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Back to the JamPacks:
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Godot is a free, open-source game engine that can be used to make 2D and 3D games and experiences; it has risen in popularity since the removal of support for Adobe Flash at the beginning of 2021 and the Unity payment change announced in September 2023 that would charge creators per installation of their games.
Godot is a wonderful resource for someone wanting to get into Game Development; it has actively updated documentation and a growing number of success stories, including 'Brotato' which was nominated for the Steam Award for "Best Steam Deck Game" in 2023.
If you want to pick up Game Development for a Hackathon or learn more about it through a Hackathon project I would highly recommend it. Godot is great for beginners and professionals alike, keep reading to learn more about how to get started with Godot and start thinking about what game you’re going to make.
Xsolla's Game Engine comparison chart is on the next page, it’s from this article:
https://xsolla.com/blog/which-game-engine-is-best-for-you
It is clear from this Chart that someone starting in Independent Game Development in 2024 would choose to learn the Godot Game Engine.
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CONTENTS
Creating your first Godot Project
Troubleshooting your Godot Project
Do you need to have lots of Coding Experience to get started with Godot?
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You can download the latest version of Godot from their website here: https://godotengine.org/
On this site you can also find examples of projects made by the Godot community and the latest updates about how to use and what is in the current version of Godot.
When you first open Godot, a window that looks like this will open up, start by clicking the button in the top left corner to create a new project!
You’ll then see this window where you can name your new project, choose the folder where the Godot Project will be stored and be able to choose the renderer.
I’d recommend Forward+ or Compatibility for a Desktop Project that can be easily put onto Itch.io so that people can play it when they judge it at an event. but you can also make Mobile Apps with Godot as seen below.
I’d recommend keeping the version control as Git, and using GitHub Desktop to save your project and collaborate with your team.
Press Create & Edit to Start making your video game with Godot.
After starting your blank project you’ll be greeted by this screen, your workspace.
You can begin by either making a 2D or a 3D Scene (Click your option on the panel on the left), for more information on how to begin your 2D or 3D Game, go to the 2D vs 3D Section of this JamPack!
When you first start your Scene (2D is this instance) ****you’ll see a blank project that looks like this:
You can then press the plus button under ‘Scene’ in the top left corner to add new Nodes to the scene. Godot’s system is based on Scenes that are made up of these Nodes and the Scripts which you then attach to them.