What it is all about
This article tells the story of how we (a few folks from Luden.io ), tried to use LLMs, Tiled Map Editor , and LÖVE 2D Lua game engine to generate video game prototypes from a game design document during the pre-production of the SuperWEIRD game.
What you will find below:
- All the sources so you can generate your own prototypes
- Gameplay and videos of the development process
- Why did this approach not work as planned for us
- How it ended up transforming the SuperWEIRD game in unexpected ways Press enter or click to view image in full size
Short summary
To automate game prototype generation, we used: Cursor/Zed in Agent Mode, ChatGPT 4.1 and Claude 4, clear and well-formatted markdown game design and style guide documents, a markdown task list, procedural code-defined graphics, Tiled map editor for levels, and command-line-friendly game engine LÖVE with gameplay log output.
It worked, though it wasn’t as easy as we expected. However, it did save us time at a critical moment, so it was worth it.
And no — our game designer didn’t end up using this system as intended.
And yes — this article is fully written by me, not AI-generated. Here is the proof: Press enter or click to view image in full size
Context
What kinds of games is this prototyping system designed for?
This system is suitable for prototyping a wide range of games with core mechanics such as:
- Character movement (WASD controls)
- Resource mining
- Crafting and building (e.g., constructing defense towers)
- Automating tasks by hiring workers (for mining, crafting, and building)
- Trading/exchanging with NPCs
- Handling enemies that attack, steal resources, or destroy structures
In summary, it’s geared toward simulation, automation, and strategy games with resource management and defense elements.
Why did we do this?
We developed this system during the pre-production of our new co-op game, SuperWEIRD — a game about automation and designing systems using an endless supply of low-quality (I mean like really unstable and unreliable, but that’s fine, since they’re free) tiny robots.
Our goal was to streamline prototyping for a game to faster test game design ideas and invest the team’s time only in the playtested concepts. Press enter or click to view image in full size We’re making SuperWEIRD with the help from Carina Initiatives , a team of amazing people making and supporting great projects in math, STEM, and education, such as National Math Stars , Art of Problem Solving , and Thinky Games .
Idea
Optional, skip if you need only technical details.
It all began at a Gaming Day with Google Cloud at Nexters ’ office in Limassol. During a break, we discussed LLM tools for game narrative, and Maxim from Owlcat Games raised the challenge of managing large-scale narratives — it’s hard to fit all content into an LLM’s context window and maintain smooth collaboration for narrative designers.
He was looking for a solution that would make it easy to access relevant narrative segments while working on related parts of the story and highlight conflicts. Press enter or click to view image in full size We talked about meaning-based search and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) as a promising but underutilized approach, compared to the usual “put everything in context” strategy. We hypothesized that Cursor’s way of handling “docs” — by indexing and surfacing only the relevant parts — might solve Maxim’s issue.
Disclaimer: This was before Google released NotebookLM , which now seems like an ideal tool for this scenario. Our in-house RAG solutions, in my opinion, weren’t user-friendly enough for narrative designers compared to Cursor. Press enter or click to view image in full size Inspired by the discussion about Cursor, we wondered: what if game designers could quickly generate prototypes directly from their game design documents, playtest their ideas, and only move them to production after successful testing?
Because we focus on system-driven games, we often prototype using simple “primitives,” but this still requires programmers, who are already busy with other tasks. Even if a game designer can code, it still takes a lot of time. What if we could now create prototypes in just 1–2 hours?
Spoiler: Game designers appreciated this new prototyping setup — though they don’t use it for every idea. They also requested to make a bot that plays the generated game “with maximum efficiency,” to help spot balance and systems issues. And no — we didn’t manage to make this bot.
Components
The tech stack needed to make this “generation” possible:
Map editor
We used Tiled Map Editor, a simple and powerful tool that exports maps in a text format, making them easy to load and render in the game engine. The same files can be re-edited in Tiled anytime. Press enter or click to view image in full size For tile textures, we used free assets by Kenney.nl (licensed CC0): https://kenney.nl/assets/micro-roguelike Press enter or click to view image in full size
Game engine
We needed a game engine with a command-line build that outputs gameplay logs, so an LLM Agent could launch the game and track what’s happening. After testing MonoGame, Love2D, and others, we chose Love2D for its simplicity, Lua scripting (which LLMs handle well and it’s the same language we use in Defold), and fast iteration. MonoGame is great, but C# requires longer build times.
