Get Started with Brine2D¶

Welcome to Brine2D! Get up and running in minutes with our step-by-step guides designed for developers familiar with .NET and ASP.NET Core patterns.

Learning Path¶

Follow these guides in order for the smoothest onboarding experience:

Step	Guide	Time	What You'll Learn
1	Installation	5 min	Install .NET 10 SDK and Brine2D
2	Quick Start	5 min	Create your first game window with a moving sprite
3	Your First Game	30 min	Build a complete game with sprites, audio, and collision
4	Project Structure	10 min	Organize your game project professionally
5	Configuration	10 min	Configure game settings and options

Total time: ~1 hour

Prerequisites¶

Before you begin, make sure you have:

Basic C# knowledge — Variables, classes, methods
Familiarity with .NET — Creating console apps, using NuGet
Optional: ASP.NET Core experience — Brine2D uses similar patterns

Quick Start Preview¶

Want to see what you'll build? Here's a minimal Brine2D game:

using Brine2D.Core;
using Brine2D.Engine;
using Brine2D.Hosting;
using Brine2D.Input;

var builder = GameApplication.CreateBuilder(args);

builder.Configure(options =>
{
    options.Window.Title = "My First Game";
    options.Window.Width = 800;
    options.Window.Height = 600;
});

builder.AddScene<GameScene>();

await using var game = builder.Build();
await game.RunAsync<GameScene>();

public class GameScene : Scene
{
    private readonly IGameContext _gameContext;

    public GameScene(IGameContext gameContext)
    {
        _gameContext = gameContext;
    }

    protected override void OnRender(GameTime gameTime)
    {
        Renderer.DrawText("Hello, Brine2D!", 100, 100, Color.White);
    }

    protected override void OnUpdate(GameTime gameTime)
    {
        if (Input.IsKeyPressed(Key.Escape))
            _gameContext.RequestExit();
    }
}

Full Tutorial

What Makes Brine2D Different?¶

ASP.NET-Inspired Architecture¶

ASP.NET Core	Brine2D	Benefit
`WebApplication.CreateBuilder()`	`GameApplication.CreateBuilder()`	Familiar builder pattern
Dependency Injection	Dependency Injection	Testable, maintainable code
`ILogger<T>`	`Logger` property	Structured logging
Request Scope	Scene Scope	Automatic cleanup

If you've built ASP.NET apps, you already know most of Brine2D's patterns!

Hybrid Entity Component System¶

Unlike strict ECS engines, Brine2D's ECS is beginner-friendly:

Components — Data containers with OnAdded/OnRemoved hooks
Behaviors — Per-entity logic with DI support (like Unity MonoBehaviours)
Systems — Optional batch processing for performance optimization

// Data component
public class HealthComponent : Component
{
    public int Current { get; set; }
    public int Max { get; set; }

    protected internal override void OnAdded()
    {
        Current = Max;
    }
}

// Per-entity logic with DI
public class PlayerMovementBehavior : Behavior
{
    private readonly IInputContext _input;

    public PlayerMovementBehavior(IInputContext input)
    {
        _input = input;
    }

    public override void Update(GameTime gameTime)
    {
        // Move player based on input
    }
}

Automatic Scene Scoping¶

Each scene gets its own isolated EntityWorld — automatic cleanup, no memory leaks!

public class MenuScene : Scene
{
    protected override void OnEnter()
    {
        for (int i = 0; i < 100; i++)
            World.CreateEntity($"Button_{i}");
    }

    // No cleanup needed — World disposed automatically on scene unload!
}

Common Questions¶

Do I need game development experience?¶

No! If you can build ASP.NET Core apps, you can build Brine2D games. The patterns are nearly identical.

What platforms does Brine2D support?¶

Windows (10/11)
Linux (Ubuntu, Fedora, etc.)
macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon)

Can I use this for commercial games?¶

Yes! Brine2D is MIT licensed — use it anywhere, including commercial projects, no royalties.

Is there a visual editor?¶

No. Brine2D is code-first — everything is C# code. If you prefer visual editors, try Unity or Godot.

Advantage: Better version control, easier code review, no editor lock-in.

Next Steps by Experience Level¶

Complete Beginners¶

Start here and follow in order:

Installation — Install prerequisites
Quick Start — Your first window
Your First Game — Complete game tutorial

Experienced Developers¶

Jump to what you need:

Want to understand architecture? → Fundamentals
Need specific features? → Rendering, Input

ASP.NET Developers¶

You'll feel right at home:

Quick Start — Familiar builder pattern
Scenes — Scene lifecycle and DI patterns

Learning Resources¶

Documentation¶

Tutorials — Step-by-step learning paths
Fundamentals — Deep architectural knowledge
Samples — Working example projects

External Resources¶

.NET 10 Documentation — Language features
ASP.NET Core Fundamentals — Learn the patterns

Need Help?¶

Open an issue — Bug reports, feature requests
Start a discussion — Questions, ideas

Ready to build your first game? Start with Installation!