awesome-ecs

A curated list of Entity-Component-System (ECS) libraries and resources

ECS Libraries

C/C++

• anax - Open source C++ entity system
• ECS - C++ single-header entity component system library
• ecs.hpp - A single header C++14 entity component system library
• ecst - Experimental C++14 multithreaded compile-time entity-compnent-system library
• EntityFu - A simple, fast entity component system written in C++
• EntityPlus - C++14 entity component system
• EntityX - Fast, type-safe C++ entity component system
• entt - Fast and reliable entity-component system
• Flecs - A Multithreaded Entity Component System written for C89 & C99
• Gaia-ECS - Fast and type-safe C++17 archetype-based entity component system
• Ginseng - An ESC library designed for use in games
• goomy - A tiny, experimental ECS framework
• Kengine - Game engine with an Entity-Component-System (ECS) architecture
• matter - C++17/20 ECS implementation
• mustache - A fast, modern C++ entity component system
• pico_ecs - Single-header and cross-platform ECS

C

• Arch - A high-performance Archetype & Chunks Entity Component System for game development and data-oriented programming
• DefaultEcs - ECS for syntax and usage simplicity with maximum performance
• DragonECS - ECS for Unity and .NET
• Entitas - The Entity Component System Framework for C# and Unity
• Frent - Data oriented ECF with an ECS api for C#, Godot, and Unity
• Friflo Engine ECS - ECS for .NET with focus on performance, cache locality and DX
• LeoEcsLite - Lightweight C# Entity Component System framework
• ME.BECS - ECS for Unity with full game state automatic rollbacks
• Morpeh - ECS Framework for Unity Game Engine and .NET Platform
• Svelto.ECS - Lightweight data oriented entity component system framework
• Fennecs - … the tiny, tiny, high-energy Entity-Component System!
• TinyEcs - A tiny bevy-like archetype-style ECS library for dotnet

Common Lisp

• beast - Basic Entity/Aspect/System Toolkit
• cl-ecs - An implementation of the Entity-Component-System pattern mostly used in game development
• cl-fast-ecs - Blazingly fast Entity-Component-System microframework

Dart

• Fast ECS - Simple and fast Entity-Component-System (ECS) library written in Dart.

Elixir

• ECSx - An ECS framework for Elixir

Python

• esper - A lightweight Entity System for Python

Rust

• shipyard - Entity Component System written in Rust
• specs - Parallel entity component system written in Rust
• legion - High performance Rust ECS library
• bevy_ecs - Simple to use, ergonomic, fast, massively parallel, opinionated, and featureful written in Rust
• hecs - High-performance, minimalist entity-component-system

Go

• Arche - An archetype-based Entity Component System for Go
• ecs - A Go-implementation of the Entity-Component-System paradigm

Lua

• Concord - A feature-complete ECS library
• ECS Lua - A fast and easy to use ECS engine for game development
• Nata - Entity management for Lua
• tiny-ecs - Entity Component System for Lua that’s simple, flexible, and useful

Java

• Artemis-odb - A continuation of the popular Artemis ECS framework

Kotlin

• Fleks - Fast, lightweight, multi-platform entity component system in Kotlin

JavaScript / Typescript

• becsy - A multithreaded Entity Component System (ECS) for TypeScript and JavaScript, inspired by ECSY and bitecs.
• bitECS - Functional, minimal, data-oriented, ultra-high performance ECS library
• ECSY - Entity Component System for javascript
• miniplex - The gentle game entity manager, focused on ease of use and developer experience.
• Thyseus - An archetypal Entity Component System, built entirely in Typescript

Zig

• mach-ecs - Entity Component System from first-principles designed for Zig
• Zig ECS - A Zig port of the fantasic Entt

