Getting Started

The fastest way to get started with Bappa is to use our template generator tool called bappacreate. This tool sets up a complete project structure with all necessary files and dependencies based on predefined templates.

Prerequisites#

• Go (version 1.18 or higher)
• Basic familiarity with terminal/command line

Installation Options#

Option 1: Install with Go (Recommended)#

go install github.com/TheBitDrifter/bappacreate@latest

Option 2: Install from source#

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/TheBitDrifter/bappacreate.git
cd bappacreate

# Build and install the binary
go install

Verifying Installation#

After installing with go install, make sure the Go bin directory is in your PATH:

1. Find your Go binary path:

   go env GOPATH

2. Add the Go bin directory to your PATH:

   For bash (add to ~/.bashrc):

   export PATH="$PATH:$(go env GOPATH)/bin"

   For zsh (add to ~/.zshrc):

   export PATH="$PATH:$(go env GOPATH)/bin"

   Then reload your shell configuration:

   source ~/.bashrc   # For bash
   source ~/.zshrc    # For zsh

3. Verify the installation:

   bappacreate --help

   You should see the usage information and available templates.

Creating Your First Bappa Game#

Now that you have bappacreate installed, you can create your first game project in seconds.

Basic Usage#

The basic syntax for creating a new game is:

bappacreate username/project-name [--template <template-name>]

The username/ prefix is important as it will be used to create the proper Go module path (github.com/username/project-name).

Available Templates#

Bappa offers several pre-built templates to jumpstart your game development:

Template Features#

Each template comes with different features and setups:

• Topdown Template: Includes a player character, 8-directional movement, camera following, physics, collision resolution, and vertical sort rendering
• Platformer Template: Includes player movement, physics, collision detection, one-way platforms, and slope support
• LDtk Platformer Templates: Include integration with the LDtk level editor for easy level design and importing
• Split-Screen Templates: Add multiplayer functionality with split-screen support for two or more players
• Sandbox Template: Provides an minimal environment for maximum creative freedom

All templates come with well-commented code to help you understand how the Bappa game engine works!

Example: Creating a Top-down Game#

Let’s create a simple top-down game:

bappacreate johndoe/my-adventure-game

This will create a new folder called my-adventure-game in your current directory, with all the files and dependencies you need to start developing.

Example: Creating a Platformer with Split-screen#

If you want to create a platformer game with split-screen co-op support:

bappacreate johndoe/my-platformer --template platformer-split

Example: Creating a Platformer with LDtk Integration#

To create a platformer that uses the LDtk level editor:

bappacreate johndoe/my-ldtk-game --template platformer-ldtk

Project Structure#

When you create a new project with bappacreate, you’ll get a directory structure like this:

my-adventure-game/
├── assets/
│   ├── images/      # Store your game graphics here
│   └── sounds/      # Store your game audio here
├── actions/         # Input action definitions
├── animations/      # Sprite animation configurations
├── clientsystems/   # Systems that run on the client side
├── components/      # Custom ECS component definitions
├── coresystems/     # Core game logic systems
├── rendersystems/   # Systems for rendering game elements
├── scenes/          # Scene definitions and layouts
├── sounds/          # Sound effect configurations
├── go.mod           # Go module file with dependencies
├── go.sum           # Lock file for dependencies
├── main.go          # Main game entry point
└── README.md        # Documentation for your project

Running Your Game#

After creating your project, you can run it right away:

cd my-adventure-game
go mod tidy         # Ensures all dependencies are properly resolved
go run .            # Runs the game

Your game window should open, and you can start playing with the default controls (described in project readme).

Preview Templates in Action#

Before picking a template, you can preview them here!

Next Steps#

Now that you have your game project set up, here are some next steps to consider:

1. Explore the code: Take some time to understand the structure and components of the game template - the code is extensively commented to help you learn
2. Modify the assets: Replace the default images and sounds with your own
3. Customize game mechanics: Adjust player movement, physics, or add new features
4. Add game objects: Create enemies, collectibles, or interactive elements
5. Design levels: Create new maps or scenes for your game
   • LDtk level editor to create and edit your game levels
6. Learn from examples — Use our example projects for common implementations and patterns