Stride is a free and open-source cross-platform C# game engine designed for realistic rendering and VR.
Stride addresses the need for a flexible, modular game development platform by providing both a visual editor called Game Studio and command-line tools for creating and managing game projects. The engine supports multiple rendering backends including Direct3D and Vulkan, allowing developers to target various platforms from a single C# codebase. The modular architecture gives developers control over which components they use, rather than forcing a monolithic approach.
Stride suits developers who prefer C# for game development and want an open-source alternative to commercial engines. It works well for projects requiring realistic rendering or VR support. The tool provides both a traditional visual editor workflow through Game Studio and a command-line interface for those who prefer scripting-based project management. The Stride CLI tool can create projects from templates, manage engine versions, and integrate with standard .NET tooling through dotnet new commands.
The project maintains an active roadmap documenting upcoming changes and accepts community contributions through pull requests and funded tasks. Development requires building from source using Visual Studio with .NET and C++ workloads, indicating ongoing native code integration alongside the C# foundation. The team provides documented contribution guidelines and identifies good first issues for new contributors.