Test cases during the selection:
- Building a simple 2D game with WASD movement and log output
- Letting the Agent launch and debug the game itself
- Creating basic procedural visuals (squares, circles, etc.)
- Loading and interpreting Tiled map files
LLM coding agent
To keep the experience accessible for non-programmer game designers, I focused on local IDE workflows — letting designers edit maps in Tiled, ask the agent to update the code, and launch the game easily. We tested VS Code, Zed, and Cursor. Press enter or click to view image in full size Test cases during the selection:
- Reading and following project documentation task-by-task
- Running the game from the command line
- Auto-fixing and relaunching after errors
- Ensuring Tiled’s .json map files weren’t changed by the agent
Cursor and Zed (with an OpenAI API key)
Cursor and Zed (with an OpenAI API key) performed similarly, but Zed’s Agent feature was still in preview and not officially available on Windows at the time. (As of June 2025, I mostly use Zed, but most early prototypes were done in Cursor.)
Disclaimer: I’m a longtime fan of Zed (and before that, Sublime Text), but I did my best to test VS Code without bias.
VS Code (with an OpenAI API key)
VS Code is familiar to our game designers and famous for its strong documentation, so I started there. Agent mode worked well initially, but sometimes project docs were ignored or response times lagged — often fixed by restarting VS Code. Press enter or click to view image in full size Occasionally, the game’s log output wasn’t integrated into agent dialogue. Switching to Cursor solved these issues with the same API key and model. I suspect VS Code agent integration is improving (likely even better with Copilot subscription), but for speed, I moved to Cursor with plans to revisit VS Code later.
Project structure
To help the Agent better understand the project, I placed the game design document, task list, and development guidelines (including file structure) in the docs directory. Press enter or click to view image in full size I manually created the initial task list and then decomposed it into more details using the same LLM Agent. I’ve heard good things about the Task Master CLI tool for decomposing tasks. If I was to start this experiment again, I’d use it for task breakdown. Press enter or click to view image in full size At one point, automatic file updates caused the “ToDo” section to move between design.md and todo.md without me noticing until after several iterations.
Agent workflow
- Read design.md and instructions.md / Reality: OK
- Find task in todo.md / Reality: OK
- Implement task / Reality: OK, but often with multiple iterations and game restarts
- Store constants in constants.lua / Reality: OK, but you should keep telling agent to do that in 40% of cases
- Keep game logic separate in logic.lua / Reality: Gave up — this needs clearer explanations and examples for the Agent, or else it creates unused or fake logic
- Add tests in tests.lua / Reality: Not relevant after previous step failed
- Run tests and fix issues / Reality: Not real issues were found with failed tests
- Playtest the game as a designer and report any issues to the Agent / Reality: OK, much better than expected when launching the game by asking the Agent to do that — this is how the Agent can see the logs from the play session and understand reported issues much better. If the Agent can’t fix or understand an issue, feel free to ask it to add more logs to the specific part of the gameplay — worked all the time for me.
- Mark tasks as done / Reality: Sometimes it’s necessary to ask the Agent to revisit the task list, as it may try to redo tasks that have already been completed.
- Edit design.md or the map in Tiled, and repeat / Reality: OK but pay close attention to any attempts by the Agent to modify the Tiled exported map file
- After design changes, sync docs and tasks / Reality: OK
After big design changes, run something like: “ revisit design.md , todo.md and instructions.md , compare with current code implementation and propose documentation cleanup updates ” to sync tasks and highlight conflicts.
The single most effective way to improve the Agent’s understanding of the design in our experience was to include examples into the documentation. Press enter or click to view image in full size
What we’ve prototyped
Features tested using generative prototyping (total time spent is about 15–20 hours):
- Different building processes (with blueprints, virtual coin-based, real resource-based, etc.)
