Open-source game server by Heroic Labs. Parlor gives your app finished games with opponents already there. Different job.
| What you get | Parlor | Nakama |
|---|---|---|
| Ships with playable games | Yes, a catalog | No |
| Opponents included | Yes, shared pool | No |
| Server keeps score | Yes, built in | You write it |
| Time to a live 1v1 | An afternoon | Weeks |
| Custom game logic | On the roadmap | Yes |
| Engine SDKs | Swift today | Via clients |
| Self-hostable | No | Yes |
| Best for | Ready games with a ready pool |
Reading of public docs, July 2026. See something off? Tell us.
If you want to own and host the server and build the game, Nakama wins. If you want finished games with players already there, Parlor wins.
No. Nakama is infrastructure you run. Parlor is a populated network you plug into.
No. Parlor is a hosted network. The shared pool only works because it is shared.