 2025-09-20
## Categories & Tags
**Categories**: game-dev
**Tags**: None
## README
# Axmol Engine
## A Multi-platform Engine for Desktop, XBOX (UWP), WebAssembly and Mobile games.
[Axmol Engine](https://axmol.dev) is an open-source, C++ multi-platform engine designed for mobile devices, desktop, and Xbox, well-suited for 2D game development. It was launched in November 2019 as a fork of Cocos2d-x v4.0.
Please [visit our Wiki](https://github.com/axmolengine/axmol/wiki) to know more about Axmol.
***
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[](https://github.com/axmolengine/axmol)
[](https://github.com/axmolengine/axmol/pulls)
[](https://discord.gg/QjaQBhFVay)
[](https://github.com/fffaraz/awesome-cpp)
[](https://ossinsight.io/collections/game-engine/)
[Chinese ver. / 简体中文](README_CN.md)
***
## 📢 Branches
> **Important Notice**
> - **`dev` branch**: Serves as the **v3** development branch. It is under active development and may contain unstable or experimental features.
> - **`release/2.x` branch**: Serves as the **stable production branch**. It is recommended for production use to ensure stability and compatibility.
>
> Use the `dev` branch if you want to contribute to v3 development or test new features. For production deployment, please use the `release/2.x` branch.
***
## ⚡️Building
* Download it: [Latest Release](https://github.com/axmolengine/axmol/releases) / [SourceForge Mirror](https://sourceforge.net/projects/axmol-engine.mirror) / [Gitee Mirror](https://gitee.com/simdsoft/axmol)
* [How to install](docs/DevSetup.md)
If you have a Cocos2d-x project, migrating to Axmol Engine is easy. We have prepared a [Migration Guide](https://github.com/axmolengine/axmol/wiki/Cocos2d%E2%80%90x-migration-guide).
## Learning and docs
* [Documentation](https://axmol.dev/manual/latest/)
* [Axmol Wiki](https://github.com/axmolengine/axmol/wiki)
* [Tutorials Page](https://github.com/axmolengine/axmol/wiki/Tutorials)
* [Frequently Asked Questions](https://github.com/axmolengine/axmol/wiki/FAQ)
## General information
Axmol Engine has iterated and improved over the Cocos2d-x v4.0 base. Now is faster and more capable, while staying lightweight. [Check a comparative here](https://github.com/axmolengine/axmol/wiki/Axmol-vs-Cocos2d%E2%80%90x).
**Supported platforms**:
* Mobile: iOS, Android
* Desktop: Windows, Linux, macOS, tvOS
* Console: Xbox (Universal Windows Platform)
* Web: WebAssembly (Preview: [Axmol tests](https://axmol.netlify.app/wasm/cpp-tests/cpp-tests) / [FairyGUI tests](https://axmol.netlify.app/wasm/fairygui-tests/fairygui-tests))
**Languages**:
* C++
* Lua
**Renderer RHI**:
* Metal for macOS, iOS and tvOS
* OpenGL 3.3+ for Linux, macOS and Win32
* OpenGL ES 2.0+ for Android
* OpenGL ES 3.0+ for iOS and tvOS
* ANGLE GLES 3.0+ for Win32 and UWP
* WebGL 2.0 (OpenGL ES 3.0): WASM
* D3D11 for Win32 and UWP (since axmol-v3)
**Architectures**:
* iOS/tvOS (x64, arm64)
* Android (x86, x64, armv7, arm64)
* Windows (x86, x64)
* Linux (x64)
* OSX (x64, arm64)
* UWP (x64, arm64)
* Wasm32, Wasm64(since axmol-v3)
**Supported 2D physics engines** ([more info here](https://github.com/axmolengine/axmol/wiki/2D-Physics-Engines-Information)):
* Box2D
* ~~Chipmunk2D~~ (Removed in `dev` (v3))
**Supported 3D physics engines**:
* Bullet Physics SDK
**Included extensions**:
* FairyGUI
* ImGUI
* Spine
* Live2D
* Effekseer
* And more! Check our [Extensions Wiki Page](https://github.com/axmolengine/axmol/wiki/Extensions)
[More extensions created by our community](https://github.com/axmolengine/axmol/wiki/Made-in-Axmol)
## Features
Some highlights:
- Added **D3D11** render support (axmol-v3)
- **Add HiDPI support for Windows/Linux/WebAssembly desktop platforms** (axmol-v3)
- **New MediaPlayer**: render video as texture2D using MediaEngine. [More info in our Wiki](https://github.com/axmolengine/axmol/wiki/Media-Player).