Haskell

• apecs - A fast, extensible, type driven Haskell ECS framework for games

Applications powered by ECS

Game Engines

C++

• crown - General purpose data-driven game engine
• Engine - Basic cross-platform 3D game engine
• halley - A lightweight game engine written in modern C++
• igneous - Open source game engine written in C++
• kengine - Game engine focused on ease-of-use, runtime extensibility and compile-time type safety
• Lina Engine - Modular, tiny and fast C++ game engine, aimed to develop 3D desktop games
• Lumos - Cross-Platform C++ 2D/3D game engine
• MxEngine - C++ open source 3D game engine
• nebula - Open-source and free-to-use modern C++ game engine
• Nazara Engine - Cross-platform framework aimed at real-time applications requiring audio, 2D and 3D real-time rendering, network and more
• shiva - Modern Cross-Platform C++ Engine with modularity
• Sparky - Cross-Platform High Performance 2D/3D game engine
• supernova - Game engine for 2D and 3D projects with ECS and data-oriented design
• Usagi - Hierarchical component entity system based game engine
• Lumos - Cross-Platform C++ 2D/3D game engine
• supernova - Game engine for 2D and 3D projects with ECS and data-oriented design
• kengine - Game engine focused on ease-of-use, runtime extensibility and compile-time type safety
• MxEngine - C++ open source 3D game engine
• nebula - Open-source and free-to-use modern C++ game engine
• halley - A lightweight game engine written in modern C++
• Nazara Engine - Cross-platform framework aimed at real-time applications requiring audio, 2D and 3D real-time rendering, network and more
• Lina Engine - Modular, tiny and fast C++ game engine, aimed to develop 3D desktop games

Go

• Engo - A cross-platform game engine written in Go following an interpretation of the Entity Component System paradigm

Rust

• Ambient - The multiplayer game engine
• Amethyst - Data-oriented and data-driven game engine written in Rust
• Bevy - A refreshingly simple data-driven game engine built in Rust
• Bones - An easy-to-use game engine for making real games

Zig

• mach - Game engine & graphics toolkit for building high-performance, truly cross-platform, robust & modular games, visualizations, and desktop/mobile GUI apps

Graphics Engines

C++

• bs::framework - Modern C++14 library for the development of real-time graphical applications
• The Forge - Cross-Platform Rendering Framework with support for PC Windows, Linux, Ray Tracing, macOS/iOS, Android, XBOX, PS4, PS5, Switch, Quest 2

Physics libraries

C++

• edyn - A real-time physics engine organized as an ECS

Other Resources

Benchmarks

• ecs_benchmark: Benchmarks of common ECS (Entity-Component-System)-Frameworks in C/C++
• ECS C# Benchmark: Benchmarks of the main ECS Frameworks for: C#
• ECS C# Benchmark - Common uses-cases: Benchmark many common use cases in the simplest and most performant variant
• CSharpECSComparison: Benchmarks of common ECS Frameworks for C#
• Lua ECS Library Benchmark: Benchmarks of common ECS Frameworks in Lua

Blog Posts

• Data-oriented design
• ECS back and forth
• Let’s build an Entity Component System from scratch
• Entity Systems are the future of MMOG development
• Building an ECS
• @ben.rasooli/systems-interaction-in-entity-component-system-events-4a050153c8ac">Systems Interaction in Entity-Component-System (events)
• Overview of ECS variants & definitions
• Understand data-oriented design
• Unity ECS series
• Seba’s Lab

Talks & Slides

• itCppCon19: ECS back and forth
• GDC 2018: Unity at GDC - A Data Oriented Approach to Using Component Systems
• Meeting C++ 2018: Data oriented design in practice
• CppCon 2018: Stoyan Nikolov “OOP Is Dead, Long Live Data-oriented Design”
• Data Oriented Design Resources
• Data Oriented GUI in Rust
• Is There More to Game Architecture than ECS - Bob Nystrom (Roguelike Celebration 2018)
• Unite 2018: C# Job System + ECS usage and demo with Intel
• Codestar 2018 ECS - A Different Approach to Game Development
• CppCon 2014: Mike Acton “Data-Oriented Design and C++”)

Books

• Data-Oriented Design

Tutorials

• Starting a new 2D platformer with ECS

Lists

• Entity Component System & Data Oriented Design

ETC

• Entity Systems Wiki
• Entity Component Systems FAQ