Create a Beat 'em up game in Godot (Part 01/20: Setting up Godot)

Introduction

In this tutorial, we will set up Godot for creating a beat 'em up game, focusing on pixel art game development. This guide is designed for beginners and intermediate developers who want to learn how to manage character movement in Godot.

Step 1: Download and Install Godot

• Visit the official Godot website.
• Choose the appropriate version for your operating system (Windows, macOS, Linux).
• Download the executable and install it following the on-screen instructions.

Step 2: Gather Required Assets

• Download the necessary assets for the tutorial from the provided link: Asset Download.
• Make sure to unzip the downloaded file to a designated folder for easy access.

Step 3: Create a New Godot Project

• Open Godot and click on "New Project".
• Name your project (e.g., "BeatEmUpGame").
• Choose a location on your computer to save the project.
• Set the project type to "2D" and click "Create & Edit".

Step 4: Set Up Project Settings

• Navigate to "Project" in the top menu and select "Project Settings".
• Under the "Display" section, set the following:
  • Width: 800
  • Height: 600
• Enable "VSync" to prevent screen tearing during gameplay.

Step 5: Import Assets into Godot

• Go to the "FileSystem" panel on the left side of the Godot editor.
• Right-click on the "res://" directory and select "Open in File Manager".
• Copy the unzipped asset folder into the opened directory.
• Return to Godot, right-click and select "Refresh" to see the new assets.

Step 6: Create the Player Scene

• In the "Scene" panel, click on "2D Scene" to create a new scene.
• Rename the root node to "Player".
• Add a new Sprite node as a child of the Player node.
  • Assign a player sprite texture by clicking on the Sprite node, and in the inspector, select the texture from your assets.
• Add a KinematicBody2D node as a child of the Player node to manage movement.

Step 7: Implement Basic Player Movement

• Add a new script to the Player node by right-clicking on it and selecting "Attach Script".
• Use the following code snippet for basic movement:

extends KinematicBody2D

var speed = 200
var velocity = Vector2()

func _process(delta):
    velocity = Vector2()
    if Input.is_action_pressed('ui_right'):
        velocity.x += 1
    if Input.is_action_pressed('ui_left'):
        velocity.x -= 1
    if Input.is_action_pressed('ui_down'):
        velocity.y += 1
    if Input.is_action_pressed('ui_up'):
        velocity.y -= 1

    velocity = velocity.normalized() * speed
    move_and_slide(velocity)

• This script allows the player character to move using the arrow keys.

Step 8: Set Up Input Actions

• Go to "Project" > "Project Settings" > "Input Map".
• Add actions for movement:
  • ui_up, ui_down, ui_left, ui_right and assign corresponding keys (Up, Down, Left, Right).

Conclusion

You have successfully set up Godot for pixel art game development and created a basic player character with movement capabilities. In the next steps, you will dive deeper into enhancing player interactions and game mechanics. Be sure to save your project frequently and experiment with the settings as you learn!