Creating a Top-Down Shooter Game in Godot

In this tutorial, you will learn how to create a top-down shooter game using Godot, a powerful open-source game engine. Top-down shooters typically involve controlling a character that moves and shoots in a top-down perspective, aiming to defeat enemies and complete objectives.

Setting Up Your Project

Start by creating a new 2D project in Godot. Once your project is created, set up your main scene:

1. Create a Player:
   • Add a KinematicBody2D node for your player character.
   • Set up a sprite for the player and configure collision shapes for accurate interaction with enemies and the environment.
2. Add Enemies:
   • Create enemy characters using KinematicBody2D nodes or other appropriate nodes.
   • Design AI behavior scripts to control enemy movement, attacking, and detection of the player.
3. Implement Shooting Mechanism:
   • Write scripts to handle player shooting.
   • Use input events to detect mouse clicks or key presses for shooting projectiles towards the mouse cursor.

Code Example: Player Movement and Shooting

extends KinematicBody2D

const MOVE_SPEED = 200
const SHOOT_SPEED = 400
var bullet_scene = preload("res://Bullet.tscn")

func _process(delta):
    # Player Movement
    var input_vector = Vector2.ZERO
    input_vector.x = Input.get_action_strength("move_right") - Input.get_action_strength("move_left")
    input_vector.y = Input.get_action_strength("move_down") - Input.get_action_strength("move_up")
    input_vector = input_vector.normalized() * MOVE_SPEED * delta
    move_and_slide(input_vector)

    # Player Shooting
    if Input.is_action_just_pressed("shoot"):
        var bullet_instance = bullet_scene.instance()
        var direction = (get_global_mouse_position() - global_position).normalized()
        bullet_instance.direction = direction
        bullet_instance.position = global_position
        get_parent().add_child(bullet_instance)
        bullet_instance.linear_velocity = direction * SHOOT_SPEED

Explanation of Code

• MOVE_SPEED: Constant defining the player's movement speed.
• SHOOT_SPEED: Constant defining the speed of bullets shot by the player.
• bullet_scene: Reference to the scene containing the bullet object.
• _process(delta): Function that runs every frame to update player movement and shooting.
• Player Movement: Calculates movement based on input from movement keys ("move_right", "move_left", "move_down", "move_up") using move_and_slide().
• Player Shooting: Detects input for shooting ("shoot") and instantiates a bullet object at the player's position, setting its direction towards the mouse cursor and applying velocity to simulate shooting.

Enhancing Gameplay

Expand your game by adding enemy AI, power-ups, and more complex level design. Implement sound effects, visual effects, and UI elements to create a polished gaming experience.

Conclusion

With this code example, you've started building the foundation of a top-down shooter game in Godot. Experiment with different mechanics and features to create your unique game and explore more advanced Godot functionalities for further development.