Gaminode Documentation

What is Gaminode

Gaminode is a free game engine built on Godot. It ships as two parts: Gaminode Hub, a lightweight launcher that manages engine installs, updates, and export platforms; and the Gaminode Engine itself, a customized editor with additional diagnostic tools built directly into the Project menu.

Unlike downloading Godot directly and hunting for export templates yourself, Gaminode centralizes that process: one launcher, one place to install the editor, one place to add export platforms as you need them.

Who this is for

Gaminode is aimed at solo developers and small teams who want a straightforward path from a fresh install to a shipped build, without assembling toolchains by hand. It is free for both hobby and commercial use — see License terms below.

System requirements

Gaminode inherits Godot's general hardware profile — it runs on modest hardware, including laptops without a dedicated GPU.

Install the Hub

Gaminode Hub is distributed as a Windows installer built with Inno Setup. It installs the launcher, creates Start Menu and optional desktop shortcuts, and registers an uninstaller.

Creating an account

The first time you open Gaminode Hub, you'll be asked to create an account before you can use the rest of the app.

How it works

Accounts in Gaminode are local to your device — there is no server, no email verification, and nothing is sent over the network. Your username and a hashed version of your password are stored in a small file on your own computer.

Signing in later

On future launches, you'll see a sign-in screen instead, pre-populated with the option to use your existing account.

License terms

You'll be asked to accept the Gaminode license the first time you try to install the engine (not before — browsing the Hub itself doesn't require it).

Summary

The full text is shown in-app on the License tab and during installation. This summary is provided for convenience and doesn't replace the full agreement.

Installing the engine

The Engine tab (labeled Install in the Hub sidebar) is where the actual Gaminode editor gets downloaded and set up.

The engine is downloaded as a compressed archive and unpacked into a per-version folder, so installing a new version later doesn't overwrite or affect the previous one until you choose to update.

Updating the engine

When a newer engine version is available, the Install tab shows "Update available" along with the version currently installed.

Clicking Update downloads and installs the new version into its own folder, leaving your current version untouched until the new one finishes installing. Open Current lets you keep working in the existing version while the update downloads in the background.

Opening the editor

Once installed, click Open on the Install tab to launch the Gaminode editor as its own window, separate from the Hub. You can close the Hub after launching the editor — the two are independent processes.

Export platforms overview

The Modules tab lists every export target Gaminode supports. Each platform installs independently — you only download the export templates for the platforms you're actually shipping to.

Installing a platform

Android

After installing the Android export templates from the Modules tab, the editor's built-in export dialog (Project → Export) can produce a debug or release APK for testing or distribution. Signing a release build for the Play Store requires your own keystore, configured the same way as in stock Godot.

Windows

Windows exports produce a standalone 64-bit executable that runs without the engine or Hub installed on the target machine — you can distribute it directly to players.

Web (HTML5)

The Web export template targets browsers without requiring SharedArrayBuffer/threading support, which keeps hosting simple — it works on most static file hosts without special server headers.

Linux

Linux exports produce a 64-bit binary. Building on Windows and testing on Linux works the same way it does in stock Godot — no additional configuration is needed inside Gaminode.

AI Assistant

Gaminode AI is a free, optional standalone app that answers questions about your project using a local AI model. It installs separately from the Modules tab and runs entirely on your own device — no internet connection is needed once it's set up, and your project files and conversations are never sent anywhere.

Checking eligibility

Since the AI model runs on your own hardware, the Modules tab scans your system before offering the download:

If your system doesn't meet these, the Modules tab will tell you which requirement is missing. You can re-scan at any time — for example after freeing up disk space.

Installing

Using it

Gaminode AI opens as its own window with a chat sidebar. Each conversation is assigned to a specific project folder — the assistant reads that project's scripts and scenes to give relevant answers, and any code it gives you appears in a separate, copyable block.

Health Check & Optimizer

Gaminode adds two tools directly to the editor's Project → Tools menu — no plugin marketplace, no separate install.

Project → Tools →
  Gaminode: Health Check
  Gaminode: Optimizer

Hub tab reference

File & folder locations

Everything Gaminode stores locally lives under your Windows AppData folder, separate from wherever you installed the Hub itself.

Troubleshooting

"Windows protected your PC" on install

This is the SmartScreen warning described in Install the Hub. Click "More info" then "Run anyway." It appears because the installer isn't yet signed with a paid certificate — it doesn't indicate the file is unsafe.

Install failed / stuck downloading

Check your internet connection, then use the "Retry Install" button that appears after a failed attempt. If it keeps failing, the GitHub release hosting the engine files may be temporarily unreachable — try again in a few minutes.

Forgot my account password

Delete %APPDATA%\Gaminode\account.dat and relaunch the Hub to create a new account. See Creating an account.

A platform shows "Not installed" after I installed it before

Check that the export template files still exist at the path listed in File & folder locations. If they were removed or moved, the Hub will offer to reinstall just that platform.

Frequently asked questions