Today, we’re thrilled to announce the first public release of Shöve (pronounced “shove”), a powerful resolution-handling and rendering library for the LÖVE framework 📐

Goodbye Resolution Headaches

Have you ever struggled to make your LÖVE game look good across different screen sizes? Have you spent hours implementing a complex rendering system with layers, effects, and proper scaling? Shöve solves these problems with an elegant, easy-to-use API.

Shöve started as a redesign of the excellent push library but evolved into something much more powerful, with a cleaner API and advanced rendering capabilities that let you focus on creating amazing games.

What Makes Shöve Special?

• Progressive Learning Curve - Start with just 3 lines of code and add complexity as needed
• Two Powerful Render Modes - Simple direct mode or advanced layer-based rendering
• Multiple Fit Methods - Choose from aspect-preserving, pixel-perfect, stretch, or no scaling
• Advanced Layer System - Control visibility, z-order, blending, and masking without hassle
• Powerful Effect Pipeline - Apply shaders to specific layers or the entire game
• Integrated Profiling - Debug rendering and measure performance right out of the box

Progressive learning curve

Getting started with Shöve is incredibly easy:

shove = require("shove")

function love.load()
--Set up your game resolution and window
 shove.setResolution(400, 300, {fitMethod = "aspect"})
 shove.setWindowMode(800, 600, {resizable = true})
end

function love.draw()
 shove.beginDraw()
 -- Draw your game here!
 shove.endDraw()
end

But when you need more power, Shöve lets you create complex visual arrangements with layers, effects, and more:

shove.beginDraw()
 shove.beginLayer("background")
 -- Draw background with discrete shaders
 shove.endLayer()

 shove.beginLayer("gameplay")
 -- Draw your main game elements
 shove.endLayer()

 shove.beginLayer("ui")
 -- Draw UI elements that always stay in the right place
 shove.endLayer()
shove.endDraw()

Built for Real Game Development

We’ve carefully crafted Shöve with real-world game development in mind. Whether creating a pixel-perfect retro platformer, a smooth vector-based game, or anything in between, Shöve gives you the tools to make your game look fantastic on any screen.

Try It Today!

Shöve is available now on GitHub. Check out the demos to see what Shöve can do, and dive into the comprehensive documentation to learn how it can transform your LÖVE game development workflow.

We can’t wait to see what you build with Shöve! ️🏗️

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