# Defold + Lua
URL: https://wwadd.dev/stacks/defold-lua
Last verified: 2026-09-30

An editor-and-Lua workflow for compact cross-platform games: collections and components for composition, Lua scripts for behavior, and a built-in build pipeline.

## When to use it
- The game is primarily 2D and the team wants Lua plus an editor
- Web, mobile, or desktop builds need early performance and size budgets
- The team accepts Defold's source-available license rather than requiring an open-source license

## How the pieces fit
Collections group game objects; components provide sprites, input, physics, and other engine features. Lua scripts own behavior and communicate through messages. Keep message contracts small and move reusable logic into modules. Prototype resource loading and device performance before adding content. Use Defold's bundling workflow for each target; native extensions and console access introduce extra platform requirements.

## The tech and its role
- Defold: Editor, collections, components, runtime, and bundling
- Lua scripts and modules: Gameplay behavior and reusable logic
- Message passing: Communication between game objects and components

## Real-world examples
- Family Island: Defold's official showcase lists Family Island for iOS and Android. Engine example; no claim about its private backend or source organization. (source: https://defold.com/showcase/)
- Interrogation: The official showcase lists Critique Gaming's detective game on multiple platforms. Engine example; platform listings do not mean console access is automatic for every developer. (source: https://defold.com/showcase/)

## Skip if
Skip if an OSI-approved open-source engine license is mandatory, or the team needs a high-fidelity 3D editor workflow.