Nakama
Nakama is an open-source backend for social and real-time games, aimed at developers building online multiplayer experiences.
What Nakama is
Nakama is an open-source backend for social and real-time games, aimed at developers building online multiplayer experiences. It provides player accounts and authentication, social features, storage, real-time data exchange, chat, notifications, leaderboards, matchmaking, and multiplayer. Multiplayer options include authoritative and relayed play, match listing, and matchmaking; competitive tools include tournaments and configurable leaderboards. Server-side logic can be written in Go, TypeScript, JavaScript, or Lua, with event hooks and RPC calls. Open-source client SDKs are listed for engines and languages including Unity, Unreal Engine, Godot, JavaScript, Swift, and Java/Android. The server uses the Apache 2.0 license, with commercial licenses also available; client libraries are Apache 2.0. Nakama can be installed with Docker or manually on Windows, macOS, and Linux, then run on a cloud of the user's choosing or Heroic Cloud. Heroic Cloud plans include dedicated hardware, a managed database, backups, monitoring, scaling, a load balancer, SSL certificates, and log aggregation.
Good
- Open-source server and client libraries use Apache 2.0.
- Supports authoritative and relayed multiplayer.
- Server logic supports Go, TypeScript, JavaScript, and Lua.
- SDKs are listed for Unity, Unreal Engine, and Godot.
- Heroic Cloud plans include managed database resources and backups.
Watch out
- Console libraries are available on request and are not open source.
- Commercial licenses are also available.
- Some cloud services are tied to Heroic Cloud plans.
Who it suits
Nakama suits game developers, studios, and publishers building online games, from hobbyists and indie teams to AAA studios. Teams can install it themselves or use Heroic Cloud hosting.
Verdict
Nakama combines social systems, multiplayer features, and server-side customization in an open-source game backend. Teams can choose self-hosting or Heroic Cloud, while console libraries are not open source.
The facts
Each one read from Nakama's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Client libraries
- Open-source SDKs are listed for engines and languages including Unity, Unreal Engine, Godot, JavaScript, Swift, and Java/Android; console libraries are available on request and are not open source.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Cloud limits
- Heroic Cloud Nakama plans include no DAU, MAU, or CCU limits, and include dedicated hardware and a managed database instance.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Competitive features
- Its competitive features include tournaments, configurable leaderboards, and matchmaking.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Core features
- It provides user accounts, authentication, social networking, storage, real-time data exchange, chat, notifications, leaderboards, matchmaking, and multiplayer.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Customization
- Server-side logic can be written in Go, TypeScript, JavaScript, and Lua, with hooks, RPCs, REST API access, and direct database access.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Deployment
- Heroic Labs offers Nakama hosting on Heroic Cloud, while its documentation provides a Docker Compose installation guide.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Enterprise
- Nakama Enterprise is a commercial proprietary license with clustering, high availability, automatic failover, long-term support releases, and guaranteed fixes for LTS versions.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Install and hosting
- Nakama can be installed using Docker or manually on Windows, macOS, and Linux, and can run on a cloud of the user's choosing or Heroic Cloud.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The product page names Facebook, Steam, and Google for social sign-in and says external services can be integrated through custom authentication and its REST API.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The product is presented for game developers, studios, and publishers building online multiplayer games, from hobbyists and indie teams to AAA studios.checked 7 Oct 2026
- License
- The server is licensed under Apache 2.0, with commercial licenses also available; client libraries are Apache 2.0.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Managed cloud
- Heroic Cloud's Nakama plans include no DAU, MAU, or CCU limits, dedicated hardware and managed database resources, backups, monitoring, scaling, a load balancer, SSL certificates, and log aggregation.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Multiplayer
- Nakama supports authoritative and relayed multiplayer, matchmaking, and match listing.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Product
- Nakama is a scalable, open-source backend for social and real-time games.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Security
- Heroic Labs states that its cloud infrastructure and services are SOC 2 Type II compliant.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Security and compliance
- The pricing page describes Heroic Cloud infrastructure and services as SOC 2 Type II compliant.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Server logic
- Server-side logic can be written in Go, TypeScript, JavaScript, and Lua, with event hooks and RPC calls.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Social features
- It includes friends, groups, real-time messaging, chat rooms, notifications, and social sign-in.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Support
- Heroic Labs lists studio support packages with dedicated email support, response SLAs, and, for some packages, uptime guarantees and developer hours.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Supported engines
- The page lists Godot, Unity, Unreal Engine, MonoGame, LibGDX, Defold, Cocos2d, and Phaser among supported game engines.checked 7 Oct 2026
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