Lighting using glColorMask

Lighting is a fundamental part of most 3D video games. 2D games do not naturally lend themselves to lighting effects, but with the right technique we can create a 2D experience where lighting plays a vital role. This adds suspense to our 2D scene.

In this recipe we see a monk walking through a dark cave carrying a lantern. The monk’s lantern gives off light in a circular shape that illuminates dark parts of the scene. As the monk moves through the cave a colony of bats becomes visible.