Your first project

Start with a folder and a note. You can add an engine, repository connection and AI assistance when the work needs them.

Create the workspace

1. Choose File → New project or New project in the project picker.
2. Give the project a name and location. Choose a new destination; use Open project for a folder that already contains a game.
3. Review the Project, Engine, Repository and AI sections. None is a valid engine choice. Leave account-dependent setup out if you only want to write.
4. Create the project, then open Project overview.

GDE creates its project files first. If optional tool or account setup needs attention, the project remains available; continue from its settings instead of creating another copy.

The project contains a brief and folders for ideas, design, worldbuilding, narrative, research, media and saved views. See the folder reference. These are ordinary folders, not mandatory stages in a process.

Write something useful

1. Open Design and choose a suitable folder.
2. Create a New note. Give it a meaningful first heading, such as “Movement” or “The starting village”.
3. Write the intent, a few rules, or simply the question you need to resolve.
4. Switch to Read to see the page as a document. Use Write to continue, or Source for the exact Markdown.

Text saves to the working files. Saving does not commit or push to Git. Watch the save state before closing a page, especially after a file conflict. Pages and recovery explains the distinction.

Find it again

Use the file tree, a collection, or Ctrl+P to find a file by name or path. Home returns to the active project’s overview, where you can continue recent work.

For ideas without a project, use Scratch. You can later use Add to project to copy selected Scratch material into a project; the original remains in Scratch.

Add tools when you need them

• Configure an engine binding for a game editor and build operations.
• Use Git for recorded source history.
• Connect the existing GitHub CLI account for issues.
• Connect the installed Codex runtime in Settings → Connections for Director and implementation work.

An unavailable connection does not prevent ordinary local design work.