- Building towers
- Coins as a virtual in-game currency (UI counter)
- Coins as a collectible resource item
- Enemies who steal or mine resources
- Enemies who attack buildings
- Enemy wave spawns
- Enemy spawns triggered by player actions
- Rechargeable and classic tower defense towers
- Craftable towers made from multiple components
- And countless small details I can’t even remember.
What else we’ve tried
LLM-generated feature designs
We experimented with using Agent to generate feature designs based on the whole project’s documentation and code, for example Emergent Building System Design . This approach worked technically, but none of the generated designs were compelling enough to pursue further or playtest. Press enter or click to view image in full size
Automated playtesting bots
We tried creating a bot to automatically playtest the game. However, after investing about two hours into a simple game scene, we didn’t see meaningful progress and went back to human playtesting. We haven’t spent enough time here to draw solid conclusions.
Final thoughts
Who else can use it
This workflow is fast and strongly supports the principle of “it’s faster to try than to discuss” — something we value in game design. While it’s not quite ready for non-technical game designers, it’s much easier than learning to code from scratch, and a big time-saver for designers who are comfortable with basic coding. Press enter or click to view image in full size
Usage
We relied on this system heavily during early development (pre-production). Usage dropped after the core systems were finalized — though, in reality, we returned to it frequently (see further explanation below).
Sources and how to play
Since many iterations followed the cycle of play-redesign-implement-play, not all versions were saved on GitHub , and there aren’t in-game tutorials.
To launch the game you need to install LÖVE and execute “ love . ” command in the repository’s root directory.
For information on gameplay and controls, refer to design.md . Basically, you just need WASD to move and the mouse to build. For constructing programmable objects on the map, use hotkeys like Arrows for directional commands and G, 1, 2, 3, and 4 for other commands— these are also listed in design.md . Press enter or click to view image in full size Tilemap tiles logic simply described as list of IDs Press enter or click to view image in full size Please feel free to use our setup for your own generative prototyping — everything is open source under the MIT license . Always happy to read your comments here or in our Discord about your experience with the generative prototypes.
Thank you for reading (v1)!
Re: Final
Just before publishing of this article, new platform requirements emerged— the game needs to highlight its unique features early on and ensure a high average session length for random players.
These are always valuable goals for any platform, but the new target metrics were much higher than we anticipated.
This required us to rethink onboarding, as introducing our CIRCLE programming system too early made the game too complex and reduced playtime. Press enter or click to view image in full size Let me know in the comments if you want to learn more about the CIRCLE programming system. It’s interchangeable, it’s exist in any object in the game’s world, it’s a lot of fun, but a bit tricky to understand without programming experience. We didn’t have time to completely redo pre-production. So the idea was to invent some “tiny hack” to fit into new requirements since we don’t have time to re-invent and re-playtest new big features anymore. We haven't succeed in creating such “tiny hack” by tuning the existing parts of the game, and got depressed a bit.
Then we remembered our generative prototyping system, which allowed us to rapidly test some of the ideas immediately.
Surprisingly this led us to a much more engaging early-game design than we had before — a simple and intuitive programmable map for simple robots, instead of programmable complicated robots.
This approach made it easier to introduce the core mechanics while still leaving room for more automation and complexity later on. So after playtests we’ve doubled down on this and I hope to write another article inviting you to the public playtest as soon as possible.
I’m sure we wouldn’t have taken this path if the new platform requirements hadn’t challenged us and we hadn’t been able to test potential solutions so quickly. At the end of the day, this generative setup saved us time and made the game more unique and fun.
And yes — robots can pick up things and use it. Who said that we can’t craft shields and swords for them! What for? The SuperWEIRD world is full of weird stuff :) Press enter or click to view image in full size
Stay tuned
We hope our generative prototype sandbox will save you time in some critical moment the game development too. Thanks for reading (v2)!
Stay tuned for playtest announcements in our Discord , Newsletter and, oh boy, we’re filming Dev Diaries on YouTube — stop by and say hi in the comments!
