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Activity 1.1: Getting Started with Godot

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Activity 1.1

Getting Started with Godot

Key Concepts

What Is a Game Engine?

The Game Loop

The Game Loop

Every game, no matter the engine or the genre, runs the same cycle over and over, dozens of times per second.

The Game Loop

Diagram showing the game loop cycling through Input, Update, and Render, repeating every frame

Input

The engine checks what the player is doing — keys pressed, buttons clicked, joysticks moved.

Update

The game's logic runs — positions change, rules are checked, decisions are made. This is where your own code lives.

Render

Everything currently on screen gets redrawn to reflect whatever just changed.

Then it happens again. And again. Usually 60 times every second.

Introducing Godot

This class uses Godot 4, a free, open-source game engine.

Godot has a web editor that runs right in a browser — you can work on your games on a school Chromebook or at home, no install required.

The Godot Interface

  • Scene panel — the list of everything in your current scene
  • Viewport — the 2D workspace where you arrange things
  • Inspector — the properties of whatever you have selected
  • FileSystem panel — every file in your project

Nodes & Scenes

Everything you build in Godot is made of small pieces calledNodes, arranged together into aScene.

We'll dig into this properly next week — for now, just know every project starts with one.

Today's Objectives

  • Creating a new Godot project
  • Identifying the four main interface panels
  • Building a scene with a Sprite2D and play-testing it

Key Terms

Game Engine
Software that provides the tools and systems (rendering, physics, input) needed to build a game.
Game Loop
The Input → Update → Render cycle every game repeats, many times per second.
Node
A single building-block object in Godot — a sprite, a shape, a sound, etc.
Scene
A tree of Nodes arranged together to form a screen, level, or reusable object.
Sprite2D
A Node that displays a 2D image (texture) on screen.

'F' → Fullscreen

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Build

Create your very first Godot project and get it running on screen.

Task 1: Download and Open Godot

  • Watch: Section 1, Lecture 1.3 — Downloading Godot (03:48)
  • Open the Godot web editor (or download the desktop editor, if directed by your teacher).
[GIF PLACEHOLDER — Opening the Godot Editor]

Task 2: Create Your First Project

  • Watch: Section 1, Lecture 1.4 — Creating Our First Project (04:39)
  • Create a new project and name it something you'll recognize, like FirstProject.
[GIF PLACEHOLDER — Creating a New Project]

Task 3: Navigate the Interface & Create a Scene

  • Watch: Section 1, Lecture 1.5 — Navigating Godot's Interface (10:16)
  • Locate the Scene panel, Viewport, Inspector, and FileSystem panel.
  • Create a new 2D Scene and rename its root node MyLevel.
[GIF PLACEHOLDER — Touring the Interface and Creating a Scene]

Task 4: Add a Sprite and Play Test

  • Watch: Section 1, Lecture 1.6 — Sprite2D & Play Testing (09:47) and Lecture 1.7 — Window Size & Game Tab (05:53)
  • Add a Sprite2D as a child of MyLevel and assign it the Godot icon texture.
  • Set MyLevel as your project's main scene.
  • Press Play and view your sprite in the Game tab.
[GIF PLACEHOLDER — Adding a Sprite and Play Testing]
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Checkpoint

You should see the following when you press Play:

  • A new window (the Game tab) opens.
  • The Godot icon appears somewhere on screen.
[GIF PLACEHOLDER — Expected Result When Pressing Play]
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Reflection

Answer the following questions before submitting your work.

  1. What are the four main panels of Godot's interface introduced today, and what does each one do?
  2. In your own words, what is the game loop, and why does it need to repeat every single frame instead of running just once?
  3. What is the difference between editing your scene in the Scene panel and viewing it in the Game tab?
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Submit

Submit the required files to the appropriate dropbox.

Activity Complete