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API docs

This is a summary page comparing all the APIs. Click on API name to see its documentation.

Go to the Starter Worlds page to see Starter Worlds for all APIs on one page.

These APIs use specific versions of third-party libraries. These APIs will not change in the future, so that all runs will always work. Rather, new APIs will be added.

"Ancient Brain" APIs

The following APIs include third-party libraries and a useful Ancient Brain framework to make writing Worlds easy and short.

These APIs are useful for writing JS Worlds for this site:


API Uses canvas Graphics libraries AB framework Worlds using this API Starter Worlds
Three (AB) (r3) Yes Three.js Yes 1839 Worlds Starter Worlds
Physics (AB) (r2) Yes Three.js, Ammo Yes 7 Worlds Starter Worlds
P5 (AB) (r3) Yes P5 Yes 129 Worlds Starter Worlds
ML5 (AB) (r1) Yes P5, ML5 Yes 37 Worlds Starter Worlds
Canvas (AB) (r2) Yes None Yes 18 Worlds Starter Worlds

"Plain" APIs

The following APIs include third-party libraries and nothing else (no useful Ancient Brain framework). The World author has to write everything themselves.

These APIs are useful for porting JS Worlds to this site unchanged:


API Uses canvas Graphics libraries AB framework Worlds using this API Starter Worlds
Three (r3) Yes Three.js No 37 Worlds Starter Worlds
Three (Module) (r1) Yes Three.js No 140 Worlds None
Physics (r2) Yes Three.js, Ammo No 5 Worlds Starter Worlds
P5 (r3) Yes P5 No 1022 Worlds Starter Worlds
ML5 (r1) Yes P5, ML5 No 10 Worlds Starter Worlds
Canvas (r2) Yes None No 11 Worlds Starter Worlds
Webpage (r2) No None No 1079 Worlds Starter Worlds
Webpage (Module) (r1) No None No 35 Worlds None

Earlier APIs

One of the principles of this site is that Worlds should run forever. We do this by keeping earlier APIs. Worlds with an earlier API will still run. There is no need to change their API. Indeed that would probably be a bad idea.

The earlier APIs will exist forever, so the Worlds will run forever. You can go on using the earlier API, and writing Worlds for it, forever.

We expect most Worlds to have APIs in this section. And this is not a problem.

Earlier "Ancient Brain" APIs

API Uses canvas Graphics libraries AB framework Worlds using this API Starter Worlds
Three (AB) (r2) Yes Three.js Yes 559 Worlds None
Three (AB) (r1) Yes Three.js Yes 1280 Worlds None
Physics (AB) (r1) Yes Three.js, Physijs Yes 226 Worlds Starter Worlds
P5 (AB) (r2) Yes P5 Yes 8 Worlds None
P5 (AB) (r1) Yes P5 Yes 60 Worlds Starter Worlds
Canvas (AB) (r1) Yes None Yes 75 Worlds Starter Worlds

Earlier "plain" APIs

API Uses canvas Graphics libraries AB framework Worlds using this API Starter Worlds
Three (r2) Yes Three.js No 37 Worlds Starter Worlds
Three (r1) Yes Three.js No 2 Worlds None
Physics (r1) Yes Three.js, Physijs No 9 Worlds Starter Worlds
P5 (r2) Yes P5 No 618 Worlds None
P5 (r1) Yes P5 No 4626 Worlds Starter Worlds
Canvas (r1) Yes None No 7 Worlds None
Webpage (r1) No None No 146 Worlds None