P.S. Our toolset for game development
I don’t know why but I am a big fun of learning other developers’ IDE styles and tools, so please find ours below:
SuperWEIRD ’s game engine: Defold Game Engine ( here is why )
Tools we use
Cursor, Zed, VS Code, Sublime Merge, Sublime Text, Fork, Defold Game Engine, Unity Game Engine, Tiled Map Editor, GitHub and GitHub Actions, Figma, MidJourney, Grok, NotebookLM, a lot of OpenAI API based automatisations of Google Docs / Spreadsheets, Photopea, Gimp, Paint (I have no idea why Ivan still using it), Sonic Pi, Strudel, Formats Factory.
Spine, Photoshop, Illustrator, DaVinci Resolve, Premier, After Effects, PureRef, RoughAnimator, Blender (with crazy amount of custom code added for automating rendering 3D to 2D in zillions of poses).
Favourite fonts for code
JetBrains Mono, Consolas, Droid Sans Mono
Favourites IDE themes
Visual Studio 2019 Dark, Dark Modern, One Dark, Monokai Press enter or click to view image in full size Thanks for reading (v3) (finally)! Llm Cursor Programming Game Development Generative Ai Tools
1. Visual Hierarchy
Organize elements to guide viewer attention through the capsule in a clear, intentional way. A strong visual hierarchy ensures viewers can quickly understand and engage with the key elements. https://shared.fastly.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/1562430/header.jpg Clear title integration
DREDGE is positioned prominently against the dark sky, ensuring perfect readability Effective depth layering
Background (sky), midground (lighthouse), and foreground (boat) create natural depth Subtle supporting elements
Dark clouds and birds guide the eye through the scene without overwhelming the main elements https://shared.fastly.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/889160/header.jpg Scattered attention
Multiple characters and elements compete for focus Lack of hierarchy
No clear primary element to anchor viewer gaze Cluttered arrangement
Equal emphasis on all elements dilutes visual impact Weak visual direction
Layout fails to guide viewer attention effectively
2. Title Readability
Ensure the game title is instantly readable and recognizable at any display size. Clear typography and proper contrast are essential for effective brand communication across all Steam store locations. https://shared.fastly.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/457140/header.jpg Strong contrast
White text on darker elements creates clear separation and visibility Strategic placement
Title positioned against a controlled background area Balanced spacing
Letters and words properly spaced for optimal readability https://shared.fastly.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/765240/header.jpg Poor contrast
Text blends into the background, reducing visibility Decorative font
Stylized typography compromises legibility at smaller sizes Insufficient emphasis
Title fails to stand out as the key branding element
3. Focal Point
Create a clear center of interest that immediately draws and holds viewer attention. A strong focal point helps guide potential players to the most important elements of the capsule. https://shared.fastly.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/1107320/header.jpg Dramatic centerpiece
The tornado creates a powerful, unmistakable focal point Natural eye flow
Supporting elements like the car and landscape guide attention to the central storm Balanced composition
Secondary elements frame the main focus without competing for attention https://shared.fastly.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/1707890/header.jpg Scattered attention
Multiple characters and elements compete for focus Lack of hierarchy
No clear primary element to anchor viewer gaze Cluttered arrangement
Equal emphasis on all elements dilutes visual impact Weak visual direction
Layout fails to guide viewer attention effectively
4. Color Contrast
Use color effectively to ensure all elements are clearly visible and distinct. Proper contrast is crucial for visibility on the dark Steam interface and helps the capsule stand out. https://shared.fastly.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/312520/header.jpg Stark value contrast
Cyan and purple palette creates clear distinction between elements Effective silhouettes
Character and environment shapes are instantly readable Strategic lighting
Bright elements pop against dark backgrounds for maximum impact https://shared.fastly.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/1482820/header.jpg Limited value range
Similar mid-tones make elements hard to distinguish Muddy silhouettes
Characters blend into the background due to similar values Weak lighting separation
Lack of contrast between foreground and background elements Insufficient definition
Important details get lost in the monotone palette
5. Genre Communication
Visually communicate the game genre through appropriate art style and elements. Clear genre representation helps players quickly identify if the game matches their interests. https://shared.fastly.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/427520/header.jpg Theme-specific elements
The image immediately conveys an industrial, factory-building theme with machinery, conveyor belts, and robotic arms Challenging mechanics
