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Game programming & engines: videos Hacker News recommends
Game programming: game engines, physics engines, rendering for games, Unity, Unreal, ECS, networking for games, John Carmack, Handmade Hero, multithreading, GDC technical talks. Below: every video in this topic that at least three HN users linked with real commentary, in at least three different months (57 talks, 32 demos, 8 interviews), best-scored first, with the comments on each video page.
- 16 HN recommenders 10 months 2019–2025HN treats it as the best real-world AAA example of ECS and game netcode, and cites it constantly in discussions of data-oriented design.
- 9 HN recommenders 9 months 2018–2023HN treats it as the go-to explanation of ECS, valuable even for people who don't use Rust.
- 7 HN recommenders 9 months 2021–2026S SIGGRAPH Advances in Real-Time Rendering · talkHN treats it as the definitive deep dive on Nanite, admired for the engineering ambition behind pixel-sized triangles and compute-driven rendering.
- 13 HN recommenders 9 months 2020–2026It is one of the most frequently recommended videos on HN for old-school game development hacks under tight hardware constraints.
- 9 HN recommenders 9 months 2015–2026A Alexandre Franco · talkHN recommends it as a talk whose advice on simplicity and avoiding unnecessary work applies well beyond games.
- 7 HN recommenders 9 months 2014–2025HN programmers recommend it, and the Jai series that followed, for the game-industry view on replacing C++ and for watching a language being invented.
- 7 HN recommenders 7 months 2020–2026It is the go-to talk for anyone building falling-sand or pixel-physics simulations, and several commenters say they modeled their own engines on it.
- 11 HN recommenders 8 months 2025–2026B Better Software Conference · talkHN commenters recommend it for its source-based history of OOP, though some dispute its account of Alan Kay.
- 6 HN recommenders 7 months 2023–2026G Godot Engine · talkFrequently recommended for an experienced game-engine builder's view on why GC pauses are inevitable and why Swift's approach is appealing.
- 6 HN recommenders 7 months 2012–2018Q QuakeCon Official · talkHN rates his QuakeCon keynotes among the best technical talks, and cites this one for the VR segment and for his views on Linux gaming.
- 3 HN recommenders 5 months 2015–2019A favorite on Ask HN lists of programming YouTube channels, praised for mind-blowing systems and graphics programming and a watchable coding style.
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2015–2020B Bruce Hauman · demoIt is the canonical demo HN people cite for live interactive development and hot reloading, as proof the workflow is real and not smoke and mirrors.
- 4 HN recommenders 5 months 2017–2023HN raves about it as one of the best conference talks, showing a master's creative process and sound design.
- 9 HN recommenders 5 months 2023–2025HN treats it as the best entry point to geometric algebra and an intuitive route to understanding quaternions.
- 5 HN recommenders 6 months 2021–2025The go-to link in any anti-cheat thread for a concrete, well-delivered account of machine-learning cheat detection in production.
- 7 HN recommenders 6 months 2017–2026M Media Molecule · talkHN calls it an inspirational must-see on SDF rendering and a favorite tech talk for graphics programmers.
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2017–2023HN cites it as the example of a better alternative to whiteboard and fizzbuzz-style interviews.
- 4 HN recommenders 5 months 2020–2024B BUas Games · talkThe go-to talk whenever Wave Function Collapse, Townscaper or tile-based procedural generation comes up.
- 5 HN recommenders 4 months 2023–2026R retrogameinternals · demoHeld up in debugger and tooling threads as an amazing ideal of a tight feedback loop and what debugging could be.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2022–2025HN considers it one of the best game networking talks, with insights that carry over to distributed systems generally.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2013–2025K Kostiantyn Kostin · talkCited again and again as Carmack's key public statement on functional programming and purity in game development, plus his remarks on garbage collection.
- 4 HN recommenders 5 months 2020–2025HN treats it as the definitive practical talk on rollback networking in a shipped AAA fighting game.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2017–2024C Casey Muratori · lectureSeen as the origin of the IMGUI idea that inspired Dear ImGui, recommended to anyone curious about immediate-mode UI design.
- 6 HN recommenders 4 months 2020–2023P PlayStation · talkHN treats it as required viewing for understanding the PS5's SSD and architecture beyond raw specs.
- 3 HN recommenders 4 months 2013–2026D Daniel Hands · demoHN points to it as the standard example of procedural content generation and extreme size optimization in games.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2020–2024HN commenters point to it as the first-person story of how Myst grew out of HyperCard and fit on CD-ROM, especially in threads about HyperCard and retro game constraints.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2014–2022HN recommends it as an approachable way into C and low-level programming that gets to something visible quickly.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2013–2025HN cites it for the story of how Pitfall's levels are generated procedurally from a seeded counter, within 4K of ROM.
- 5 HN recommenders 4 months 2018–2026M max4warn · talkHN points to it as the definitive example of server-side, behavioral, non-invasive anti-cheat using machine learning, often as a counterpoint to kernel-level anti-cheat.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2023–2025A AngeTheGreat · demoHN points to it as a standout example of physics-based sound synthesis and engine simulation.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2021–2022R Roguelike Celebration · talkHN recommends it as a fun, informative survey of easy-to-implement dungeon generation methods from the author of the Rust roguelike tutorial.
