So, you want to make a game engine (2023)

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

Three prevalent themes in the discussion

Building an engine from scratch is a rewarding way to learn and master tools
“I believe the instinct to develop a game engine or framework comes down from loving programming and being passionate about mastering a tool.” – kyzcdev
“I think we have to try these things at least once… which was a valuable lesson for me.” – daledavies
When the goal is to make a game, engine‑building often becomes an illusion of progress that delays or distracts from actual gameplay creation
“If your goal is to make a game, then this is usually the painful route… it defers learning whether our idea even leads to a fun game.” – vector_spaces
“Building a game engine is the illusion of progress. When you're done making the engine you'll be no further along on your game than if you'd used an existing engine.” – socalgal2
Many treat engine construction as a hobby or personal pleasure project, valuing the act of coding itself over commercial outcomes
“It’s just a hobby like another… I have zero interest in writing a full game on top of it.” – whstl
“I never made any game using it after that… perhaps I do need to be making an engine from scratch to keep myself interested.” – badsectoracula
“He likes coding for the sake of programming and earns money as a side quest.” – kyzcdev (referencing tsoding)

🚀 Project Ideas

Generates a lean, priority‑driven roadmap that splits engine work from game development to prevent abandoned projects.
Combines concrete checklists with AI‑guided milestone suggestions to keep builders from “doomcoding” endlessly.

Key	Value
Target Audience	Indie game devs, hobbyist engine creators, students building custom engines
Core Feature	AI‑assisted roadmap generator that auto‑prioritizes tasks (physics, rendering, ECS) and flags over‑engineering risks
Tech Stack	React front‑end, Node.js API, Python ML model (HuggingFace GPT‑J), PostgreSQL
Difficulty	Medium
Monetization	Revenue-ready: subscription $9/mo

HN commenters repeatedly mention the urge to “master a tool” and lose motivation; this solves that by giving a clear exit plan and progress tracker.
Could spark discussion around project‑management for engineering hobbyists and provide a reusable checklist template for future engine builds.

A SaaS that lets developers prototype integrated physics‑render‑ECS workflows in minutes, offering ready‑made component templates and one‑click deployment.
Eliminates the need to manually stitch disparate libraries (e.g., PixiJS + Rapier2D) and helps launch a playable demo before losing steam.

Key	Value
Target Audience	Hobbyist game makers, creators who want to test engine concepts quickly without deep integration work
Core Feature	Browser‑based sandbox with pre‑built module templates (physics engine config, renderer, ECS skeleton) and auto‑generated build scripts
Tech Stack	Vue.js + Vite, FastAPI backend, Docker containers, WebGL shaders, Supabase for storage
Difficulty	Low
Monetization	Hobby

Directly addresses vector_spaces’ point about the “painful route” of building everything from scratch; users can see a working prototype instantly, satisfying the desire for tangible progress.
Provides a platform for discussion on rapid prototyping vs long‑term engine ownership.

A habit‑tracker + sprint planner tailored for developers who want to finish a small game or engine demo without getting stuck in endless rewrites.
Uses gamified streaks and micro‑goals to keep creators motivated and accountable.

Key	Value
Target Audience	Solo developers, hobby programmers, “doomcoders” seeking structure and motivation
Core Feature	Daily micro‑tasks (e.g., “Implement one ECS system”) with automatic logging, streak badges, and exportable progress reports
Tech Stack	Flutter mobile/web, Firebase Firestore, Google Cloud Functions, Material Design UI
Difficulty	Low
Monetization	Hobby

Echoes lstodd’s observation that “interest in engine‑making is to give myself a toolkit suited for the kinds of games I want” – the Coach supplies that toolkit in bite‑size, motivating steps.
Generates conversation about balancing engineering passion with actual delivery, a recurring theme in the HN thread.