The intricate, busy design showcases the complexity of factory management, hinting at deep gameplay mechanics https://shared.fastly.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/1320030/header.jpg Unclear gameplay type
Art style fails to effectively communicate soccer theme Mixed messaging
Visual elements send conflicting signals about game genre
6. Brand Identity
Maintain consistent visual branding that helps build recognition and memorability. Strong branding across all Steam assets helps establish a professional market presence. https://shared.fastly.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/40800/header.jpg Iconic character design
Instantly recognizable protagonist with a distinct silhouette and personality Recognizable branding
The minimalistic background keeps the focus on the character and logo, ensuring brand recognition without unnecessary distractions https://shared.fastly.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/3035270/header.jpg Weak brand cohesion
Visual elements lack unified brand identity Generic presentation
Lacks distinctive visual elements that would make it memorable Missing genre expectations
Absence of iconic yellow color scheme expected in Backrooms games hurts recognition
7. Composition Balance
Arrange visual elements to create a harmonious and professional composition. A well-balanced layout enhances the perceived quality of the game and improves overall presentation. https://shared.fastly.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/973230/header.jpg Strong central focus
Main character positioned prominently in the center creates a solid anchor point Balanced framing
Supporting elements distributed evenly to complement the central focus Effective space usage
Every area of the capsule contributes to the overall composition https://shared.fastly.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/1901970/header.jpg Dead center space
Empty void in the middle creates an awkward visual gap Poor title placement
Text pushed to bottom edge feels disconnected Wasted space
Ineffective use of prime real estate diminishes impact
8. Art Style
Develop a unique and cohesive art style that helps the game stand out. A distinctive visual approach can help capture attention in the competitive Steam marketplace. https://shared.fastly.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/1210320/header.jpg Perfect representation
Capsule directly mirrors the unique medieval woodcut aesthetic Gameplay preview
Shows actual in-game elements like potion crafting setup and UI style Visual honesty
Accurately sets player expectations about the distinctive look https://shared.fastly.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/341770/header.jpg Mismatched aesthetic
Simple vector art fails to represent the actual gameplay visuals Lost complexity
Does not showcase the intricate puzzle mechanics and interface Missed opportunity
Could better highlight the true technical and visual sophistication
9. Unique Selling Point
Highlight what makes the game special through visual storytelling. Effectively communicating unique features helps attract interested players and drive wishlist additions. https://shared.fastly.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/1259420/header.jpg Core mechanic focus
Motorcycle silhouette immediately communicates the main gameplay element Character integration
Rider stance suggests both action and survival elements Environmental context
Moody atmosphere hints at the open-world survival experience https://shared.fastly.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/1150270/header.jpg Generic theme
Space setting shown without highlighting any unique gameplay aspects Missing mechanics
No indication of what makes this space game different from others Vague presentation
Title and visuals fail to communicate any standout features
10. Emotional Impact
Create an emotional connection with viewers through compelling visuals. Emotionally resonant artwork can create a lasting impression and motivate players to learn more about the game. https://shared.fastly.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/1608230/header.jpg Sense of Wonder and Adventure
The vast landscape, soft lighting, and distant planet create a sense of exploration and curiosity, evoking a peaceful yet mysterious atmosphere Emotional Connection
The small companion walking beside the protagonist adds companionship and emotional depth, suggesting a shared journey of trust Dreamlike Aesthetic
The hand-painted, soft color palette and minimalist composition give the image a storybook quality https://shared.fastly.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/3410240/header.jpg Flat presentation
Dark visuals fail to create emotional connection or intrigue Limited atmosphere
Basic text treatment and background miss opportunity for mood setting Weak narrative hook
No clear story elements or emotional cues to engage viewers Missing personality
Generic presentation fails to evoke any particular feeling or response
Unleash Your Game Design Potential with LDtk Downloads
LDtk, a powerful and versatile open-source level editor, empowers game developers of all levels to bring their imaginative worlds to life. Whether you're an indie developer crafting your first game or a seasoned professional seeking innovative tools, LDtk's free and accessible downloads provide the foundation for your creative journey.
