SDL2 Game Tutorials

• 2D shoot 'em up tutorial
• 2D top-down shooter tutorial
• 2D platformer tutorial
• Sprite atlas tutorial
• Working with TTF fonts
• 2D adventure tutorial
• Widget tutorial
• 2D vertical shoot 'em up tutorial
• 2D run and gun tutorial
• Roguelike tutorial
• Lookups
• Medals (Achievements) tutorial
• 2D turn based strategy tutorial
• 2D isometric game tutorial
• Map editor tutorial
• Mission-based 2D shoot 'em up tutorial
• 2D Santa game tutorial
• 2D split screen game tutorial
• 2D quest tutorial

Overview

This series of tutorials focuses on creating games using SDL2. The tutorials are split into several parts, to make it easier to understand the steps involved and not to overload the reader with information from the start.

Note: These tutorials assume that you are already familiar with C programming and you are comfortable with advanced topics such as pointers, as well as using CMake and Makefiles. You are also advised to follow the tutorials in order, rather than just jumping around as prior knowledge is assumed throughout. You can read more about setting up SDL2 on the API's wiki page: https://wiki.libsdl.org/Installation.

The SDL1 tutorials have moved here. Since these use SDL 1, they are considered out of date and it is suggested you use the SDL 2 tutorials instead.

Building

Dependencies

cmake*
SDL
SDL Image
SDL Mixer
SDL TTF
SDL Net

(* - if using an IDE, plugins may be available to support cmake without requiring any downloads by the user)

Compiling

These tutorials use cmake to build. You may build them in one of several ways:

Using the command line (recommended)

cmake CMakeLists.txt
make

This will generate the make file and all build-related data in the same directory as the CMakeLists.txt file. While this is the simplest approach, it does result in all the cmake files being created alongside the other assets. It is the fastest way to get going, however, and the approach taken in the tutorial listings.

mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
cd ..
make -C build

This is a much neater approach, as all the cmake related build data is stored in a directory called "build". The downside is that it requires some extra steps on behalf of the user. Actual compiling also needs to be performed by either changing into the build directory before running make, or by using make -C build to tell make to work with the build directory.

Via your IDE

An IDE such as VSCode has support for cmake, and may have its own rules as to where it creates the build data, and how it compiles. So long as it respects the rules within the CMakeLists.txt, this shouldn't be an issue.

In all cases, the resulting binary will be produced alongside the CMakeLists.txt file, and relative to the required assets (data, gfx, sound, music). If you are using an IDE, ensure the binary is produced this way, as it will expect to load data relative to its location. If not, you will likely find the binary won't run, as it will fail to load any assets.

Purchase

The full source code and assets for all the listed tutorials is available for purchase.

From itch.io

You may purchase the complete set of tutorials from itch.io, using the link below.

Extras

You can also download some of the games created by these tutorials by clicking here.

Creating a 2D shoot 'em up

This tutorial will show how to create a simple 2D shoot 'em up, starting with opening a window, all the way to building a highscore table. If you're new to SDL2, this would be a good place to start.

1. Opening a window
2. Drawing the player
3. Moving the player
4. Firing
5. Refactoring
6. Enemies
7. Shooting enemies
8. Enemies fighting back!
9. Effects and background graphics
10. Sound and music
11. Bitmap fonts and scoring
12. Score pods
13. Highscore table (Part 1)
14. Highscore table (Part 2)
15. Title screen and finishing touches

Creating a 2D top-down shooter

This tutorial will show how to create a simple top-down 2D shooter that we're going to call Battle Arena Donk! Mouse controls will be used extensively throughout.

1. Reading the mouse
2. Angles and rotation
3. Mouse buttons and shooting
4. Battling enemies
5. Scrolling the arena
6. Finishing touches

Creating a 2D platformer

Learn how to create a simple multi-scrolling 2D platformer, code-named Pete's Pizza Party.

1. Loading and displaying the map
2. Scrolling the map
3. Controlling the character
4. Interacting with entities
5. Moving platforms
6. Finishing touches

Creating a sprite atlas

In this tutorial, we'll demonstrate how to create and use a sprite atlas.

1. Preparing the files
2. Creating the atlas texture
3. Creating the atlas meta data
4. Using the atlas with SDL2
5. Rotating, scaling, blending, and colour modulation

Working with TTF fonts

In this tutorial, we'll demonstrate how to use SDL2 TTF for text rendering.

1. Basic font rendering
2. Creating a glyph atlas
3. Wrapping, aligning, and typewriter effect
4. Unicode support

Creating a simple 2D adventure game

Learn how to make a basic 2D adventure game.

1. Movement and map rendering
2. Map scrolling and collisions
3. Loading a map
4. Entity interactions, part 1
5. Inventory management
6. Entity interactions, part 2
7. Fog of war
8. Message boxes
9. Loading the dungeon
10. The Grumpy Goblin
11. The Cursed Maze
12. Vampire Bats!
13. The Escape Room
14. Finishing touches

Creating a basic widget system

Learn how to make a widget system, for use with in-game menus.

1. Basic non-functional menu
2. Actionable menu
3. Loading a widget set
4. Select widget
5. Slider widget
6. Text input widget
7. Control widget
8. In-game menu
9. Widget groups

Creating a 2D vertical shoot 'em up

Learn how to create a vertical 2D shoot 'em up, that includes power-ups and enemy attack patterns.

1. Setting up
2. Enemy attack patterns (first sequence)
3. Power-ups
4. Return fire!
5. Enemy attack patterns (full sequence)
6. Bosses
7. More power-ups
8. Enemy attack patterns (final sequence)
9. Finishing touches

Creating a 2D run and gun game

Learn how to create a 2D run and gun game, like Contra, Turrican, and Duke Nukem.

