MonoGame Game Loop Implementation Guide

This skill guides game loop architecture in MonoGame. For the GameComponent and GameService patterns, see references/game-loop.md.

Fixed vs Variable Timestep

Fixed timestep (default — recommended for most games)

// In Game constructor:
IsFixedTimeStep   = true;
TargetElapsedTime = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(1.0 / 60.0); // 60 FPS

MonoGame calls Update() at exactly 60 Hz regardless of how long rendering takes. If the game falls behind, it calls Update() multiple times in a row and sets gameTime.IsRunningSlowly = true. Use fixed timestep for physics, deterministic simulations, and networked games.

Variable timestep (use for smooth rendering at high refresh rates)