LÖVE

While Lua is wonderful for simplicity and accessing LÖVE's simple API, it is terrible for low-level functionality such as sockets for online gameplay.

What would be the best way to gain such functionality in a LÖVE game? Is it even possible to implement in pure Lua? How can I properly link with C libraries if a Lua module is not an option?

LÖVE includes both lua[wiki]socket[/wiki] and [wiki]lua-enet[/wiki]. ENet is specifically designed for real-time networked multiplayer, and it (and/or luasocket) should provide more than enough functionality for your needs.