What makes v3 tick

• Modern scenes: Organize game flow into discrete scenes (menus, levels, cutscenes) for clean structure and easy state transitions.
• Tilemap support: Build worlds from grid-based maps, ideal for platformers, RPGs, or puzzle layouts.
• Camera controls: Follow your player, lock to zones, or add smooth pans and shakes for cinematic flair.
• Improved rendering: Efficient drawing routines keep frame times stable, even with busy scenes.
• Sprites and animation: Frame-based animations, layering, and tinting help bring characters to life.
• Sound integration: Trigger effects and music with basic controls for volume, looping, and playback.
• Components: Reusable behaviors (movement, physics-lite, health, interactions) keep code tidy.

Who it’s for

If you’ve ever opened a blank editor and wished for a clear path to a playable prototype, this engine is for you. Beginners get a fast on-ramp to core concepts like update loops and input handling. More experienced devs get a predictable toolbox that stays out of the way when it’s time to ship.

First run: the core loop

At the heart of TCJSgame v3 is a straightforward game loop. You define a scene, add entities (like a player sprite), and update them each frame based on input and physics-like behaviors. In a few lines, you’ll have movement on screen and a camera ready to follow.

Quick-start (pseudo-code)

Below is example-style pseudo-code to show the general flow; specific method names may differ in your setup:

// 1) Initialize a game instance
const game = new TCJS.Game({
  width: 960,
  height: 540,
  background: '#1e1e1e'
});

// 2) Create a scene
const main = new TCJS.Scene('main');

// 3) Load assets (sprites, tilemaps, audio)
main.preload(() => {
  main.assets.addSprite('player', 'player.png');
  main.assets.addTilemap('level1', 'level1.json');
  main.assets.addAudio('jump', 'jump.wav');
});

// 4) Set up your world
main.create(() => {
  const map = main.add.tilemap('level1');
  const player = main.add.sprite('player', { x: 64, y: 64 });
  const cam = main.camera;
  cam.follow(player, { lerp: 0.1 }); // smooth follow

  // Optional: add behaviors
  player.addComponent(new TCJS.Components.Movement({ speed: 180 }));
});

// 5) Per-frame updates
main.update((dt, input) => {
  // Example: movement with arrow keys
  let vx = 0, vy = 0;
  if (input.left)  vx -= 1;
  if (input.right) vx += 1;
  if (input.up)    vy -= 1;
  if (input.down)  vy += 1;

  // Normalize diagonal and apply speed
  // (handled by Movement component in many setups)
});

// 6) Start the game
game.addScene(main);
game.start('main');

Designing your first level

• Tilemaps: Use a grid-based layout to define platforms, walls, hazards, and collectibles. Layers help separate collision from decoration.
• Entities: Keep player, enemies, and pickups as independent sprites or prefabs built from components.
• Camera zones: Limit scrolling to your level bounds and add subtle easing for a polished feel.
• Audio: Tie jump, hit, and pickup sounds to the corresponding actions for instant feedback.

Scenes and flow control

TCJSgame v3’s scene system lets you break development into manageable chunks. A typical flow might be: Boot → Main Menu → Level 1 → Pause → Game Over → Back to Menu. Each scene can preload its own assets and manage its own UI and logic, reducing cross-scene complexity.

Performance pointers

• Batch where possible: Group static tiles and sprites to minimize draw calls.
• Cull off-screen content: Skip updates and rendering for entities the camera can’t see.
• Keep textures lean: Use power-of-two sizes where helpful and trim unused frames.
• Mind your timers: Prefer delta-time updates over setInterval for smooth motion.

What you can build

• Platformers with tight controls, parallax layers, and camera shake for impact
• Top-down adventures using tilemaps for towns, dungeons, and overworlds
• Puzzle games with simple sprites and crisp transitions between scenes
• Arcade-style score chasers with fast loops and minimal overhead

The takeaway

TCJSgame v3 keeps the barrier to entry low while delivering the essentials: scenes, tilemaps, sprites, sound, and camera work. Spin up a scene, drop in a player, and you’re already iterating on a playable prototype. From there, extend with components, refine performance, and grow your project into a full 2D game—all in JavaScript.