November 2, 2025
Gaming in your grocery app?
React-Native-Godot
Mobile apps meet mini-games: devs cheer, skeptics ask “why”
TLDR: Born and Migeran released a tool to embed the Godot game engine inside React Native mobile apps, already used by millions. The community is split: some dream of 3D previews and fun mini‑games, while others worry it’s too heavy and could bloat apps, drain batteries, and complicate performance.
React Native Godot just dropped, letting app makers slip the full Godot game engine into React Native apps. Translation: your shopping app could suddenly have a real 3D scene in it. Born and Migeran say it’s already powering millions of users, works on iOS and Android, and even runs the game engine on a separate thread so your app doesn’t freeze while the fun happens. You can start, stop, pause, and restart with a totally different mini‑game. The whole Godot API (that’s the app “menu of actions”) is accessible from JavaScript, so devs can script everything from the main app.
Cue the comment section meltdown. One early voice, _fzslm, nails the vibe: “super cool” but… isn’t this a bit heavy? Fans picture slick 3D product previews, AR‑ish catalogs, and cheeky mini‑games in your bank app. Skeptics fire back with the age‑old bloat warning: why ship a full game engine for a sprinkle of 3D? Memes flew about “running Doom in your grocery list,” while pragmatists ask about app size and battery life. The hype camp shouts “why not,” the practical camp mutters “because performance,” and the chaos gremlins just want a secret boss fight in Settings. Meanwhile, the package is live on npm (link) and devs are already poking it to see how far they can push the line between app and game.
Key Points
- •React Native Godot embeds the Godot Engine into React Native apps for iOS and Android, built on LibGodot.
- •Created by Born and developed by Migeran, the implementation is production-stable and used by millions in Born’s apps.
- •Supports engine lifecycle control: start, stop, restart (with reconfiguration), pause, and resume.
- •Godot runs on a separate thread and its windows/subwindows can be embedded on the same or different screens in React Native.
- •Developers can access the full Godot API from TypeScript/JavaScript; setup includes NPM install, downloading prebuilt LibGodot from GitHub, and running example apps via iOS/Android tooling.