Installation

Requirements

• Node.js 24+: Get it at nodejs.org.
• npm: Comes with Node.js. yarn and pnpm also work.
• A code editor: VS Code works well.

How It Works

Doodle Engine games run in a web browser. Running npm run dev starts a local server at http://localhost:3000. You cannot open index.html directly as a file. It needs to be served.

When you build for release (npm run build), you get a dist/ folder with static files. Upload it to any web host. No server-side software is required.

For desktop or mobile distribution, you can wrap the build using standard web wrapping tools.

Quick Start

The scaffolder creates a complete, ready-to-run project with all source files, configuration, and starter game content included.

npx @doodle-engine/cli create my-game

The scaffolder asks which renderer to use. If you choose GameShell, it also asks whether to include starter styles.

Then install and run:

cd my-game
npm install       # or: yarn install / pnpm install
npm run dev       # or: yarn dev / pnpm dev

Your game is running at http://localhost:3000.

Next Steps

• Project Structure - what the scaffolder created
• Your First Game - walkthrough of the starter content
• Custom Renderer - using individual components or building your own UI