Skip to content

Downloading Godot & other tools

Downloading Godot

To follow this tutorial using C#, you'll need the .NET version of Godot.

Godot version

We're using Godot 4.4.1, so make sure to download exactly that version to avoid issues with naming, features, or UI differences. If you want web support, we're also going to cover Godot 3 for some extent. If that's your goal, then you can use Godot 3.6.1. Keep in mind however, that this tutorial prioritizes Godot 4 first, so some parts regarding Godot 3 might be missing or incomplete until further updates!

MacBook touchpad gesture support (dedicated GPU)

If you're often on the go using a MacBook (with a dedicated GPU), you might get a better experience from the macOS version. That is because Godot supports touchpad gestures better on macOS than on Windows or Linux.

This matters if you prefer not to use a mouse. In Windows, two-finger input is often limited to zooming. Navigation in all directions (left, right, up, down) is usually not supported or feels clunky.

Even with good drivers, most Windows apps don’t use gestures well. Out of tools like Blender, Godot and Unity, only Blender supports gestures properly on Windows. The others are awkward without a mouse.

MacBook touchpad gesture support (intel based graphics)

If you're often on the go using a MacBook (without a dedicated GPU), you might not get a better experience from the macOS version. That is because, while Godot supports touchpad gestures better on macOS, you will likely get laggy performance with other tools like Blender.

What you can do in that case, is to setup a dual boot installation with a linux distro that supports plasma desktop. You'll only get good gesture support in Blender however. Godot will still be usable through your touchpad, however you need to change its navigation scheme for 3 mouse button emulation. That is something we will deal with when we're going to do some 3d modelling however.

Installing Windows through Bootcamp is also an option & if you're new to everything you may want to try that first. That is because, while it might pay off in the long run for some people, its not alway straight forward to install on a Mac!

You can find the download here: https://godotengine.org/download/archive/4.4.1-stable/

  • Download the .NET build for your operating system.
  • It's provided as a .zip archive.
  • After extracting it, run the appropriate Godot executable for your platform.

macOS & Linux installations

On Linux, you may need to make the Godot binary executable by running:

chmod +x Godot_v4.4.1-stable_mono_linux.x86_64

On macOS, if the app is blocked by Gatekeeper, right-click the Godot app, choose Open, then click Open Anyway in the warning dialog. This only needs to be done once.

Besides Godot, you'll also need to install .NET 9 SDK & Visual Studio Code (any recent version is fine):

That is because, although Godot has a built in editor for C# as well, its not as advanced as other external editors & its more tailored to its own GDScript language.

Then why not just GDScript?

GDScript (in Godot 4.4.1), although having some type naming features, works well for quick prototypes, but it's not fully type safe. That means when you create something—say, a fish from a config setting—you can’t clearly label it as a fish in a way the editor understands. So if you later tell Sparky the fish to bark, the editor won’t stop you. With C#, it will—because fish don’t bark.

Web support for C# only works in Godot 3

Both the Godot Engine itself and Godot games are built with cross compatibility in mind. That means you can build your Godot game for both Windows, Linux, Mac and even for iOS and Android. There is even a web output, but be aware that if that is your target you're better off following the 3d tutorial from the GODOT DOCS. That is because exporting to web is currently only supported in Godot 3 using C#/.NET. There will also be an attempt to used tabbed sections for Godot 3. This tutorial focusses on Godot 4 however due to its support for more modern C# features. You may follow this tutorial & replace all the concepts with GDScript or Godot 3 C# code. Keep in mind however, that this tutorial is not aimed at GDScript or Godot 3. That means that if you do so, you might get a very hard and/or challenging time figuring things out.

Other alternatives with better safety features & web support

If you're already an experienced programmer and you want to go crazy, then you can also take a look at the rust language extension of Godot. This is a language I am considering to switch to in this tutorial. Coming from C/C# background, I don't find it the most beginner friendly language however. (Also if I ever were to design a language, the first thing I would replace is abbreviations like fn & fun with function)

Downloading Blender (3d modelling tool)

Next, you'll need to download Blender 4.4 from here: https://www.blender.org/download/releases/4-4/

Blender versioning

Version matters here too—Blender often introduces major changes between versions. While many things stay the same, certain tools or menus may move, behave differently, or even be removed. So something that works in Blender 4.4 might not work the same way in 4.5.

Why use Blender?

If you want to add some uniqueness to your game, it's worth learning basic 3D modelling. Sure, buying assets is easy—but if everyone buys the same ones, your game may end up looking like everyone else’s.

Even if you use pre-made models, knowing how to tweak them in Blender can go a long way toward making your game feel distinct.

That’s why this tutorial also includes simple steps for creating and editing models in Blender.