Use the multiplayer API or Nakama?

Help Networking
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Godot Version 4.5

godot 4.5.1

Question

Hello everyone, I’m a beginner. If I were to create an online multiplayer card game, would you recommend using the built-in multiplayer API or an external third-party tool like Nakama?

thank you very much

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Nakama mostly provides services that complete professional games need like achievements, leaderboards, and accounts. It is not a drop in replacement for Godot’s high level networking and neither is it an “improvement” or expansion of Godot’s networking library. Nakama simply provides services that your game may or may not need.

Godot’s high level networking (based on ENET) is simpler and lower level than Nakama. As a beginner, Godot’s high level networking will be easier to use and you will learn more about networking principles.

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Neither, if your card game is turn-based can even just broker TCP payloads between clients. The high-level multiplayer API is simple enough though, but if turn-based I’d def on leaning towards sending progressive deltas amongst clients to/from the host because it can truly be that simple. This minimizes network traffic and makes bad connections resilient and retry-by-nature since you’re only ever sending technical, game state things client-to-client, each one rendering/etc. on their own end. Nakama’s cool though if you can readily integrate it and want to take advantage of a decent chunk of its features, but overkill for just gameplay IMO

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I am deeply grateful for your guidance and suggestions. I am already in the process of learning, and I am looking forward to creating a satisfactory mini-game by the end of 2026

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Thank you so much.