# RandyGaul/cute_headers

Collection of cross-platform one-file C/C++ libraries with no dependencies, primarily used for games

Repository: https://github.com/RandyGaul/cute_headers
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/cute_headers
Language: C
License: NOASSERTION
License Family: other
Topics: c, game, compression, png, audio, opengl, header, library, cross-platform, collision, collision-detection, math
Last push: 2026-08-05T00:10:44+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 75/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 96, release rhythm 35, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 3742, "days_push": 29, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: no_releases, no_license
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 5052, forks 309 (observed 2026-08-28T04:09:09.019884+00:00)

## What it is
A collection of cross-platform, single-file C/C++ header-only libraries with no dependencies, primarily aimed at game development. It includes libraries for 2D collision detection, networking, Tiled map loading, Aseprite file parsing, sound playback, PNG handling, sprite batching, synchronization primitives, and TLS connections.

## Use cases
- add 2D collision detection to a C or C++ game
- load and play WAV and OGG audio files with a custom mixer
- parse Tiled JSON maps or Aseprite sprite files
- load and save PNG images and build texture atlases
- implement a runtime sprite batcher for 2D rendering
- add reliable UDP networking with security to a multiplayer game
- create TLS/HTTPS connections from C without external dependencies
- use thread pools and read/write locks in a game engine

## When to choose
- you want small, dependency-free, single-file libraries you can drop into a game project
- you are building a 2D game in C or C++ and need collision, audio, sprites, or map loading
- you prefer vendoring self-contained headers over pulling in large engine dependencies

## When to avoid
- you need a full-featured game engine or high-level framework
- you require 3D collision detection or advanced physics simulation
- you need libraries with extensive documentation, package manager support, or large community ecosystems

## Facets
- artifact type: library
- maturity: active
- function: graphics, audio-processing, image-processing, compression, networking, math, parser, concurrency, file-system
- domain: graphics, image-processing, cross-platform
- platform: cross-platform, cpp, c
- tags: single-file, header-only, 2d-collision, sprite-batching, tiled-maps, aseprite, sound-mixer, udp-networking, tls, no-dependencies, game-development, audio

## Member repositories
- RandyGaul/cute_headers (main) score 75

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:09:09.019884+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 2026-08-29T18:17:21.024727+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/RandyGaul/cute_headers (fetched 2026-08-28T04:09:09.019884+00:00, sha b9ff35b1d456)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.