You will have a dedicated game folder, an honest picture of your assistant's capabilities, and a way to open Godot without touching game code. Your first creative decision is how you want to collaborate. The build begins after you have explained your idea in lesson 02.

Godot is the engine: the application that opens the game project, displays its scene, and runs the game. Your AI app is your collaborator: it may write and repair project files, investigate errors, and give you something to play. Godot does not become an AI builder simply because you installed it. A chat that describes a game has not necessarily created files on your computer. Establish which work your actual tools can perform before committing to a workflow.

You direct the experience. You choose the mood, the player's activity, the boundaries, and whether a result feels right. The AI handles scripts and scene organization. You may learn technical vocabulary along the way, but you do not need to type GDScript or complete programming exercises to follow this course.

Tell your assistant your operating system, AI app, existing tools, and spending limit. Use tools you already have where practical. A model is the system answering; the surrounding app determines whether it can edit folders, launch Godot, or inspect images. Read TOOL_CHOICES.md for dated vendor descriptions. It contains suggestions, not a measured ranking. One suitable assistant is enough to begin; three paid subscriptions are unnecessary.

The supplied technical reference was verified on Windows using Godot 4.7.2 Standard and the Compatibility renderer. That is the course's reference setup. Other operating systems, engine releases, renderers, and the .NET edition were not verified. If your setup differs, ask the assistant to identify the difference and plan a small compatibility check. Do not silently treat a newer download as the tested version.

Obtain Godot from its official site or official release archive. Ask your assistant to locate the official download matching your setup, identify Standard rather than .NET, and explain the few local installation steps. Do not accept a random mirror or install a paid service merely because it appeared in a generated answer. You never need to share a password or payment credential in the chat.

Create a dedicated writable folder named Lantern Courier Practice through your file manager, or ask an assistant with file tools to create it in a location you choose. Keep unrelated personal documents outside it. Inside it, keep a game folder and a separate checkpoints folder. Approve access to this project through your app's normal controls. The assistant should explain any permission request in plain language.

The following is an illustrative conversation, not a record of an actual learner or a performed test.

“I'm on Windows. I want to make a little delivery game. I can use this coding assistant and Godot, but I don't want another subscription.”

“I can edit this workspace and inspect files. I cannot click your local Godot window from this session. I can create the project and give you exact opening steps. You will run it and describe what you see.”

“Good. Keep the explanations short. Handle technical work, tell me before a long step, and never call something tested unless you actually ran it. No publishing.”

“Agreed. First we will save your brief, create a small project, and have you import and play it. I will distinguish my file checks from your play observations.”

That answer makes the division of work usable. It does not hide a missing capability behind confidence.

I am taking the Godot creator course. I will direct the game and play the results; you handle implementation. My computer is [system], my AI app is [app], and my spending limit is [limit]. Tell me what you can actually do here: read files, edit a project folder, launch Godot, inspect screenshots, and run checks. Name unavailable capabilities. Help me prepare a dedicated workspace and the official Godot Standard setup. Our reference is Windows, Godot 4.7.2, Compatibility. Do not build the game yet, purchase anything, or publish. Keep a short WORKING_AGREEMENT.md, or give me saveable text if file tools are unavailable.

Open Godot and confirm that the Project Manager appears. You do not need to create an empty project manually; the AI will supply one in lesson 03. Record the engine version visible in the application and your folder location. Keep the capability answer and your working agreement. Choose two communication preferences, such as milestone updates and muted sound until you enable it. Your proof is the visible Project Manager plus an accurate setup note, not a claim that a game already works.

If the AI says it cannot edit files, ask it to deliver a complete project archive with a clear folder map and extraction steps. Do not accept scattered code fragments that require you to assemble scripts. If it cannot deliver usable project files, move the implementation job to an available file-capable tool before continuing. Keep your brief portable.

If Godot will not open, save the first exact message and your system details. Ask the AI to diagnose that setup issue only. If the wrong folder was shared, correct the workspace before building. Preserve existing files; starting clean means a new empty practice folder, not deleting another project.

• What runs the game? Godot.
• What determines whether AI can edit local files? The app and its enabled tools.
• Must you write scripts? No; you direct and verify while AI implements.
• What have you proved today? Setup and collaboration readiness, not gameplay or export compatibility.