Getting started
Install the Gozen binary for your operating system. You need a text editor and a terminal. Creating and playing a game does not require Go, Git or a programming language. The desktop window needs your platform’s graphics runtime.
1. The smallest game #
Create a playable RPG:
gozen new my-game --template rpg --title "My first game"
gozen check my-game
gozen run my-game
Press Enter or Z to select an option, use the arrow keys to move through choices, and press Escape or X to go back. Talk to the guide, visit the meadow and try a practice battle. The complete keys are in Playtesting.
To start with a different kind of game:
gozen new my-story --template novel
gozen new my-campaign --template campaign
A novel starts with dialogue, a choice and an ending. A campaign starts with three regions, two factions, a marching order and turn progression. All templates use original placeholder material that you can replace.
2. Play Go Zen #
Play the larger showcase games in your browser. They show RPG battles, novel scenes and strategy maps using the same engine. You do not need to clone or compile their source to try them.
3. Start your own game #
Your generated directory contains:
| File or directory | What to edit |
|---|---|
game.yaml | Title, screen settings, starting location and other game settings |
data/world.yaml | Dialogue, places, story choices or campaign regions |
data/rules.yaml | Characters, classes and basic battle rules |
assets/ | Your pictures and sounds |
README.md | Instructions kept with your project |
Open data/world.yaml in your text editor. Change a line of dialogue, save the
file, then check it again:
gozen check my-game
YAML uses indentation to group values. Keep the spaces at the beginning of a line when changing its text. If a check fails, Gozen reports the file, line and field to fix. The schema and cookbook describe supported settings.
gozen run my-game --dev --save-dir test-saves
Press F5 after an edit to reload the definitions. The explicit save directory keeps this manual test separate from ordinary play. Relative output paths are relative to the terminal’s working directory. Close the window to stop.
Keep the id in game.yaml unchanged once players have saves. Each new template
gets its own ID, even when two folders have the same name. If you need a specific
identity, choose it when creating the game with --id.
The built-in font supports Latin text. For Japanese or other scripts, add an
appropriately licensed font under assets/ and set fonts.regular in game.yaml.
Next #
- Edit–play loop: notes, recordings, scripts and live checks.
- Commands: creation, validation, simulation and play.
- Cookbook: add shops, battles, dialogue and other game features.
- Schema: supported YAML fields and their meaning.
Use export to distribute the game with a matching prebuilt runtime, or export –target web for a static website.