Hephaestus Engine
A custom C++ engine built from the ground up to study modern engine architecture, prioritize clarity, and create a direct relationship between creative intent and technical execution.
Why Hephaestus Exists
Hephaestus is a design first engine created as a personal exploration of how modern tools are built. The goal is not to hide complexity, but to understand it, organize it, and make the workflow feel direct and intentional.
It serves as both the technical foundation for Olympus Game Studios projects and a learning driven platform for exploring rendering, tooling, asset pipelines, and iteration speed with minimal abstraction.
Core Pillars
Clarity Over Abstraction
Systems are intentionally transparent. The engine prioritizes readable flows and explicit ownership so every feature can be understood, modified, and extended with confidence.
Editor Ergonomics
Tooling is treated as a first class system. The editor focuses on fast iteration, approachable controls, and workflows tailored to the creative process.
Experimental Workflows
The engine is built to explore new ideas like custom render paths, asset pipelines, and world building tools that evolve alongside project needs.
Engine Architecture
Modular Runtime Core
A lightweight runtime with clear ownership boundaries, focused on performance and predictable behavior.
Separation of Editor + Runtime
Tools and runtime layers are kept distinct so shipping builds stay lean while editor workflows remain rich.
Iterative Rendering Stack
Rendering is designed to be evolvable, allowing targeted experiments without destabilizing the core.
Asset Centric Data Flow
Assets are treated as first class entities with versioned pipelines and fast reimport cycles.
Tooling & Workflow
Editor UX
Hephaestus treats the editor as a creative cockpit. The UI focuses on direct manipulation, minimal friction, and fast context switching between world, assets, and runtime diagnostics.
Asset Pipelines
The pipeline is built for reliability and iteration speed with clean import and reimport paths, deterministic outputs, and immediate feedback for designers.
Custom Tooling Layer
Bespoke tools support experimental workflows: layout authoring, live scene inspection, and structured data panels tailored to each system.
Current Focus
The engine is currently evolving around renderer iteration, editor diagnostics, and a streamlined asset pipeline. Each system is built with the intent to teach, scale, and stay readable for future experimentation.