CORE
Depth-native 2.5D
Sprites, billboards, layered depth, 3D lights and geometry coexist inside one scene instead of living in separate worlds.
Open source · 2.5D first · Real 3D when you need it
Build worlds
with depth.
Parlyn is a free and open-source game engine built around modern 2.5D development — combining sprites, billboards, layered scenes, lighting and true 3D geometry in one coherent workflow.
A DIFFERENT STARTING POINT
2.5D is not a fallback.
It is the foundation.
Parlyn does not treat 2.5D as “fake 3D” or a secondary editor mode. It treats depth, layered imagery and real geometry as equal building blocks — so small teams can create rich worlds without carrying the production cost of full 3D everywhere.
BUILT AROUND THE WORK
Less engine wrestling.
More world building.
Parlyn owns its scene graph and project format while keeping the renderer behind a clean abstraction. That means the editor can evolve without welding your project to one graphics backend forever.
Simple node model
First-class nodes for 2.5D and 3D keep scenes understandable, inspectable and easy to extend.
Plain project data
Readable project and scene files keep your work transparent instead of hiding it inside opaque editor formats.
Open asset pipeline
Common formats first: images, glTF/GLB, OBJ and audio form the basis for a practical, vendor-neutral workflow.
Backend abstraction
THREE.js powers the viewport today, while Parlyn's higher-level concepts remain independent from it.
THE GOAL
Small enough to learn.
Capable enough to grow.
Read the architecture →MIX WHAT MAKES SENSE
A scene can be
whatever it needs to be.
A real 3D floor. 3D architecture. Illuminated 2.5D characters. Billboard vegetation. Parallax backgrounds. Particles and atmosphere. Parlyn is being designed to give you useful pieces without dictating the recipe.
- Real depth and perspective
- 2.5D characters and environments
- 3D geometry in the same scene
- Modern lighting and material workflows
REAL EDITOR CAPTURES
The engine behind the promise.
These are unretouched captures from the current Parlyn preview. They show the editor foundations already in place while the engine continues to grow.
WHAT COMES NEXT
Foundation first.
Fancy later.
Parlyn is still young. The near-term roadmap deliberately focuses on the parts that make an engine dependable before chasing a giant feature checklist.
01
Transform gizmosEditor interaction
02
Play modeRuntime separation
03
Real asset loadersImages & models
04
Material systemSprites & meshes
05
2.5D lightingNormal-map aware
P
OPEN BY DESIGN
Free to use.
Free to modify.
Royalty-free.
Parlyn Engine is released under the MIT License. The engine itself is intended to remain free and open, supported voluntarily by the people who believe in it and, one day, optional ecosystem services.
Depth. Layers. Worlds.