Supported Starter Catalog

Use this page when you need the truthful answer to:

• which starters are the canonical first picks versus specialized supported templates?
• which older starters are still safe to build on?
• what changed after AuraJS elevated 2d-adventure and 3d-adventure as the canonical starter picks?

Short Answer

AuraJS has two starter tiers now.

Canonical first-pick starters:

• 2d-adventure
• 3d-adventure

Specialized supported starters:

• 2d-shooter
• 2d-survivor
• 3d-platformer
• 3d-collectathon
• local-multiplayer (also aliased as multiplayer)
• deckbuilder-2d
• blank

The canonical first-pick starters teach the clearest current authored scaffold path. The supported specialized starters still ship, stay tested, and are valid starting points when their genre fits your game better.

When To Use The Canonical Starters

Pick the canonical starters when you want the shortest paved road:

auramaxx create my-game
auramaxx create my-game --template 3d-adventure

When you omit --template, AuraMaxx opens the starter prompt. Pick 2d-adventure or 3d-adventure there when you want the main paved road.

Use them when you want:

• the most current starter examples AuraJS teaches first
• the clearest config/, content/, scenes/, prefabs/, ui/, src/runtime/ story
• the least starter-specific historical baggage

When To Use A Specialized Supported Starter

Choose a specialized supported starter when your loop already matches it:

• 2d-shooter: wave-based arcade action with pause/settings flow and the current native-2d-action helper lane
• 2d-survivor: top-down survival loop with auto-fire, spawn pressure, and the same native-2d-action helper lane
• 3d-platformer: checkpoint-driven 3D route play
• 3d-collectathon: collectible-driven 3D route play
• local-multiplayer: fastest room-code loop, local-first by default and one aura.config.json -> multiplayer.relay field away from internet-backed hosting
• deckbuilder-2d: starter-owned content registries and turn-based card flow
• blank: minimal authored scaffold without genre opinion

For the heaviest current native 2D action proof, see examples/sector-surge-2d/src/main.js.

Supported means:

• AuraJS still advertises the template publicly
• create/install/registry/runtime checks still cover it
• starter-owned files exist in the template itself instead of living only in scaffold-time placeholders

What Supported Does Not Mean

Supported does not mean:

• it owns the short default alias
• it is the first template every new developer should reach for
• it claims every newer retained UI or continuity surface first

For example:

• 2d and 3d normalize to the canonical adventure starters
• local-multiplayer is supported, but it stays local-first and native-first by default even though setting aura.config.json -> multiplayer.relay or AURA_MULTIPLAYER_RELAY_HOST promotes the same room-code flow to internet-backed hosting
• the specialized 3D starters are productized starters, not broad 3D engine closure claims

State And File Ownership

Across both canonical and specialized starters, keep the same rules:

• gameplay/session data -> appState.session
• UI state/preferences -> appState.ui
• engine/runtime facts -> appState.runtime
• scene-local mutable state -> sceneState
• authored inputs -> config/ and content/
• reusable gameplay pieces -> prefabs/
• HUD and modal presentation -> ui/

If a file exists because the starter needs it, it should live in the starter.

Starter Picks

Use Creating a New Game when you want the quick install-to-first-playable path.