Phaser on Node.js

Allows you to run Phaser 3 games (including Phaser's physics engines) on Node.js.

Arcade Physics

⚠️ If your goal is to run the Arcade Physics on the server, I highly recommend using arcade-physics.

Compatibility

Works with Phaser <3.50.0 and >=3.55.2.
Successfully tested with v3.60.0

Works on Node.js 16.x, 18.x and 20.x.

Install

npm install @geckos.io/phaser-on-nodejs

How to use

require('@geckos.io/phaser-on-nodejs')
// or with es6
import '@geckos.io/phaser-on-nodejs'

Features

• Phaser Physics (Arcade and Matter)
• Load Images and SpriteSheets
• Load TileMaps
• Adjustable Frame Rate
• Allows to use Multiple Scenes

Examples

• Simple Phaser on Node.js example
• Phaser 3 - Multiplayer game example with geckos.io
• Phaser 3 - Multiplayer game with physics

Basic Setup

Install and require phaser and @geckos.io/phaser-on-nodejs. Make sure you use Phaser in headless mode on the server { type: Phaser.HEADLESS }

require('@geckos.io/phaser-on-nodejs')
const Phaser = require('phaser')

// set the fps you need
const FPS = 30
global.phaserOnNodeFPS = FPS // default is 60

// your MainScene
class MainScene extends Phaser.Scene {
  constructor() {
    super('MainScene')
  }
  create() {
    console.log('it works!')
  }
}

// prepare the config for Phaser
const config = {
  type: Phaser.HEADLESS,
  width: 1280,
  height: 720,
  banner: false,
  audio: false,
  scene: [MainScene],
  fps: {
    target: FPS
  },
  physics: {
    default: 'arcade',
    arcade: {
      gravity: { y: 300 }
    }
  }
}

// start the game
new Phaser.Game(config)

Loading Assets

You can load textures (images, spritesheets etc.) on the server.

preload() {
  // use a relative path
  this.load.image('star', '../assets/star.png')
}

create() {
  const star = this.physics.add.sprite(400, 300, 'star')
}

But to save some memory, I recommend the following approach instead:

class Star extends Phaser.Physics.Arcade.Sprite {
  constructor(scene, x, y) {
    // pass empty string for the texture
    super(scene, x, y, '')

    scene.add.existing(this)
    scene.physics.add.existing(this)

    // set the width and height of the sprite as the body size
    this.body.setSize(24, 22)
  }
}

Using node-fetch or axios?

If you are using node-fetch, you do not need to do anything.

If you are using axios, you have to make sure XMLHttpRequest will not break:
XMLHttpRequest is only use in the browser. Phaser.js is a browsers framework which uses XMLHttpRequest so phaser-on-nodejs has to provide a mock implementation. Unfortunately, axios is a isomorphic framework. On initialization, axios checks if XMLHttpRequest is available and will think it is running in the browser. To make sure axios works on nodejs, we just have to hide XMLHttpRequest from axios during its initialization. See the snipped below to make it work:

// remove fakeXMLHttpRequest
const tmp = XMLHttpRequest
XMLHttpRequest = undefined
// init axios
const axios = require('axios').default
// restore fakeXMLHttpRequest
XMLHttpRequest = tmp

Compatible Phaser versions

For now, it has not been tested with Phaser 2, but it works well with Phaser 3.