Godot Docs: Your First 2D Game

What it is

"Your first 2D game" is part of the official Godot documentation. It builds "Dodge the Creeps!", a small game where the player moves around the screen and avoids enemies for as long as possible. The tutorial has seven parts: setting up the project, creating the player scene, coding the player, creating the enemy, the main game scene, the heads-up display, and finishing up. A downloadable asset pack provides the art and sound so you can focus on the engine and the code.

Code is shown in GDScript and C#. For a first project, use GDScript: it is Godot's main language and C# projects cannot currently export to the web in Godot 4, according to the Godot docs.

Prerequisites

The docs say it assumes some programming experience. If you have never programmed, start with GDQuest's free "Learn GDScript From Zero" app, then come back. You should also read the "Step by step" section of the docs first, which introduces nodes, scenes, scripting and signals.

Is it worth it?

Yes. It is short, official, maintained with each Godot release and complete: at the end you have a game with a start screen, score, game over and restart. It introduces the ideas you will use in every Godot project: scenes as reusable parts, nodes in a tree, signals for communication, the input map, timers, and instancing scenes at runtime.

How to get the most from it

• Type the code yourself rather than copying it.
• After finishing, change it without the tutorial: add a power-up, a second enemy type, or a high score saved to disk.
• Export it to the web and put it on itch.io. Shipping a tiny game early teaches the export process.

What you can do after it

Build small 2D games in Godot, structure them as scenes, and read the rest of the documentation with confidence. The natural next step is the "Your first 3D game" tutorial or a small game of your own design.

Godot licence

Godot is free and open source under the MIT licence, and the engine's licence terms do not apply to games you make with it. There are no fees or royalties, as stated on godotengine.org.

Common questions

Which Godot version? The stable docs track the current release (Godot 4.x as of 2026-09). Make sure your editor version matches the docs you read.

Is there a 3D version? Yes, "Your first 3D game" follows the same style.