- 3 HN recommenders 4 months 2025–2026R runevision · explainerHN recommends it as the original explainer for a clever dithering technique and the go-to video in dithering threads.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2017–2018U UncommentatedPannen · explainerPraised as an engrossing, in-depth look at SM64 mechanics that is surprisingly compelling to watch.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2024–2025HN recommends it as an excellent inside look at Valve's history, its technology and the games industry of the time.
- 3 HN recommenders 4 months 2021–2025S sentdex · demoCited as an early, striking demo of neural networks acting as game engines and world models.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2022M Martin Donald · explainerCommenters recommend it as the clearest way to understand WFC, especially in threads about Townscaper and tiled content generation.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2022Recommended as a prime example of large-scale procedural generation used in a shipped AAA game.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2011–2018Q QuakeCon Official · talkCited as a source for Carmack's views on static analysis, open source and languages, and praised as a captivating, conversational speaker.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2017–2021HN recommends the series as a thorough look at low-level game programming by someone with deep knowledge, offered free.
- 2 HN recommenders 3 months 2014–2016E Elizr · demoHN commenters use it as the canonical demo of deep reinforcement learning, noting that watching it teaches more than an article does.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2014–2021Recommended to Carmack fans as the keynote with his functional programming adventures and for his fluent, wide-ranging talk.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2018–2023G Gamelab Conference · talkRecommended for a substantive look at language design priorities and a critique of why modern programming feels broken.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2018–2025It is the standard citation in HN arguments over Rust for game development, the borrow checker and ECS designs, as a skeptical view from an experienced game developer.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2025J John Lin · demoHN cites it as a showcase of one of the best voxel engines, impressive for its detail and smoothness.
- John Carmack: Doom, Quake, VR, AGI, Programming, Video Games, and Rockets | Lex Fridman Podcast #3093 HN recommenders 3 months 2022–2024HN mines it for Carmack's views on AGI, debuggers, tooling and the metaverse, and recommends it as worth the full length.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2020–2026R Roguelike Celebration · talkHN commenters cite it as a level-headed counterpoint to ECS zealotry and a good intro to game architecture beyond ECS.
- 4 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2026HN points to it as a concrete case of procedural animation that keeps characters responsive, often in threads about Overgrowth and game feel.
- Exclusive: Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition Analysis - The First Triple-A Game Built Around Ray Tracing3 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2025D Digital Foundry · explainerHN recommends it as a good overview of what ray-traced lighting changes for developers and players.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2022H Houdini · talkHN points people to it as a rare, concrete look at how a AAA studio uses procedural tools to fill huge worlds with natural-looking environments.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2023HN commenters recommend it as a firsthand account from the creator, including the old tooling.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2020–2021N Nuno Afonso · tutorialJai had no public release, so commenters point to this beta user's videos as a way to see what the language is actually like.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2025Recommended as a good first-steps shader tutorial that also teaches broad graphics knowledge.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2014–2022R Racket · talkHN cites it whenever Lisp in games, Naughty Dog or Racket in production comes up, as the main first-hand account.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2015–2017Recommended as a great talk on live, functional-style game programming.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2020HN people point to it as an excellent, inspirational talk on Rust GUI architecture, and it led many to the Druid project.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2015–2021Recommended as a clear, practical introduction to atomics and lock-free programming in C++.
- 4 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2024HN recommends it as a fascinating hacker war story, especially in threads on Naughty Dog's custom Lisp languages GOOL and GOAL.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2024Recommended as an entertaining, technical look at squeezing a game into a tiny Atari 2600, told by the original developer.
- 3 HN recommenders 2 months 2019–2020Recommended as a wide-ranging Carmack interview, noted for his views on work ethic and AGI.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2022–2023Recommended as a clear overview of Another World's graphics and programming and what the Amiga could do.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2016–2023HN points to it as a first-hand account of game netcode and engineering lessons from a Blizzard and Guild Wars developer.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2025P Peter Silk (KestrelPi) · demoHN points to it as the clearest short demo of iMUSE, considered a high point in video game music.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2023HN commenters cite it as the reference for how a rewind system works and as a point of comparison for undo and serialization approaches.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2024HN recommends it as a striking example of rendering with distance-estimated fractals and non-standard graphics approaches.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2025–2026L LambdaConf · talkHN points to it for seeing Jai's compile-time metaprogramming in practice and for Blow's tools that visualize programs to spot problems.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2015–2026HN recommends it as a way to demystify game creation and shows what an experienced developer can build in a 48-hour jam.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2025–2026B Better Software Conference · talkHN points to it as a practical example of solving a tricky multithreading problem, including using a spinlock to speed up a real-time physics solver.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2026HN commenters recommend it as an accessible, non-technical look at real game pathfinding problems from a developer who built them.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2024Recommended as a clear, from-scratch demonstration of how simple code hot-reloading is with plain OS facilities.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2023Cited as an impressive real-time rendering showcase, with Nanite and a huge photorealistic city, that rivals film CGI.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2010–2015HN holds it up as a vivid example of focused game-jam productivity, and it has been used to demystify programming for students and inspire tools for recording coding sessions.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2022HN points to it as coverage of an impressive 3D game port on very limited hardware.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2024HN cites it in threads on Linux desktop application distribution as a clear treatment of why binary compatibility and static linking are hard.
