# libtcod/libtcod

A collection of tools and algorithms for developing traditional roguelikes.  Such as field-of-view, pathfinding, and a tile-based terminal emulator.

Repository: https://github.com/libtcod/libtcod
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/libtcod
Language: C
License: BSD-3-Clause
License Family: permissive
Topics: libtcod, roguelikedev, roguelike-library, fov-algorithms, pathfinding-algorithms, pathfinding, field-of-view, noise-generator, cpp, c99, c-library, cpp-library, gamedev
Last push: 2026-07-20T10:45:09+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 85/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 93, release rhythm 65, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 3619, "days_push": 44, "days_rel": 239, "gap_med": 12, "n_releases_24m": 6}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1219, forks 77 (observed 2026-08-28T04:04:01.801803+00:00)

## What it is
libtcod is a C/C++ library providing tools and algorithms for developing traditional roguelikes, including a true-color tile-based console, field-of-view, pathfinding, and noise generation. It integrates via CMake, Vcpkg, or FetchContent and is portable across platforms.

## Use cases
- build a traditional roguelike game in C or C++
- add field-of-view algorithms to a tile-based game
- implement A* or Dijkstra pathfinding for grid-based movement
- render a true-color terminal/console emulator for ASCII graphics
- generate procedural noise for dungeon or terrain generation

## When to choose
- you are developing a traditional roguelike or grid-based ASCII game in C/C++
- you need battle-tested roguelike utilities like FOV, pathfinding, and console rendering
- you want a portable, permissively licensed (BSD-3) game library with CMake integration

## When to avoid
- you are building a modern graphical game with sprites and shaders rather than tile-based consoles
- you need a full game engine with audio, networking, or asset pipelines
- your project is in a language other than C/C++ without bindings

## Facets
- artifact type: library
- maturity: stable
- function: game-engine, graphics, simulation, sdk
- domain: gaming-tools, cross-platform
- platform: cpp, c, cross-platform, windows
- tags: roguelike, field-of-view, pathfinding, tile-based-terminal, noise-generation, console-rendering, gamedev, game-development, algorithms, macos, linux

## Member repositories
- libtcod/libtcod (main) score 85

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:01.801803+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 2026-08-30T06:16:13.871372+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/libtcod/libtcod (fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:01.801803+00:00, sha c026de24df12)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.