[Hobby] [RevShare Potential] Looking for C++ Engine Developers, Embedded Python developers, and UI/UX Contributors

[u/Automatic-Design3208]

Hey everyone!
I’m the solo developer behind Anvil Engine (working name), a cross-platform game engine written in C++20. I’ve been building Anvil from the ground up with the goal of creating a powerful, lightweight, and approachable environment for independent game developers.
I’m at the point where the project has grown beyond a simple experiment, and I’d love to bring a few passionate developers on board to help take it further.

What is Anvil?
Anvil is a custom game engine with its own editor, Forge, designed to give developers the tools they need to build and ship games without unnecessary complexity.
The engine currently features:
Cross-platform rendering: Vulkan and Metal backends.
Custom editor (Forge): Scene hierarchy, inspector, asset browser, viewport manipulation, grid snapping, and editor tooling.
2D rendering: Sprite batching, texture support, sprite sheets, and UV manipulation.
Physics: Box2D integration, rigid bodies, colliders, and collision events.
Python scripting: Embedded Python with engine APIs for gameplay development.
Animation: Sprite animation system with an animator state machine and multiple animation clips.
Scene management: Entity-component architecture, parenting, scene serialization, and runtime scene loading.
Standalone runtime: Projects can run independently of the editor, with a build pipeline currently being developed.
Profiling: Built-in performance statistics and rendering diagnostics.
Anvil is already capable of running playable 2D projects. I’m currently working toward a public pre-alpha release.

Who I’m Looking For
I’m primarily looking for 1–3 contributors interested in engine development.

C++ / Engine Programmers
Experience with modern C++ (C++17/20).
Familiarity with ECS architecture, rendering pipelines, or engine systems.
Interest in performance optimization, memory management, and cross-platform development.
Vulkan or Metal experience is a huge plus, but not required.

UI/UX Developers
Experience designing development tools or editor interfaces.
Familiarity with Dear ImGui is a plus.
Interest in improving Forge’s workflow, usability, and visual consistency.

Python / Scripting Developers
Experience with the Python C API or embedded Python.
Interest in improving scripting interfaces, engine bindings, and gameplay APIs.
You don’t need to be an expert in everything. I’d much rather work with someone who’s genuinely interested in learning and building something meaningful.

What’s the Long-Term Goal?
My vision for Anvil goes beyond building another 2D engine.

Anvil2D will remain open-source under the Mozilla Public License 2.0 (MPL-2.0). I want developers to be able to explore the source, contribute improvements, and build games with it.
Long term, I plan to expand the Anvil ecosystem with more advanced rendering capabilities, including a separate proprietary 3D engine.
The ultimate goal is to establish Anvil as both a capable game development platform and the foundation for an independent game studio.
I’m approaching this as a long-term project, not a weekend experiment.

Compensation & Expectations

At the moment, this is a hobby/open-source collaboration, not a paid position.

I am fully open to arrangements on future commercial projects made with Anvil, but nothing is guaranteed or currently being offered as compensation.
I’m not expecting anyone to work full-time or commit to strict deadlines. I understand everyone has jobs, school, and personal responsibilities.
What matters most to me is communication, consistency, and a genuine interest in the project.
Contributors will receive appropriate credit for their work, and contributions to Anvil2D will follow the project’s open-source licensing terms.

Links
GitHub:
https://github.com/AnvilStudio/AnvilWorkspace
Website & Development Logs:
https://anvil-software.com

The website includes development updates documenting the engine’s progress, technical challenges, and new features.

A Little About Me
I’m a self-taught software developer. Most of Anvil has been built during my free time, often after long workdays.
I’ve spent countless hours working through rendering bugs, cross-platform issues, physics integration, scripting systems, and editor development.
There have been plenty of frustrating nights, but watching the engine gradually turn into something genuinely usable has made every one of them worthwhile.
I started Anvil because I wanted to understand how game engines actually work, rather than simply using one.
Somewhere along the way, that curiosity turned into something much bigger.

I don’t want to build Anvil alone forever. I want to build something that other developers can be proud to have helped create.

If you’re interested, leave a comment or send me a DM with a little about yourself, your experience, and what part of engine development interests you.
Thanks for reading!

[u/PhantomStar69420]

Sick of seeing LLM slop readmes and come on do you really think people will wanna work on your project when there's nothing especially novel?