LDtk, short for Level Designer Toolkit, is a free, open-source 2D level editor for Windows under the MIT license. The installer comes straight from github.com, the project's official host. Version 1.5.3 is dated January 15, 2024, and it costs nothing.
An editor for levels, not a game engine
LDtk does one job: designing 2D levels. It is described as a modern, efficient editor with a focus on ease of use. The tags point to the same scope: 2d, level-editor, json and agnostic.
The agnostic and json tags suggest the output is meant to be read by whatever engine or code you already use. For specific export formats or engine integrations, check the official site at ldtk.io before relying on one.
What a session with the Electron build looks like
The tags mention electron and haxe, so the app is a desktop program built on web technology, written in Haxe. The package is 159.6 MB, which is large for a single-purpose tool and fits the Electron approach.
A typical session would be opening the editor, building a level and saving it as JSON data for your project.
Compared with Tiled, Godot Engine and the rest
Tiled is the closest alternative, since it is also a level editor. Godot Engine, GDevelop and Unity Hub belong to the engine and project-management side, where level design is one part of a larger tool. LOVE is a framework, and Krita is a painting program.
LDtk sits in the narrow space of a dedicated level editor that stays separate from any engine.
LDtk pros and cons
Pros
- Free to download
- MIT license with open-source code
- Agnostic and JSON-oriented, so it is not tied to one engine
- Official download from github.com
- Developer website at ldtk.io
Cons
- Installer size is 159.6 MB
- Large package size at 159.6 MB
- Supported export formats are best confirmed on the official site
Is LDtk safe?
Sebastien Benard publishes LDtk, with a project site at ldtk.io, and the MIT-licensed file is fetched from github.com rather than from us. No scan report is attached to this page, so check that the address matches github.com before running the installer.
How to install LDtk
- Press the download button to get the official file.
- Run the installer you saved and confirm the Windows security prompt if the publisher matches.
- Follow the setup steps, then start LDtk from the Start menu.