- Windows video player support (based on Microsoft Media Foundation)
- **WebAssembly support** (by @nowasm) - Preview: [Axmol tests](https://axmol.netlify.app/wasm/cpp-tests/cpp-tests)
- **Universal Windows Platform** (UWP) support for Xbox consoles
- **Apple M1 and Android x64 support** (by @pietpukkel)
- **Windows x64 build support**
- **Powerful cross-platform build system**
- Improved Windows workflow, supporting linking with engine prebuilt libs. Please read the [Windows workflow guide](https://github.com/axmolengine/axmol/issues/564).
- Refactored AudioEngine, OpenAL for all platforms:
- [OpenAL Soft](https://github.com/kcat/openal-soft) (pass `-DAX_USE_ALSOFT=ON` to CMake to force enabling it)
- [OpenAL.framework](https://opensource.apple.com/tarballs/OpenAL) (if no `AX_USE_ALSOFT` option specified, cmake script will choose it on OSX/iOS/tvOS, even though it was marked as deprecated is still available)
- Implemented all .wav formats supported by OpenAL Soft (MS-ADPCM, ADPCM, etc.)
- Refactored UserDefault with [mio](https://github.com/mandreyel/mio)
- [Upstream Version License](3rdparty/README.md) - Third-party:
- Third-party license overview, for easier publishing of your commercial apps based on Axmol framework.
- Some links to third party libs which support axmol too.
- [Upstream Version License](extensions/README.md) - Extensions:
- Extensions license overview, for easier publishing of your commercial apps based on Axmol framework.
- Reimplemented HttpClient based on yasio for concurrent http requests processing.
- Modularized all optional extensions, move from engine core folder to an extensions folder.
- Use Google [Angle](https://github.com/google/angle) as default renderer backend on Windows.
- Using GL loader Glad.
- Using [pugixml](https://pugixml.org)
- Using [curl](https://github.com/curl/curl) for transferring data with URL syntax
- Using SAX parser for .plist files
- ASTC 4x4 / 6x6 / 8x8 support (if hardware decoding is not supported, then software decoding is used)
- ETC2 RGB / RGBA support (if hardware decoding is not supported, then software decoding is used)
- Migrate VR rendering support from the legacy project and enhance it (axmol-v3)
Please read the [full list of changes since Cocos2d-x v4.0](CHANGELOG.md).
See the [Milestones](https://github.com/axmolengine/axmol/milestones) for planned features.
## Contributions
How to contribute:
* Suggestions, bug fixes, and improvements are highly appreciated!
- [Instructions for contributing](CONTRIBUTING.md)
- [Collaborators list](AUTHORS.md)
* Please do not forget to add the topic `axmol` and `axmolengine` to any related repository you create!
* Adding a star on GitHub will help Axmol grow as well. Thank you!
If you find **Axmol Engine** helpful, please consider donating in [https://axmol.dev/donate](https://axmol.dev/donate). Thank you very much!
## Sponsors
#### Platinum Sponsors
#### More Sponsors
Please visit: [https://axmol.dev/donate](https://axmol.dev/donate)
## Community
Our community is growing! Please join us at:
* [GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/axmolengine/axmol/discussions) (preferred way for questions and discussing the engine)
* [Discord](https://discord.gg/QjaQBhFVay)
* [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/axmol/)
In order to see some of our community works, please check our Axmol Showcase: [Made in Axmol](https://github.com/axmolengine/axmol/wiki/Made-in-Axmol)
## Reference links
- [1kiss](https://github.com/simdsoft/1kiss): A cross-platform one step build powershell script, with auto setup general dependent tools.
- [axslcc](https://github.com/axmolengine/axslcc): The axmol new shader workflow tool, forked from `glslcc`.
- [Official Cocos2d-x](https://github.com/cocos2d/cocos2d-x)
## Axmol Stats
