Your First Game

The scaffolder created a complete example game. Let’s explore what you got.

game.yaml

Open content/game.yaml. This is the game configuration: it sets the starting location, the starting time of day, and the initial values for flags, variables, and inventory.

startLocation: tavern
startTime:
  day: 1
  hour: 8
startFlags: {}
startVariables:
  gold: 100
  reputation: 0
  _drinksBought: 0
startInventory: []

See YAML Schemas for every field this file supports.

Locations

Open content/locations/tavern.yaml. Each location has an id, a name, a description, and optional fields for a banner image and music track.

id: tavern
name: "@location.tavern.name"
description: "@location.tavern.description"
banner: ""
music: ""

The @key values are locale references. They resolve to strings in content/locales/en.yaml. See Adding Locations for the full schema and map setup.

Characters

Open content/characters/bartender.yaml. Characters have a name, portrait, a location that places them on the map, and a dialogue field pointing to the dialogue file that plays when the player talks to them.

id: bartender
name: "@character.bartender.name"
biography: "@character.bartender.bio"
portrait: ""
location: tavern
dialogue: bartender_greeting
stats: {}

See Characters & Party for party members, stats, and relationships.

Dialogues

Open content/dialogues/bartender_greeting.dlg. For syntax highlighting in VS Code, install the bundled extension (see VS Code Extension for instructions). Dialogues are written in the Doodle DSL. Nodes are conversation points, choices branch the conversation, and effects like SET flag or ADD variable change game state.

NODE start
  BARTENDER: @bartender.greeting

  CHOICE @bartender.choice.whats_news
    SET flag metBartender
    ADD relationship bartender 1
    GOTO rumors
  END

  CHOICE @bartender.choice.nevermind
    GOTO farewell
  END

NODE farewell
  BARTENDER: @bartender.farewell
  END dialogue

The bartender file is well-commented and shows conditions, dice rolls, and quest triggers. See Writing Dialogues for the full DSL reference.

Quests

Open content/quests/odd_jobs.yaml. Quests have a list of stages. Dialogues advance the stage with SET questStage, and conditions like REQUIRE questAtStage show or hide choices based on where the player is in the quest.

id: odd_jobs
name: "@quest.odd_jobs.name"
description: "@quest.odd_jobs.description"
stages:
  - id: started
    description: "@quest.odd_jobs.stage.started"
  - id: talked_to_merchant
    description: "@quest.odd_jobs.stage.talked_to_merchant"
  - id: complete
    description: "@quest.odd_jobs.stage.complete"

See Creating Quests for journal entries and multi-stage quest design.

The App Component

Open src/App.tsx. It fetches the content registry and asset manifest from the dev server, then passes them to GameShell. GameShell handles everything: splash screen, title screen, loading, pause menu, settings, and the game itself.

See Game Shell for configuration options, or Custom Renderer if you want to build your own UI instead.

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The template files are heavily commented. The best way to learn is to play the game, read the files, change things, and see what happens.

When you’re ready to understand a specific feature, the guides explain each piece in detail.