Installing Godot & Creating a Project

On launch you see the Project Manager: create, import, scan, and run projects; browse the Asset Library for demo projects.

2.1 Downloading

godotengine.org/download — choose Godot Engine (GDScript only) or Godot Engine – .NET (adds C#).

Godot is a single executable (~100–150 MB); no installer required. Unzip and run.

Also available via Steam, itch.io, winget install GodotEngine.GodotEngine (Windows), brew install --cask godot (macOS), Flathub (Linux), and Scoop.

Export templates (needed to build games) are downloaded separately from inside the editor (*Editor → Manage Export Templates*).

2.2 The Project Manager

On launch you see the Project Manager: create, import, scan, and run projects; browse the Asset Library for demo projects.

Creating a project:

Click Create (or New Project).

Pick an empty folder and a name.

Choose a renderer:

Vulkan / Direct3D 12 / Metal Desktop, high-end 3D (SDFGI, volumetric fog, many lights) Mobile and simpler desktop 3D OpenGL 3.3 / OpenGL ES 3.0 / WebGL 2

Web exports, old hardware, most 2D games Choose a version control metadata option (Git creates .gitignore and .gitattributes).

2.3 Project files

res:// is the project root (read-only in exported games).

user:// is a writable per-user data folder (saves, settings). On Windows: %APPDATA%/Godot/app_userdata/<project>.

my_game/
├── project.godot          # project settings (text, INI-like)
├── icon.svg               # default project icon
├── .godot/                # editor cache & imported assets (do NOT commit)
├── .gitignore
├── scenes/  scripts/  assets/   # your folders (any layout you like)
└── *.import, *.uid        # per-asset import settings / unique IDs (commit these)

2.4 Command-line usage

godot --path ./my_game                 # run the project
godot -e --path ./my_game              # open in the editor
godot --headless --script tool.gd      # run a script without a window (script extends SceneTree or MainLoop)
godot --headless --export-release "Windows Desktop" build/game.exe
godot --version

2.5 External editors

The built-in script editor is excellent, but you can also use:

VS Code with the *godot-tools* extension (connects to Godot's language server, default port 6005; debugger support).

JetBrains Rider (built-in Godot support for GDScript and C#).

Neovim/Emacs/Sublime via the LSP.

Set *Editor Settings → Text Editor → External → Use External Editor*.