# coronalabs/corona

Solar2D Game Engine main repository (ex Corona SDK)

Repository: https://github.com/coronalabs/corona
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/corona
Homepage: https://solar2d.com/
Language: C++
License: MIT
License Family: permissive
Topics: corona, coronasdk, cross-platform, game-engine, ios, desktop, mobile, live-coding, android, engine, game, lua, corona-simulator, hacktoberfest
Last push: 2026-07-29T16:45:24+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 95/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 95, release rhythm 93, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 2804, "days_push": 35, "days_rel": 47, "gap_med": 27, "n_releases_24m": 22}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 2867, forks 312 (observed 2026-08-28T04:07:26.693739+00:00)

## What it is
Solar2D (formerly Corona SDK) is a free, open-source, Lua-based 2D game engine for building mobile, desktop, TV, and HTML5 apps from a single codebase. It features an instant-update Simulator, live builds over local network, and a plugin ecosystem with native C/C++/Obj-C/Java extension support.

## Use cases
- build a 2d mobile game for ios and android from one codebase
- rapidly prototype game ideas with a live-reload simulator
- publish a lua-based app to desktop windows mac linux
- create html5 games from a single lua project
- develop apps for android tv and apple tv
- call native c++ or java libraries from a lua game
- learn game development with an easy scripting engine

## When to choose
- you want a free, no-royalty 2d engine with fast iteration
- you prefer lua scripting over c# or c++
- you need to target many platforms including tv and html5 from one codebase
- you want instant code updates on device via live builds

## When to avoid
- you need 3d graphics or a modern 3d engine like unity or godot
- your team requires a large ecosystem of modern tooling and long-term commercial support
- you need deep engine-level customization in a mainstream language

## Facets
- artifact type: framework
- maturity: active
- function: game-engine, mobile-framework, interpreter, gui
- domain: cross-platform, mobile-development, desktop-applications
- platform: windows, cross-platform, lua, cpp, wasm
- tags: 2d-game-engine, lua, corona-sdk, solar2d, live-builds, simulator, html5, tvos, open-source, game-development, ios, android, macos, linux

## Member repositories
- coronalabs/corona (main) score 95

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:07:26.693739+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T07:36:05.459529+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/coronalabs/corona (fetched 2026-08-28T04:07:26.693739+00:00, sha eac5e4db2d2a)
  - homepage: https://solar2d.com/ (fetched 2026-08-29T09:51:44.167090+00:00, sha 1bc4bc9d4e21)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.