Why Choose LDtk for Your Game Development Needs?
LDtk stands out in the realm of game development tools due to its user-friendly interface, robust features, and active community support. Here's a glimpse into what makes LDtk a top choice for game creators:
- Intuitive Level Design: LDtk's intuitive editor allows you to effortlessly construct intricate levels with a wide range of tile sets, objects, and interactive elements. Its grid-based system ensures precise placement and efficient level building.
- Versatile Game Engine Compatibility: LDtk seamlessly integrates with various game engines, including Unity, Godot, and GameMaker Studio 2. This cross-platform compatibility ensures your levels can be easily incorporated into your chosen development environment.
- Open-Source Collaboration: As an open-source project, LDtk benefits from a thriving community of developers who contribute to its ongoing development and provide invaluable support. This collaborative spirit fosters innovation and ensures LDtk remains at the forefront of level editing tools.
- Extensive Feature Set: LDtk goes beyond basic level design, offering a comprehensive suite of features tailored to meet the demands of modern game development. These include:
- Customizable Tile Sets: Create your own unique tile sets or import existing ones to bring your game worlds to life with stunning visuals.
- Dynamic Object Placement: Place interactive objects within your levels with ease, adding depth and complexity to your game environments.
- Scripting Support: Extend LDtk's functionality with scripting capabilities, allowing you to automate tasks and create custom game mechanics.
- Collision Detection: Ensure seamless gameplay by defining collision boundaries for objects within your levels.
- Export Options: Export your levels in various formats, including JSON, CSV, and Tiled map files, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of game engines.
Get Started with LDtk Today
Ready to embark on your game development journey with LDtk? Download the latest version from the official website: https://ldtk.io/download/. Immerse yourself in the intuitive editor, explore its powerful features, and unleash your creativity to build captivating game worlds.
https://extensions.blender.org/add-ons/ucupaint/
Unleash Your Artistic Potential: Ucupaint for Blender
Ucupaint is a powerful and versatile Blender extension that revolutionizes the way you approach 3D painting and texturing. Designed specifically for game developers and artists, Ucupaint empowers you to create stunning and realistic textures within the familiar Blender environment.
Seamless Integration for Efficient Workflow
Ucupaint seamlessly integrates with Blender's existing tools and workflows, making it an indispensable asset for your game development pipeline. Whether you're creating intricate character models, immersive environments, or detailed props, Ucupaint provides the flexibility and precision you need to bring your artistic vision to life.
Key Features of Ucupaint:
- Real-Time Painting: Experience the freedom of real-time painting directly on your 3D models. Observe your strokes instantly as you shape and refine your textures, accelerating your creative process.
- Procedural Painting: Leverage the power of procedural generation to create unique and complex textures with ease. Ucupaint offers a wide range of procedural tools that allow you to generate intricate patterns, organic surfaces, and dynamic effects.
- Advanced Brush Engine: Explore a comprehensive library of customizable brushes, each designed to deliver exceptional results. Fine-tune brush settings to achieve specific textures and effects, expanding your artistic possibilities.
- Layer Support: Work with multiple layers to create depth and complexity in your textures. Easily adjust layer opacity, blending modes, and masks to achieve the desired visual impact.
Benefits of Using Ucupaint:
- Enhanced Creativity: Unleash your artistic potential with Ucupaint's intuitive interface and powerful tools.
- Increased Efficiency: Streamline your workflow and accelerate your production process with real-time painting and procedural generation.
- High-Quality Textures: Create stunning and realistic textures that elevate the visual fidelity of your game assets.
- Cost-Effectiveness: Save time and resources by eliminating the need for external texture painting software.
Getting Started with Ucupaint:
To learn more about Ucupaint and download the extension, visit the official Blender Extensions website: https://extensions.blender.org/add-ons/ucupaint/.
