Colyseus

Server-owned state with delta sync

The server owns the authoritative game state. State changes are automatically tracked and sent to clients as binary delta patches, minimizing bandwidth usage.

Schema definitions shared (JS/TS); codegen for C#

State schema definitions written in TypeScript are shared between client and server. C# and other client SDKs use auto-generated code from the schema, but game logic is server-only.

Multiplayer framework only; no backend features

Colyseus handles real-time rooms and state sync. For player persistence, authentication, economy, analytics, and live ops, you must integrate third-party services or build your own.

Full source (MIT license)

The entire Colyseus framework is open source under the MIT license. You can fork, modify, and deploy without any licensing restrictions.

None — build your own

Colyseus provides no game configuration system. Teams must build their own config pipeline using databases, file systems, or third-party services.

Basic monitoring panel (@colyseus/monitor)

The @colyseus/monitor package provides a simple web panel showing active rooms and connected clients. It is a debugging tool, not a LiveOps dashboard.

Self-hosted (free) or Colyseus Cloud

Deploy anywhere Node.js runs (VPS, containers, bare metal) for free. Colyseus Cloud offers managed hosting with auto-scaling as a paid alternative.

Vertical only; horizontal via Redis (roadmap)

A single Colyseus process scales vertically. Multi-process scaling requires manual room distribution. Native Redis-based horizontal scaling is on the roadmap but not yet production-ready.

npm create, instant local server

Scaffold a new project with npm create colyseus-app and start the server instantly. The lightweight Node.js runtime makes local iteration fast with no external dependencies.