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Basics

Getting Started

Create your first project in Caustic Studio and explore the editor.

Welcome to Caustic Studio. This guide walks you through creating your first project and navigating the editor.

Creating an account

Head to app.caustic.dev and sign up with your email or GitHub account. No credit card required — the free tier includes everything you need to start building.

Creating your first project

  1. From the dashboard, click New Project
  2. Choose a template or start from a blank canvas
  3. Give your project a name and optional description
  4. Click Create — you'll land in the editor

The editor at a glance

The editor is organized into four zones:

  • Left — Navigate: Project file tree, asset browser, and search. This is where you find and organize your project's files.
  • Center — Create: Your primary workspace. This is where sprite editing, level design, and animation happen.
  • Right — Configure: Properties and settings for whatever is selected in the center panel. Adjust parameters, set up physics, configure audio.
  • Bottom — Monitor: Console output, error logs, game preview, and collaboration chat.

Running your game

Click the Play button in the top toolbar (or press F5) to launch your game in the preview panel. The game runs with hot-reload enabled — edits to sprites, levels, and audio update in real-time without restarting.

Inviting collaborators

Open Project Settings from the left sidebar and navigate to the Team tab. Enter a teammate's email to send an invite. Collaborators can edit simultaneously with live presence indicators.

Next steps

  • Editor Overview — A deeper look at each editor panel and its capabilities