Pomelo
A Node.js framework for building multiplayer game servers and real-time apps.
- Stars
- 11.9k
- Forks
- 2.8k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- JavaScript
- Last update
- 3.2 years ago
- Type
- Framework
This repository is archived and no longer maintained.
What it is
Pomelo is a server-side framework for Node.js aimed at game servers and real-time applications such as chat and message push. It runs as multiple processes that can be spread out to handle more players, and it ships with libraries and tools like a command line tool and an admin tool. The project is archived on GitHub, so it is no longer actively maintained.
- Build a multiplayer game server with a distributed multi-process layout
- Create a real-time chat or message push service
- Study the included open-source MMO RPG demo with an HTML5 client
- Extend the framework with plugins such as online status or master high availability
Great for
- Developers who want to learn how distributed game server architecture works in Node.js
- Teams maintaining an existing Pomelo-based game server
- Developers building chat or message push features on Node.js
- Students studying an open-source MMO RPG reference project
Not ideal for
- Teams starting a new project who need active maintenance, since the repository is archived (last push 2023-08-10)
- Developers who need a framework with a published release, since the README lists no release
- Developers who want a non-Node.js game server stack
How to get it
- 1
Clone and build from source
You'll need: Node.js
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/NetEase/pomelo.git - 2
Run it
- Read the Getting started page in the project wiki
- Follow the tutorial to create a first server application
- Run the example application using the commands in the wiki
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Study the open-source MMO RPG demo as a reference implementation
- Use the command line and admin tools mentioned in the README
- Add functionality through npm plugin modules such as online status
Downloads
Strengths
- Multi-process architecture designed to scale out, according to the README
- Convention over configuration with a small API, so setup needs little config
- Core is small and components are separate npm modules that can be extended
Trade-offs
- Repository is archived, so it is unlikely to receive fixes or updates
- The README is brief and points to an external wiki for most documentation
- No release is listed, so you would be working from the source as it stands
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| pomelo (this) | 11.9k | Framework | intermediate | 3.2 years ago | Developers who want to learn how distributed game server architecture works in Node.js |
| socket.io | 63.2k | Library | intermediate | 1 months ago | Developers building live chat or real-time notifications in JavaScript or TypeScript |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.