GameDev Garden

Love2D Basics

Every Love2D game is the same skeleton. Learn it once, reuse forever:

function love.load()    -- runs once: load images, set up state
end
 
function love.update(dt) -- runs 60 times per second: move things, check rules
end
 
function love.draw()     -- runs 60 times per second: draw everything
end

Config

conf.lua sits next to main.lua:

function love.conf(t)
  t.title = "My First Game"
  t.console = true -- enable print to console
  t.window.width = 800
  t.window.height = 600
end

Drawing

Origin (0,0) is top-left. x goes right, y goes down.

function love.draw()
  love.graphics.rectangle("fill", 100, 100, 50, 50) -- x, y, w, h
  love.graphics.circle("fill", 300, 200, 25)        -- x, y, radius
  love.graphics.print("Score: 10", 10, 10)
end

Load images once in love.load, draw them in love.draw:

local ship
function love.load()
  ship = love.graphics.newImage("assets/ship.png")
end
function love.draw()
  love.graphics.draw(ship, 100, 100)
end

Input

function love.update(dt)
  -- held keys (smooth movement)
  if love.keyboard.isDown("left") then player.x = player.x - 300 * dt end
  if love.keyboard.isDown("right") then player.x = player.x + 300 * dt end
end
 
function love.keypressed(key)
  -- single presses (jump, pause, quit)
  if key == "space" then jump() end
  if key == "escape" then love.event.quit() end
end

Audio (2 lines)

local music
function love.load()
  music = love.audio.newSource("assets/theme.mp3", "stream")
  love.audio.play(music)
end

Short sound effects: use "static" instead of "stream". More in Audio recipe.

Try it (10 min)

Make a circle follow your arrow keys:

local x, y = 400, 300
function love.update(dt)
  local speed = 300
  if love.keyboard.isDown("up") then y = y - speed * dt end
  if love.keyboard.isDown("down") then y = y + speed * dt end
  if love.keyboard.isDown("left") then x = x - speed * dt end
  if love.keyboard.isDown("right") then x = x + speed * dt end
end
function love.draw()
  love.graphics.circle("fill", x, y, 25)
end

Next step

Continue with Your First Game — turn this into Pong, start to finish.

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