1. First steps
2. Aiming, shooting, and ducking
3. Destroying targets
4. Enemies
5. Basic map
6. Gameplay tweaks
7. Larger, scrolling map
8. Player health + power-ups
9. Keycards, doors, and other solid entities
10. Adding a quadtree
11. More gameplay tweaks
12. Player death + effects
13. A full level!
14. Game controller support
15. Finishing touches

Creating a roguelike

Learn how to create a simple roguelike.

1. Map generation
2. First monster
3. Combat
4. Adding the HUD
5. Monsters attacking!
6. A* Pathfinding
7. Items and inventory display
8. Using items
9. Equipping items
10. Comparing stats
11. XP and levelling
12. Stairs
13. More monsters, more loot!
14. Doors
15. Death and Highscores
16. Status effects
17. Saving
18. Loading
19. The Mouse King
20. Finishing touches

Creating a lookup system

A short tutorial on how to make a key-value lookup system.

1. Creating a lookup system

Creating an in-game achievement system

Learn how to create an achievement system, known as Medals.

1. Unlocking Medals
2. Integrating with gameplay
3. Saving progress
4. A full game!
5. Online functionality
6. Threading

Creating a simple 2D turn-based strategy game

A tutorial about how to create a 2D turn-based strategy game.

1. Basic unit control
2. Controlling multiple units
3. Limiting movement
4. AP (action point) handling
5. Enemies and simple AI
6. Combat #1: Player attacking
7. Combat #2: Weapons, accuracy, and damage
8. Combat #3: Feedback and effects
9. Combat #4: Line of sight
10. Combat #5: AI attacking
11. Handling player death
12. Item handling
13. Adding the camera
14. Expanding the HUD
15. Map generation
16. Slime pools
17. Lilac Ghost
18. Blue Ghost
19. Red Ghost
20. Green Ghost
21. Winning and losing
22. Smooth camera
23. Threaded map generation
24. Finishing touches

Making a 2D isometric game

A tutorial about how to create a 2D isometric game, in an old-school flip-screen style.

1. Drawing tiles
2. Selecting tiles
3. Adding entities
4. Adding Purple Guy
5. Walls and trees
6. Occlusion testing
7. Loading and traversing the map
8. Entities and items
9. Buttons and bridges
10. Simple lighting
11. Mini map
12. Finishing touches

Making a basic 2D map editor

A tutorial about how to create a basic 2D map editor.

1. Simple map editor
2. Tile selection
3. Entity selection
4. Scrolling and picking entities
5. Expanded UI and mini map

Making a mission-based 2D shoot 'em up

Learn how to create a mission and objective-based 2D multi-directional shoot 'em up.

1. Basic fighter control
2. Main guns
3. Adding enemies
4. Simple AI
5. Collectables
6. The HUD
7. Secondary weapon: Rockets
8. Secondary weapon: Homing missiles
9. Secondary weapon: Red beam
10. Secondary weapon: Mines
11. Secondary weapon: Shield
12. Objectives
13. Start / end screens
14. Start of intermission
15. Intermission: Planets
16. Intermission: Comms
17. Intermission: Shop (1/2)
18. Intermission: Shop (2/2)
19. Intermission: Stats
20. Intermission: Loading / Saving
21. Intermission: Options
22. Main game loop
23. Scripting
24. Mission: Training
25. Mission: Collect catnip
26. Mission: Bombers
27. Mission: Rescue POWs
28. Mission: SS Goodboy
29. Mission: The Gravlax (Boss)
30. Title screen
31. Finishing touches

Making a 2D Santa game

Learn how to create a simple Santa game to celebrate Xmas!

1. Scrolling
2. Houses
3. Chimneys
4. Santa's sleigh
5. Gifts and coal
6. Scoring
7. HUD
8. Game Over
9. Highscore table
10. Sacks
11. Enchanted Snowman #1
12. Enchanted Snowman #2
13. Snow
14. Hills and trees
15. Finishing touches

Making a 2D split screen game

A traditional 2D split screen two-player game, using SDL2's geometry functions.

1. Loading models
2. Steering and shooting
3. Loading Zone(s)
4. Ready Player Two
5. Split screen
6. Live. Die. Repeat.
7. Heads Up!
8. Live. Die. Repeat. And Repeat.
9. Particles and effects
10. Collectables
11. Gooooooooooooooal(s)
12. Spatial Grid, part 1
13. Spatial Grid, part 2
14. Aliens³
15. Zones (again)
16. Game options
17. Title screen
18. Finishing touches

Making a 2D quest-based game

An adventure / quest game, that allows one to explore a randomly generated world.

1. World map generation, part 1
2. World map generation, part 2
3. Island capture
4. Adding the player
5. Adding boats
6. Towns, part 1
7. Towns, part 2
8. Towns, part 3
9. Towns, part 4
10. Entering towns / the overworld
11. Discovery and exploration
12. The Quest log
13. Introduction to quests
14. Delivery quest
15. Fetch quest
16. Dispose quest
17. Finishing touches

AI Art

Below are some AI images produced to accompany these tutorials. These were made with Google Gemini, using various prompts. These images are all licensed under CC0 (so, in other words they are in the public domain). These are just for some fun extras, nothing more.

SDL2 Adventure

SDL2 Gunner

SDL2 Rogue

SDL2 Santa

SDL2 Shooter 3

SDL2 Strategy

SDL2 Quest

Downloads

Binary downloads (Linux + Windows) for some of the tutorials included here: