Project Status: In Development
A modular, hackable open-source game engine built with Vulkan and Direct3D 12. Designed for developers who need performance, direct memory control, and custom workflows without engine bloat.
Kolpa separates core engine modules so you can use them independently. Build your game with the complete editor, run light standalone gameplay scripts, or use individual libraries like the renderer, physics solver, or UI library.
We design the codebase for extension and debugging. You can inspect the engine systems, add custom features, or report issues directly on GitHub.
Maintained by Gabriel Aplok
Write scripts in type-safe C# or use the custom bytecode-compiled language. Kolpa provides direct access to memory layouts, multithreading, and low-level renderer pipelines.
$ git clone https://github.com/kolpa-engine/kolpa.git
$ cd kolpa
$ dotnet run --project Source/EditorExplore the sub-systems, pipelines, and frameworks built into Kolpa Engine.
Write your gameplay logic in C# with type safety. You get direct access to the modern .NET execution runtime, multithreading optimizations, and high-level libraries.
public class BasePlayer : EntityComponent
{
public float Speed { get; set; } = 5.0f;
public override void OnUpdate(float deltaTime)
{
Vector3 input = GameInput.GetMovementVector();
Transform.Translate(input * Speed * deltaTime);
}
}The clustered forward rendering path processes thousands of dynamic light sources. It supports depth pre-passes, ambient occlusion, shadow mapping, light probes, and multisample anti-aliasing.
Save code changes in your scripts and see updates immediately in the running game viewport. The editor reloads gameplay assemblies without resetting the runtime state or dropping frames.
Capture input states for controllers, keyboard, and mouse. The engine delivers one unified input state frame structure, shared between the editor and standalone packages.
/// Action-based, scalable input routing.
if (Input!.IsActionPressed("Jump"))
Velocity.Y = JumpForce;
var moveDir = Input.GetAxis2D("MoveX", "MoveY");Bake global illumination and soft shadows directly into the scene geometry. The lightmapper processes direct light, bounced light, and image denoising for optimized static lighting.
Configure physically based rendering materials using node-based controls or custom code parameters. Set reflectivity, roughness, normal maps, and emissive properties.
Write GLSL code directly for materials and fullscreen post-process passes. The editor compiles shaders immediately upon saving.
// Write native GLSL directly in engine.
vec4 EvaluateUnlit(MaterialInput input)
{
float rim = pow(1.0 - clamp(dot(
normalize(input.Normal), input.ViewDir), 0.0, 1.0), 3.0);
return vec4(input.BaseColor + rim * vec3(0.2, 1.0, 0.4), 1.0);
}Run multithreaded physics simulations with Jolt Physics. Rigid bodies, kinematic characters, and colliders function as native engine components.
Design animation state machines and blend trees visually. Kolpa handles character bone skinning on the GPU with skeletal animation playback.
Build responsive HUDs, editor extensions, and overlays using our hardware-accelerated UI framework. The engine editor interface runs entirely on this UI library.
/// Build data-bound UI.
_UI.Draw(() =>
{
using (UI.Panel("Inventory"))
{
UI.Header("Items");
if (UI.Button("Equip Sword"))
Player.Equip(ItemId);
}
});Edit C# and GLSL code inside the engine viewport. The editor displays syntax highlighting, auto-completions, and script diagnostics.
Construct level prototypes using constructive solid geometry powered by the Manifold library. Add, subtract, and intersect shapes to generate static meshes.
Compile code, cook assets, strip unused assets, and write archives into a standalone optimized executable target package with one click.
Import multiple 3D asset formats using Assimp. The engine converts textures, models, and skeletal animations into optimized binary files for faster loading and low memory usage.
News, tutorials, and development notes from the Kolpa Engine team.
How Kolpa handles thousands of lights without collapsing into a fully deferred pipeline.
A quick walkthrough of a gameplay component, from blank file to running in the editor.
Why this blog exists, what we are building, and how to follow along.