Isometric Engine Blog 1
2026-08-09
I have this Isometric Game Engine that I made from Scratch in C++ using SFML and ENTT.
You can see a version of it
here on Youtube.
Inspiration
It's inspired by a game called X-COM: UFO Defense (The North American title) otherwise known as UFO: Enemy Unknown.
There's a modern remake of this game called XCOM: Enemy Unknown, but I have not played it an I have no desire to.
Other sources of Inspiration:
>Fallout 1 created by Tim Cain
>Laser Squad and Rebel Star series by J. Gollop
>Liberal Crime Squad by Bay12 Games
>Brigade E5 and 7.62 High Calibre by Apeiron
>SWAT 4 by Irrational Games
>SCP: Containment Breach by Undertow Games
>Arma Series and Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis by Bohemia Interactive
>Slaves to Armok Series by Bay12 Games
Disclaimer
It's kind of a 'forever' project for me as I just like fooling around in the engine and
adding stuff when I feel like it. It's pretty un-directed.
I don't really have any plans to make a complete 'game' out of it, but if I ever think I have a solid
idea for it, then I might.
I'm also very busy with work so I don't have too-too much time to work on it.
Yes, it's excuses-excuses. I would guarantee that if this was my job I would be on this full time.
Alas, I must eat and thrive.
Details
It's an Isometric Game Engine.
The map right now is 80x80x12 3D 'tiles'. To clarify: 80 tile width, 80 tile breadth, 12 tiles high.
In the previous version of this engine every tile used to be made of '16x16x24' voxels, but it was cut
for the new version.
The map is fully destructable, with options to make blocks invincible as well.
You can command pretty much as many units as you want.
The game uses an Entity-Component System via the ENTT library
This has advantages over pure OOP as components can be added and removed from actors and objects at will.
Pathfinding
For pathfinding, I have a 'PathProvider' (i.e., Path Provider) and you can get different, specialized pathfinding requests
from it. The first pathfinding algorithm (the default algorithm) uses the
A* pathfinding algorithm.
There is also a specialized pathfinding algorithm for a specific map where the map is made of 10x10x3 sized rooms.
Commanders
There is a 'Commander' system in the game.
You can program different kinds of 'AI Commanders' and swap them out depending on what behaviour you want.
I have some 'test' commanders.
The first commander commands the enemies to rush the players units.
The second commander does a 'search' by moving to randomized waypoints on the map and areas of importance.
Tower Defense
A friend and I were working on a tower defense game in my engine, but I didn't feel too
confident about it and got cold feet.
It would still be nice to work on, but I've decided to just keep moving on with adding
new features to the engine itself.
Sandbox
Right now I am working on a Sandbox mode for the engine.
I wanted to make a small 'demo' of some sort for people to play.
I tried to think up a small task for players to achieve, but another friend confided in me
that it could be simpler than that. It didn't need to have a goal.
Maps
Note: Some maps are to be added.
The Bridge
A long bridge with little cover and snipers on top.
Apartments
Inspired by Liberal Crime Squad. You can steal laptops and other domestic items.
Pretty good way to make money.
The Mall
Lots of different shops and items here.
Audience
Any games/toys in this engine will be specifically for people who enjoy games like the original X-COM trilogy.
Especially X-COM: Apocalypse. I'm not really looking for a big audience.
I could try to make a game appeal to a wider audience, but then I wouldn't be making a tactics engine.
I also think that if I appeal to a wider audience then I would compromise on the type of game I want to make.
This is all to say that I would like to cater to a niche audience, because I know there are people
out here who desire these older-style games and they are left out. That's because that's how I feel.
I don't expect to get any money out of this engine and I don't expect many people
to be interested in such an older-styled game, but I enjoy doing it.
Doing thing simply for money hurts the artist in me.
Being Wise
There is general wisdom to game development and I don't really follow it.
I will say that I am a programmer. I enjoy programming first and foremost.
'Game Developer' is not a title I hold, and I wouldn't feel proud of having it on me either.
Developing a game while not completing it and calling myself a 'Game Developer' is strictly true, I suppose
but I would reserve the title until something gets released.
Anyway, here are some general wisdoms:
1. Know your limits and start small. Create a "Minimum Viable Product".
2. Be aware of scope creep. Don't just keep adding more and more stuff.
3. Have a solid idea of what you want to do, but be flexible.
4. Don't restart often. Just get the product finished.
5. Don't recreate the wheel. Look for libraries that do what you want.
6. Make something that people actually want to play.
Here is some advice from a Game Developer I admire. Derek Yu:
Click Here to go to his Website!
The reason why I frequently don't follow the rules above is because my goals are different than the goals
of people who want to make games and don't really care how they got there.
I like to build different systems and see how people in the past did things.
I find the technology behind games very interesting and I like the challenge of figuring out how to implement it myself.
My personal incentives
My goals are to make something that someone like me would want to play.
I also don't want to compromise on key design features.
I think people might get caught up on my "stubborness" or "naivety", but the general advice given for game developers
are for game developers who want to complete a game, make a game that appeals to a wide audience, and make money.
My personal goals are in opposition to that, which I believe makes people uncomfortable or convinces them
that I am not wise to what is condusive to getting those results.
BUT, be aware that I am not foolish or ignorant. If I was hired to make a game or if I had plans to make a game, then
I would follow the wisdom of successful Game Developers before me.
I know it's hard for people who want to make games to understand that the act of creation, itself is what
satisfies me. I think it's as hard to understand as lacking the desire for material things and really meaning it.
Criticism of the Modern Games Industry
In the future. I will likely make a criticism of the games industry.
This is relevant to the last topic, because I feel like my opinion on how I feel
about game development was shifted by not wanting to be like the modern games industry.
I feel like AAA games are simply money-making operations with very little interest in games as art.
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