Docs User guide
Playing and testing
Play your game from the editor, use the debug keys, and read the Output panel.
You can play your game at any time without exporting it. The game opens in its own window, and the editor stays open behind it.
#Starting and stopping
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
| F5 (or ▶ Play) | Plays from the player start. |
| Ctrl+F5 | Plays from where the camera is looking, or where you're walking. |
| Shift+F5 | Stops the game. |
To set where the player starts, use the Player start tool (6) in the World tab.
#Checks before playing
Before the game starts, the editor checks for the mistakes that stop a game working:
- nothing to stand on at the Player Start;
- a missing start world;
- a deleted player model;
- objects whose model or script is gone.
If it finds one, it offers a one-click fix, such as Add a floor to the start world, or Play anyway.
#Walking without playing
You don't always need to start the game. Press G in the World tab to walk while editing: the game character appears in the level, and you can walk around with WASD, jump with Space, and keep building with the left mouse. Press Esc or G to stop.
#Controls in the game
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| WASD / arrows | Move |
| Hold right mouse | Look around |
| Space | Jump |
| Shift | Run (uses stamina) |
| E | Interact, talk, open |
| F / left click | Shoot, or swing what's in your hand |
| Right click / C | Cast |
| V | Melee |
| I / Tab | Inventory |
| 1–8 | Skillbar slots |
| Mouse wheel | Zoom |
| Esc | Menu |
| Alt+Enter | Toggle fullscreen |
With an isometric or top-down camera, Q and R turn the view. You can change the default keys in Game settings, and players can rebind them in Options.
#Debug keys
Games started from the editor have extra keys to help you test. Exported games don't have them.
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
| F3 | Watch panel: FPS, world, position, health, variables, switches, counters, items and timers. |
| F4 | God mode (no damage). |
| F6 | Teleport to the spot the camera is looking at. |
| F7 | Refill health, mana and stamina. |
| F8 | Picks the object in the middle of the game's view in the editor's World, and brings the editor forward. |
| Shift+F8 | Opens that object's model. |
F8 is handy when you spot something wrong while playing: look at it, press F8, and it's selected in the editor.
The F3 watch panel is also the place to check performance. If a big world feels slow, compare the FPS with different settings under Game Settings ▸ Graphics.
#The Output panel
The game's console output and errors stream into the Output tab at the bottom of the editor.
If a script has an error while the game runs, it shows in Output as [script] error in … and the game carries on. Errors are clickable, so you can jump to the problem. For more on finding problems in scripts, including watch() and breakpoints, see Debugging.
#Test saves
When you play from the editor, the game saves to its own test folder. Testing never touches the saves of a game you exported and play yourself.
#Playing in another language
If you've added languages in the Translate editor (F10), ▶ Play in it plays the game in that language.
#Tips
- Change one thing, press F5, and try it. Short loops catch mistakes early.
- Use Ctrl+F5 to jump straight to the part you're working on instead of walking there.
- Use F4 and F7 to get through dangerous areas while you test something else.
- If something doesn't happen when you press E, check the order of the object's behaviors in Properties. They run from top to bottom.
Next: Exporting.