# libGDX + Java + platform backends
URL: https://wwadd.dev/stacks/libgdx-java
Last verified: 2026-09-30

A Java-based 2D game workflow with shared game code and separate platform launchers; manage assets, lifecycle, and packaging explicitly.

## When to use it
- The team prefers Java and a framework-led game architecture
- Shared core code with platform-specific launchers fits the project
- The team can test resource lifecycle and packaging on every target

## How the pieces fit
libGDX supplies rendering, input, audio, asset handling, and platform backends. Java game code owns rules and screens; launchers configure each target. Use explicit asset ownership and dispose resources when no longer needed. Separate platform services from shared core code, test pause and resume, and validate packaged builds early. Optional extensions and browser compilation impose their own compatibility constraints; shared Java code does not guarantee identical behavior everywhere.

## The tech and its role
- libGDX: Rendering, input, audio, and asset APIs
- Java core and launchers: Shared game systems and target-specific setup

## Real-world examples
- Slay the Spire: The official libGDX showcase lists Mega Crit Games' deckbuilder. Framework example, not evidence of its private build system or backend. (source: https://libgdx.com/showcase/)
- Space Haven: The official showcase lists Bugbyte's game. This supports framework use, not automatic support for every distribution target. (source: https://libgdx.com/showcase/)

## Skip if
Skip if a visual scene editor is required, browser delivery is the primary target, or a high-fidelity 3D production workflow is central.