{"data":{"slug":"boardgame-io","name":"boardgame.io","tagline":"MIT engine for turn-based multiplayer JS games","category":"libraries","categoryName":"Libraries","url":"https://boardgame.io","github":"https://github.com/boardgameio/boardgame.io","pricing":"open-source","hook":"boardgame.io is a JavaScript engine for turn-based games: describe how moves change the game state, and it turns that into a playable game with online multiplayer, without writing networking or storage code.","whatsGood":"MIT (boardgameio/boardgame.io), developed since 2017. State syncs automatically across clients, server and storage, game phases and turn orders are declarative, a lobby handles matchmaking, bots can be generated automatically, and a debug panel simulates moves before you build the UI. Works with React, React Native or plain JS. ★~12.5k.","theCatch":"Activity has slowed: there are no recent tagged releases and the last code change was August 2026, so check open issues before relying on it. Turn-based only; it is not for real-time games. Hosting the server and storage is up to you.","verdict":"Still the fastest way to put a board or card game online — a mature but quiet project.","addedAt":"2026-10-18","featured":false,"domain":"Libraries","subSpecialty":"Libraries","subcategory":"Libraries","tags":["self-host","permissive","active"],"capabilities":[],"surfaces":["Self-host"],"ecosystem":["Node.js"],"licenseModel":"OSS/MIT","githubStars":12467,"starsPerWeek":27,"access":"free","archived":false,"repo":{"createdAt":"2017-11-21","pushedAt":"2026-09-18","license":"MIT","archived":false,"checkedAt":"2026-10-19"}},"related":[{"slug":"hono","name":"Hono","tagline":"Tiny TypeScript web framework that runs on every runtime"},{"slug":"phaser","name":"Phaser","tagline":"MIT HTML5 2D game framework with scenes, physics, and tilemaps"},{"slug":"pixijs","name":"PixiJS","tagline":"MIT 2D WebGPU/WebGL renderer, not a game engine"},{"slug":"babylonjs","name":"Babylon.js","tagline":"Apache-2.0 3D engine for the web, now on v9"},{"slug":"playcanvas","name":"PlayCanvas","tagline":"MIT WebGL2/WebGPU engine plus an optional hosted Editor"}],"links":{"self":"/api/gems/boardgame-io","html":"/gems/boardgame-io","markdown":"/gems/boardgame-io.md","category":"/api/gems?category=libraries","categoryPage":"/stacks/libraries"}}