Ucupaint empowers you to elevate your game development workflows and push the boundaries of visual creativity. Embrace the power of Ucupaint and unlock a new dimension of artistic expression in Blender.
Level Up Your Game Textures with Ucupaint
Ucupaint is not just a tool; it's a game-changer for game developers and artists seeking to create truly exceptional textures. Its intuitive interface and powerful features make it accessible to both beginners and experienced users, allowing everyone to harness the potential of real-time painting and procedural generation.
Expanding Your Creative Horizons:
Beyond its core functionality, Ucupaint inspires new possibilities for game development. Imagine creating dynamic, evolving textures that react to player actions or environmental changes. Picture intricate, procedurally generated patterns that breathe life into your game worlds. With Ucupaint, your imagination is the only limit.
Unleash the Power of Visuals with Godot Shaders
Godot Engine, renowned for its user-friendly interface and powerful features, offers a robust shader system that empowers developers to create stunning visuals. Shaders, essentially small programs written in a specialized language, allow you to manipulate how light interacts with objects in your game, resulting in realistic lighting effects, unique textures, and eye-catching special effects.
This guide delves into the world of Godot shaders, providing you with the knowledge and tools to elevate your game's visual appeal. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting your Godot journey, understanding shaders can unlock a new level of creativity and bring your game world to life.
Getting Started with Godot Shaders
Before diving into complex shader techniques, it's essential to grasp the fundamentals. Godot provides a built-in shader editor, a user-friendly interface where you can write and test your shaders. The editor offers syntax highlighting, auto-completion, and a live preview, making the shader development process intuitive and efficient.
One of the key concepts in shader programming is the fragment shader. This shader is executed for each individual pixel on the screen, determining its color and other visual properties. By manipulating variables within the fragment shader, you can control how light reflects off surfaces, create gradients, apply textures, and much more.
For beginners, Godot offers a plethora of pre-built shaders that you can modify or use as a starting point. These shaders cover a wide range of effects, from simple color adjustments to complex lighting techniques. Experimenting with these pre-built shaders is a great way to learn the syntax and logic of shader programming.
Resources for Further Exploration
To deepen your understanding of Godot shaders and explore advanced techniques, consider the following resources:
This website offers a wealth of information on Godot shaders, including tutorials, examples, and a community forum where you can connect with other developers.
- Godot Engine Documentation: The official Godot Engine documentation provides comprehensive information on the shader system, including syntax details, supported functions, and best practices.
By mastering the art of Godot shaders, you can transform your game from ordinary to extraordinary, captivating players with stunning visuals and immersive experiences. }
Pixilart: Your Gateway to Game Development Pixel Art
Embark on a journey into the captivating world of pixel art with Pixilart, a free online platform that empowers both aspiring and seasoned artists to bring their game development visions to life. Whether you're crafting charming characters, intricate environments, or mesmerizing animations, Pixilart provides the tools and community to elevate your game development projects.
Pixilart's intuitive interface and comprehensive feature set make it an ideal choice for artists of all skill levels. Its user-friendly editor allows you to effortlessly manipulate pixels, experiment with colors, and unleash your creative potential. With a vast library of pre-made sprites, tilesets, and resources, you can jumpstart your projects or draw inspiration for your own unique creations.
Beyond the Brush: A Thriving Community of Pixel Artists
Pixilart isn't just a tool; it's a vibrant community of passionate pixel artists who share their expertise, inspiration, and creations. Connect with fellow artists, participate in challenges, and learn from experienced mentors. The supportive environment fosters collaboration and growth, helping you refine your skills and discover new artistic possibilities.
Game Development: Pixel Art Takes Center Stage
Pixel art has become synonymous with retro gaming, evoking a sense of nostalgia and charm. In modern game development, pixel art continues to thrive, adding a unique visual style and personality to indie games, mobile games, and even AAA titles. Its simplicity and versatility make it an ideal choice for creating expressive characters, immersive environments, and engaging gameplay experiences.
