Game engine
Phaser
Phaser is a 2D framework for games that live in the browser. JavaScript or TypeScript, a page, and a game loop — no editor install.
Developer: Phaser Studio
Overview
Phaser does not pretend to be a downloadable studio. You create a project with Vite or a similar bundler, import the library, and draw. That is the right shape for a game jam in the browser and the wrong shape if you wanted tilemap painting inside an editor.
Physics, input, cameras, and tilemaps are in the library. Art pipeline, saves, and menus are yours. Official examples are small on purpose. A complete game such as Ancient Beast shows what a long-running Phaser project looks like once those pieces exist.
Use Phaser when the player should open a URL. Use Godot or Defold when you want an editor and a mobile export button.
Technical specifications
Specs checked 2026-10-05. Version lines move; the download link is the source of truth.
- Developer
- Phaser Studio
- Version line
- 4.2
- License
- MIT
- Business model
- The framework is MIT. Phaser 3 games are still common; new projects should start on the current Phaser 4 line unless a template pins 3.
- Releases
- Library releases on npm. 4.2 is the 2026 baseline used for new projects. Check package.json rather than a launcher.
- Editor platforms
- Any OS with Node.js
- Export targets
- Web, Android, iOS
- Languages
- JavaScript, TypeScript
- 2D / 3D
- 2D
- VR
- No. This is a 2D web framework.
- AR
- No.
- Visual scripting
- No. You write JavaScript or TypeScript.
- Beginners
- Yes, if you already write JavaScript. There is no editor to learn, which is either a relief or a missing piece.
- Learning curve
- Low for a web developer. You still have to build scenes, input, and a game loop yourself.
- Graphics
- 2D canvas and WebGL. Not a 3D engine.
- Team size
- One person or a small web team.
- GitHub stars
- 38,000 · phaserjs/phaser
- Documentation
- https://docs.phaser.io/
- Community
- https://phaser.discourse.group/
- Assets and examples
- https://phaser.io/examples
- Download
- https://phaser.io/download
Where it fits
- MIT, and the game is already a web page.
- JavaScript and TypeScript match the skills of most web developers.
- Templates and commented mini-games exist for the first afternoon.
Where it does not
- No scene editor. Level layout is code or data you load.
- Native mobile is a wrapper story, not a first-class export.
- 3D is out of scope.
Matching source
All examplesPhaser Snake
Classic snake on Phaser, commented for a first read.
Masonry Tetris
Falling-block puzzle written with Phaser.
Monster Wants Candy
Short HTML5 arcade game on an older Phaser release.
Simon clone
Memory sequence game with comments on the Phaser setup.
Matching Pairs
Card-matching puzzle, assets included.
Elemental One
Platformer built on the Phaser HTML5 framework.
How does it compare?
An editor and native export, if the browser is not the point.
Another small 2D tool, with an editor and Lua.
Even smaller: one cart, a fixed resolution, a jam.
Guides
- Best game engine for beginners in 2026
How to pick a first engine from the game you want to make: Godot, Phaser, Defold, or TIC-80, plus a six-question shortlist.
Questions
Is Phaser an engine or a library?
A framework: rendering, input, and physics, without a standalone editor. You still own the project layout.
Should I start on Phaser 3 or 4?
Phaser 4 for a new project. Stay on 3 only when the template or the game you are reading has not moved.
Can I ship on mobile?
As a web view or a wrapper such as Capacitor. It is not the same as Defold or Godot’s mobile export.
What should I clone first?
The official Vite + TypeScript template, then one commented game such as the snake example.