# gscept/nebula

Nebula is an open-source and free-to-use modern C++ game engine.

Repository: https://github.com/gscept/nebula
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/gscept-nebula
Homepage: http://nebulatrifid.org/
Language: C++
License: NOASSERTION
License Family: other
Topics: game-engine, game-engine-3d, vulkan-game-engine, vulkan, windows, linux, data-oriented-architecture, classless-api, multithreading, performance
Last push: 2026-09-02T12:46:11+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 77/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 100, release rhythm 35, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 2793, "days_push": 0, "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 1094, forks 63 (observed 2026-09-03T02:15:12.536962+00:00)

## What it is
Nebula is a free, open-source modern C++ game engine built around Vulkan rendering, data-oriented architecture, and multithreading. It is a community continuation of the Nebula Device engine, developed for research and education, with a content pipeline, editor, and fips-based build system.

## Use cases
- build a 3D game with a Vulkan renderer
- learn how a modern C++ game engine is architected
- experiment with data-oriented engine design
- research game engine rendering techniques like virtual terrain texturing
- teach game development and computer graphics in education
- create a cross-platform Windows and Linux game project

## When to choose
- you want a modern C++20 engine with Vulkan 1.2+ rendering
- you prefer data-oriented, multithreaded engine architecture
- you need an open-source engine for research or education
- you are comfortable with CMake/fips build workflows and building dependencies like PhysX

## When to avoid
- you need a polished, production-proven engine with large community support like Unreal or Godot
- you want extensive documentation and tutorials - docs are work-in-progress
- you need macOS or console support - only Windows and Linux are supported
- you want a quick drag-and-drop game creation experience rather than C++ programming

## Facets
- artifact type: framework
- maturity: active
- function: game-engine, graphics, simulation
- domain: graphics, cross-platform
- platform: windows, cpp
- tags: vulkan, data-oriented-architecture, multithreading, c++20, fips-build-system, physx, 3d-rendering, editor, game-development, linux, gpu

## Member repositories
- gscept/nebula (main) score 77

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-09-03T02:15:12.536962+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 2026-08-30T06:49:08.217616+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/gscept/nebula (fetched 2026-09-03T02:15:12.536962+00:00, sha fdd986ff17dd)
  - homepage: http://nebulatrifid.org/ (fetched 2026-08-29T12:51:16.123846+00:00, sha c773f5e08ea9)
  - site_page: https://nebulatrifid.org/?page_id=141 (fetched 2026-08-29T12:51:16.136379+00:00, sha 1dd3a1a9f92a)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.