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Learning Godot: Why This Video?

Starting game development can be overwhelming, but thanks to great resources like Brackeys’ “How to Make a Video Game - Godot Beginner Tutorial”, you don’t have to start from scratch. Instead of creating our own tutorial, we believe this video is an excellent introduction to Godot. It covers the fundamentals of game creation, and it’s the perfect first step before diving into more complex topics.

Video Tutorial 🎥

How to make a Video Game - Godot Beginner Tutorial by Brackeys

Godot Beginner Cheatsheet 📚

Core Concepts

  • Node –> Basic building blocks of games (e.g., player, enemy, platforms).
  • Scene –> Reusable template composed of nodes.
  • Scene Tree –> Hierarchical structure of nodes (parent-child relationships).

Delta Time

  • delta ⏳ –> Ensures consistent game speed regardless of frame rate:
file.gd
 position += speed * delta

✅ With Delta Time: 1

❌ Without Delta Time: 2

Essential Nodes

  • CharacterBody2D –> Player or NPC with physics-based movement.
  • StaticBody2D –> Non-moving objects (ground, walls).
  • Area2D –> Detects overlapping objects, useful for pickups or kill zones.
  • CollisionShape2D –> Defines physical collision boundaries.
  • RayCast2D –> Detects collisions in a specific direction.

Graphics & Animation

  • Sprite2D –> Displays static images.
  • AnimatedSprite2D –> Handles frame-based animations.
  • AnimationPlayer –> Animates any property over time (position, scale, visibility).

Scripting (GDScript)

  • Built-in Functions:

    • _ready() –> Runs once upon entering the scene.
    • _process(delta) –> Runs every frame for general logic.
    • _physics_process(delta) –> Fixed updates for reliable physics.

  • Signals –> Execute code in response to events:

file.gd
 func _on_body_entered(body):
     queue_free()  # Removes node from scene

Node Referencing

  • Direct Reference (shortcut):
file.gd
 var player = $Player
  • Unique Nodes (using %): Reference easily regardless of position:
file.gd
 var manager = %GameManager
  • Autoload (Singleton): Global scripts accessible everywhere:
file.gd
 GameManager.score += 1

Audio

  • AudioStreamPlayer2D –> Plays audio in 2D space.

What’s Next?

In the next sections, we’ll discuss:

👉 How to Program in Godot - GDScript Tutorial

Read the previous section:

👉 What Are Game Engines?

Post by: Gabriel Alonso