- 1 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2021N Nick Caston · demoHN uses it as concrete data in game engine debates, showing a custom engine far outperforming Unity at several times the effort.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2023–2026K Kaze Emanuar · explainerCited in discussions of sine implementations and whether lookup tables beat computation on memory-bound hardware.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2022HN recommends it for first-hand accounts of how early 3D games like Doom worked within tight hardware limits.
- 1 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2022J Jeru Sanders · commentaryCited in threads about Lua, embedded scripting, and game engines as a concise argument that scripting languages are redundant.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2019–2025HN points to it as the definitive example of making 3D rendering look like 2D animation through cel shading, outlines, and framerate tricks.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2016–2025J Jeija · demoPointed to in Minetest and spherical-voxel-world threads as a striking example of what the open-source engine can do.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2017–2023Strongly recommended as an inspiring hour on how id worked, often linked in programming-practice threads.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2020–2024S SalC1 · explainerHN points to it as a mind-blowing seed-cracking story related to other Minecraft RNG reversal work.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2015–2016G GameTrailers · demoHN cites it as a favorite demo of live coding and hot reload in a game engine.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2020–2021M Microsoft Flight Simulator · demoHN commenters link it as official evidence that the new simulator's flight model is serious and comparable to dedicated sims.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2019HN uses it as a reference for how noisy raw real-time ray tracing is and how it compares with traditional faked lighting.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2019–2020R Reboot Develop · talkCited in discussions of software getting slower and of efforts to reduce friction in programming.
- 2 HN recommenders 1 months 2024–2025D Digital Dragons · talkHN points to it as a detailed production example of mesh shaders and GPU-driven rendering, though some find it daunting.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2011–2018HN cites it as the original showing of ForPlay (later PlayN), the cross-platform Java game library.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2014–2017S Steamworks Development · talkCited for his plain-language explanation of how VR convinces the brain and for resolution and pixel-density figures.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2015–2020S Steamworks Development · talkHN commenters link it when people ask about cross-platform game development and for details like SDL's licensing change.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2012–2022S simme337 · demoHN points to it as an example of Notch's famous live-coding sessions, which drew many early Minecraft fans.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2022–2024L Logo “ND” Surströmming · talkHN points to it for insight into how the Caves of Qud developer thinks about game engines.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2021–2024D Digital Foundry · news clipCited as the evidence that Denuvo DRM measurably hurts game performance.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2021–2025HN points to it as the explanation of how The Witness solved walking and collision.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2020–2022W WebCamp Zagreb · talkHN points to it as a rare, practical look at how a game studio tests its games and engine.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2024–2025G Graphics Programming Conference · talkCited as a talk full of rendering tricks, and as an example of what a small team can do with custom tech.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2023–2026Z Zeusmonomon · talkHN points to it for Wright's ideas on procedural design and as the source of the huge expectations around Spore.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2017–2024HN cites it for Acton's common-sense views on building engines, valuing curiosity and self-driven learning.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2017–2022HN points to it as a real-world example of game engine multithreading and of safety annotations in C.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2016–2023M Minecraft · demoShared as the canonical example of visualizing a real project's version control history with Gource.
- cited 6× 0 months 2015–2020A Axiom Holographics · demoHN mostly mentions it as the infamous voxel demo that generated hype and then faded, with some viewing it as snake oil.
Showing the 100 best-scored of 118. Use search to find the rest.
Questions
What is the most recommended game programming & engines video on Hacker News?
Overwatch Gameplay Architecture and Netcode by GDC Festival of Gaming: HN treats it as the best real-world AAA example of ECS and game netcode, and cites it constantly in discussions of data-oriented design.
How is this game programming & engines list ranked?
By HackerTube's score: the number of distinct months in which an HN comment recommended the video, plus half a point for every month with a strong recommendation. One viral thread counts less than steady recommendations over years.
Where do the videos come from?
From every Hacker News comment between 2007 and 2026 that linked a YouTube video, labeled by an AI model as a recommendation, a citation, a joke or a criticism. The list is published by HackerTube under ODC-By 1.0; this edition adds indexable pages and the comment context.
Video list and Hacker News comment labels from HackerTube (prompted by @karpathy), released under ODC-By 1.0, built on the open-index/hacker-news archive. Hacker News data is provided by Y Combinator; comments remain the work of their authors. Video titles, channel names and thumbnails belong to their creators and are shown via YouTube. HackerTube Watch is an unofficial edition. Data export of 2026-10-31.