Pixilart's user-friendly tools and extensive resource library empower you to create stunning pixel art assets for your game development projects. From character sprites and animations to tilemaps and backgrounds, Pixilart provides everything you need to bring your game world to life.
Getting Started with Pixilart: Your Creative Journey Awaits
Ready to embark on your pixel art adventure? Visit https://www.pixilart.com/ to explore the platform's features, join the vibrant community, and unleash your artistic potential. Whether you're a seasoned game developer or a budding pixel artist, Pixilart offers a world of creative possibilities waiting to be discovered.
Intro to Game Development
- 01. Lukky - Making a Game from Start to Finish Tutorial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bP9zQyoYP28
- 02. Brackeys - How to make a Video Game - Godot Beginner Tutorial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOhfqjmasi0
- 03. Brackeys - How to program in Godot - GDScript Tutorial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1zJS31tr88
Basic Game Development
- 04. LegionGame - Juiced Up First Person Character Controller Tutorial - Godot 3D FPS - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3HLeyaBCq4
- 05. Lukky - Godot 4.0 Third Person Controller Tutorial ( 2023 ) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EP5AYllgHy8
- 06. Quilled - Import Animations in Godot 4 with Animation Retargeting - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nb6uSeEZFCI
- 07. LegionGame - Design 3D Game Levels From Scratch - Godot 4 Tutorial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dV6S_11pyzo
Advanced Game Developement
- 08. Chap C. Creates - The First Skill GODOT Beginners Should Learn - State Machine Game Showcase - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExuzWQ077n4
- 09. The Shaggy Dev - Starter state machines in Godot 4 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqFbZoA2lnU
- 10. The Shaggy Dev - Advanced state machine techniques in Godot 4 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNdFXooM1MQ
Basic Game Development
- 11. LegionGames - 3D Enemies With Pathfinding and Animations - Godot 4 FPS Tutorial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iV710Vm5qm0
- 12. LegionGames - Complete 3D Shooting Mechanics - Godot 4 FPS Tutorial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bbPHsB9TtI
- 13. LegionGames - Hitscan Guns, Weapon Switching and Crosshairs - 3D Godot 4 FPS Tutorial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tryYXX30FGg
- 14. LegionGames - Fully Destructible 3D Environments - Godot 4 FPS Tutorial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgF3oFrAwUY
- 15. Coco Code - Godot UI QUICKSTART (Ex-Unity friendly guide) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHcHMRUGDHU
- 16. DevWom - How to Create a INVENTORY in Godot 4 (step by step) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3J0fSodKgs
Game Feel
- 17. Game Maker's Toolkits - What Makes a Good Combat System? - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X4fx-YncqA
- 18. Extra Credits - Open World Design - How to Build Open World Games - Extra Credits - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udF7XX_vTUE
- 19. Razbuten - How Small Open-World Games Feel Big - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3cPJL4ISlU
- 20. Game Maker's Toolkit - What Makes Good AI? - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bbhJi0NBkk
- 21. Game Maker's Toolkit - How to Keep Players Engaged (Without Being Evil) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbzGO_Qonu0
- 22. Game Maker's Toolkit - Secrets of Game Feel and Juice - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=216_5nu4aVQ
- 23. Game Maker's Toolkit - The mistake every new game developer makes (Developing 2) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMbIvmv25u0
- Game feel demo: https://deepnight.net/games/game-feel/
- SteamSAIL: https://www.steamsail.co.uk/
- Influencer outreach: https://whoplays.games/
- Twitch analytics: https://sullygnome.com/
- Steam Review Alert: https://www.steamreviewalert.com/
- Tag Helper: https://steamtaghelper.com/
- Polyglot Gamedev: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
- Easy professional localization: https://www.localizedirect.com/
- Crowdsourced localization: https://www.localizor.com/
- Controller layout creator: https://www.padcrafter.com/
An open source framework for rapidly building immersive 3D experiences.
Market research, competitor benchmarking and industry trends analysis has never been easier! Access to sales estimates, wishlists, prices, ratings, genres and much more for over 100,000 Steam games!
