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Build a Reusable 2D Game Engine in JavaScript
Rating: 4.7 out of 5(62 ratings)
2,020 students

Build a Reusable 2D Game Engine in JavaScript

Create a clean, modular base for your 2D games with HTML5 Canvas and vanilla JavaScript. No frameworks required
Created byFrank Dvorak
Last updated 3/2026
English

What you'll learn

  • Build a complete, reusable 2D game framework in vanilla JavaScript entirely from scratch
  • Design and implement a precise game loop with frame timing and delta time management
  • Build a decoupled UI layer that stays clean and separate from your core game logic
  • Implement asynchronous asset loading
  • Structure JavaScript projects using clean, data-driven architecture that scales well
  • Apply clean coding practices to game systems you can reuse across every future project

Course content

2 sections • 29 lectures • 1h 43m total length

  • Introduction0:49

Requirements

  • Basic familiarity with the browser and the HTML/CSS basics
  • Understanding of JavaScript fundamentals - functions, objects, arrays, and classes
  • A code editor and a modern browser
  • No game development experience needed, we build everything from the ground up

Description

Every 2D game begins with the same core systems: a canvas, a game loop, input handling, asset loading, and menus. Understanding how they work and fit together is what separates copying code from engineering a game.


In this class, you'll build a base for 2D games from scratch in vanilla JavaScript. These are the core systems that sit at the heart of any 2D game engine. There are no frameworks and no libraries. You'll write clean, modular ES6 code that you can extend into your own HTML5 Canvas games.


WHAT YOU'LL BUILD

A working base for 2D games with a clear, modular project structure:


  • A rendering system built on the HTML5 Canvas, with a fixed game resolution that scales responsively to any screen while keeping a 16:9 ratio

  • A game loop using requestAnimationFrame and delta time, so movement stays consistent at any frame rate

  • An image asset manager with promise-based loading, a loading screen, and graceful fallbacks if an image fails to load

  • A keyboard input system (WASD and arrow keys) that handles edge cases like losing window focus

  • A game state flow with a main menu, play, pause, and quit-to-menu

  • An HTML/CSS user interface layered on top of the canvas for menus, pause, and loading screens

  • A player entity with smooth movement, normalized diagonal speed, screen boundaries, and a speed multiplier ready for upgrades

  • A modular ES6 architecture (core, entities, managers, systems) that is easy to read and extend


WHY VANILLA JAVASCRIPT, AND WHY FROM SCRATCH?

Frameworks hide the things you most need to understand. When you build these systems yourself, you stop copying code and start engineering. You'll learn why a game loop needs delta time, how canvas scaling works, and how to organize game code so it doesn't turn into a tangle. That understanding carries over to any language or game engine.


Let's build the base for your next 2D game, one clean module at a time.

Who this course is for:

  • JavaScript developers who want to build 2D games without relying on frameworks or libraries
  • Developers who have built small games before but want cleaner, more scalable architecture
  • Anyone tired of rebuilding the same core systems for every new project
  • Developers who want a solid, reusable foundation before tackling complete game projects

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