Skynet is a lightweight online game framework built on the actor model and written in C with Lua scripting support.
Skynet addresses the challenge of building scalable multiplayer game servers by implementing an actor-based concurrency model where independent services communicate through message passing. The framework runs Lua code across multiple isolated states, allowing developers to structure game logic as loosely coupled actors that handle requests asynchronously. This approach avoids the complexity of traditional threading while providing natural scalability across multiple CPU cores.
Skynet suits developers building multiplayer games or other systems requiring high concurrency and message-driven architecture. The framework is particularly well-established in the Chinese game industry, where it has proven track record in production environments. Developers should be aware that while documentation exists in both English and Chinese, much of the community discussion and supplementary resources are primarily in Chinese, though the community explicitly welcomes English speakers and provides translation guidance. The framework uses a modified version of Lua 5.5.0 designed for multiple Lua states, though official Lua versions can be used with Makefile adjustments.
The project maintains active discussion channels where contributors engage with questions in English. Development activity shows ongoing maintenance with updates to core dependencies and language support. The codebase accepts contributions and remains responsive to issues raised by the community.
