horizOn: Game backend for Godot 4.5+, now on the Godot Asset Store

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horizOn: A game backend for Godot

horizOn Godot SDK
horizOn Godot SDK1920×1080 46.7 KB

Hi everyone,

I built horizOn while working on a game that needed a backend. I wanted hosting in Europe, the US and Asia, replication and backups, with a monthly bill I could plan around.

It handles player accounts, cloud saves, leaderboards, remote config, news, gift codes, player feedback and crash reporting. The hosted service has a free tier and fixed monthly plans with published limits.

The Godot addon

The addon is free and open source under the MIT license. It uses GDScript and requires Godot 4.5 or later.

You can get it from the Godot Asset Store. The code, release ZIPs and issue tracker are in the Godot SDK repository on GitHub.

Getting started

  1. Put horizon_sdk in res://addons/horizon_sdk/.
  2. Enable horizOn SDK under Project > Project Settings > Plugins.
  3. Create a project at horizon.pm and download its SDK configuration.
  4. Import it through Project > Tools > horizOn: Import Config.
  5. Open addons/horizon_sdk/examples/horizon_test_scene.tscn to try it.

The quickstart on horizon.pm includes the setup guide, examples and videos.

There is also an open-source PHP Simple Server for self-hosting. It supports a subset of the hosted features. The SDK repository explains how to connect to it.

Questions and feedback here are welcome. If you try the addon, I’d like to hear how it fits into your project and where you get stuck.

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Passing this on to someone who might be interested.

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Now on the Godot Asset Store

Hey everyone,

I’ve kept working on horizOn since I posted here in March. The addon is now available on the Godot Asset Store, and quite a bit has been added since the first version.

It is a free, open-source GDScript addon for Godot 4.5 or later. The GitHub repository has the source, release ZIPs, examples and issue tracker.

What’s new

Player profiles and cosmetics

You can keep a cosmetics catalogue in the dashboard, unlock items for individual players and grant them through gift codes.

Localization

Translation strings can be managed in the dashboard for up to 15 languages. The game loads the player’s language at runtime, so you can correct or add text without releasing another build.

Validated Actions

You can start a run with a server-issued ticket and a deterministic seed, then submit the result with an input hash. The backend checks your configured rules and can request an input log for review. Leaderboards can be restricted to validated scores.

This feature uses the hosted service.

Crash reporting

The addon can send error reports with breadcrumbs and context, so you have more than the final error message when trying to work out what happened.

Transactional emails

You can send messages through your own SMTP server, using templates with placeholders and multiple languages.

Leaderboards now also support separate board keys, player ranks and nearby scores.

Trying it in Godot

The package includes a test scene and feature examples. Enable the plugin, import your project configuration through Project > Tools > horizOn: Import Config, then open addons/horizon_sdk/examples/horizon_test_scene.tscn.

I’ve also reworked the quickstart on horizon.pm with setup steps, examples and short videos. The addon is free under the MIT license. The hosted backend has a free tier and fixed monthly plans with published limits.

I’d be glad to hear how it fits into your Godot project. If you’ve tried the earlier addon, what felt awkward to set up, and what example would help you get started faster?

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