Making games on iPhone/iPad using Lua & Love2D

by Matt Sephton — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 07:37:00 +0000

I wondered how feasible it is to make Love2D games “on the go” (on a train, in bed, etc). Often I want to try a quick sketch, work up a prototype, or simply verify an algorithm. I’m happy to say it’s possible!

Runners

Love2D Studio

Available since Jan 2024
Free apps.apple.com/gb/app/love2d-studio/id6474188075
this allows you to manage love files and run them on iPhone
Love2D errors can even be copied to the clipboard!

Love2D Game Maker

Available since March 2024
Paid apps.apple.com/gb/app/love2d-game-maker/id6476174098
TestFlight testflight.apple.com/join/bCLmQKfQ
from the creator of LuaLu (see below)
comes bundled with a handful of demo games
Pong tutorial

Editors

Textastic (since 2010)

Paid apps.apple.com/gb/app/textastic-code-editor/id1049254261
text editor with autocomplete and function picker

Kodex (since 2017)

Free apps.apple.com/gb/app/kodex/id1038574481
text editor with minimap

GoCoEdit (since 2016)

Paid apps.apple.com/gb/app/gocoedit-code-text-editor/id869346854
text editor with autocomplete

Runestone (since 2022)

Free, limited apps.apple.com/gb/app/runestone-text-editor/id1548193893
text editor with clean user interface

Lua IDE (since Feb 2021)

Free apps.apple.com/gb/app/lua-ide/id1549382090
this app provides QuickLook support for Lua files
at some point you’ll need to check the contents of a Lua file in Files app
it also features the full Lua docs (though I use a self-built version of Dash doc viewer)

LuaLu (since Apr 2013)

Free apps.apple.com/gb/app/lualu-repl-learn-lua-coding/id638219114
sometimes you just need a Lua REPL prompt to figure out a formula or do a quick experiment
features solid debugging support

Other Lua IDE

If you’re into Lua but not into Love2D then you might try Codea for iPad.

Reviewing the iPhone Xs in 2023

by Matt Sephton — Mon, 20 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Yes, the iPhone Xs came out in 2018. I thought it would be interesting to review it in 2023. Plus, I only just bought one!

I hung on to the old home-button form factor for as long as I could, using a 6s for the longest time, but two things made me move to an edge-to-edge phone:

I was on an SE2020 which doesn’t have enough RAM to run modern iOS well. The newer SE2022 has more RAM, but still suffers from…
the encroachment of user interface meant for edge-to-edge phones that do not work well on home-button devices: gestures, buttons, and weird spacings and misalignments: death by a thousand cuts.

So, why an Xs over a newer iPhone? Many reasons.

Good

Extra RAM is the biggest benefit, especially when it comes to multi-tasking
Home bar interactions are great, they make sense for this device
Safari address bar at the bottom also makes sense!
One of my favourite gestures is swiping up on the editable Safari address bar to get to tab view
Being able to see large cards for every tab now makes sense
3D Touch is so much more immediate than a long press
Camera features less computational adjustments
OLED blacks are really black
256GB capacity means less hassle

Bad

Top corners accessibility is a pain, though reachability helps
Entering passwords is slower due to Face ID being slower than fingerprint
Having to enter my passcode more frequently due to Face ID fails
OLED ghosting at low brightness
3D Touch interactions other than long press have been removed
~~Speakers are nowhere near as good as on the SE2020~~
This issue was fixed for free at the same time as an official battery replacement

Indifferent

Speed is slightly slower than SE2020, but the increased RAM and user interface fit are a net gain
Very slippery, but I use a case that provides additional grip and protection as I am clumsy

So, there we have it! I bought an old iPhone rather than a new one and I’m enjoying it.

Get Info: #iphone