/godot-gdscript-patterns

name: godot-gdscript-patterns
description: Master Godot 4 GDScript patterns including signals, scenes, state machines, and optimization. Use when building Godot games, implementing game systems, or learning GDScript best practices.

Godot GDScript Patterns

Production patterns for Godot 4.x game development with GDScript, covering architecture, signals, scenes, and optimization.

When to Use This Skill

• Building games with Godot 4
• Implementing game systems in GDScript
• Designing scene architecture
• Managing game state
• Optimizing GDScript performance
• Learning Godot best practices

Core Concepts

1. Godot Architecture

Node: Base building block
├── Scene: Reusable node tree (saved as .tscn)
├── Resource: Data container (saved as .tres)
├── Signal: Event communication
└── Group: Node categorization

2. GDScript Basics

class_name Player
extends CharacterBody2D

# Signals
signal health_changed(new_health: int)
signal died

# Exports (Inspector-editable)
@export var speed: float = 200.0
@export var max_health: int = 100
@export_range(0, 1) var damage_reduction: float = 0.0
@export_group("Combat")
@export var attack_damage: int = 10
@export var attack_cooldown: float = 0.5

# Onready (initialized when ready)
@onready var sprite: Sprite2D = $Sprite2D
@onready var animation: AnimationPlayer = $AnimationPlayer
@onready var hitbox: Area2D = $Hitbox

# Private variables (convention: underscore prefix)
var _health: int
var _can_attack: bool = true

func _ready() -> void:
    _health = max_health

func _physics_process(delta: float) -> void:
    var direction := Input.get_vector("left", "right", "up", "down")
    velocity = direction * speed
    move_and_slide()

func take_damage(amount: int) -> void:
    var actual_damage := int(amount * (1.0 - damage_reduction))
    _health = max(_health - actual_damage, 0)
    health_changed.emit(_health)

    if _health <= 0:
        died.emit()

Patterns

Pattern 1: State Machine

# state_machine.gd
class_name StateMachine
extends Node

signal state_changed(from_state: StringName, to_state: StringName)

@export var initial_state: State

var current_state: State
var states: Dictionary = {}

func _ready() -> void:
    # Register all State children
    for child in get_children():
        if child is State:
            states[child.name] = child
            child.state_machine = self
            child.process_mode = Node.PROCESS_MODE_DISABLED

    # Start initial state
    if initial_state:
        current_state = initial_state
        current_state.process_mode = Node.PROCESS_MODE_INHERIT
        current_state.enter()

func _process(delta: float) -> void:
    if current_state:
        current_state.update(delta)

func _physics_process(delta: float) -> void:
    if current_state:
        current_state.physics_update(delta)

func _unhandled_input(event: InputEvent) -> void:
    if current_state:
        current_state.handle_input(event)

func transition_to(state_name: StringName, msg: Dictionary = {}) -> void:
    if not states.has(state_name):
        push_error("State '%s' not found" % state_name)
        return

    var previous_state := current_state
    previous_state.exit()
    previous_state.process_mode = Node.PROCESS_MODE_DISABLED

    current_state = states[state_name]
    current_state.process_mode = Node.PROCESS_MODE_INHERIT
    current_state.enter(msg)

    state_changed.emit(previous_state.name, current_state.name)

# state.gd
class_name State
extends Node

var state_machine: StateMachine

func enter(_msg: Dictionary = {}) -> void:
    pass

func exit() -> void:
    pass

func update(_delta: float) -> void:
    pass

func physics_update(_delta: float) -> void:
    pass

func handle_input(_event: InputEvent) -> void:
    pass

# player_idle.gd
class_name PlayerIdle
extends State

@export var player: Player

func enter(_msg: Dictionary = {}) -> void:
    player.animation.play("idle")

func physics_update(_delta: float) -> void:
    var direction := Input.get_vector("left", "right", "up", "down")

    if direction != Vector2.ZERO:
        state_machine.transition_to("Move")

func handle_input(event: InputEvent) -> void:
    if event.is_action_pressed("attack"):
        state_machine.transition_to("Attack")
    elif event.is_action_pressed("jump"):
        state_machine.transition_to("Jump")

Pattern 2: Autoload Singletons

# game_manager.gd (Add to Project Settings > Autoload)
extends Node

signal game_started
signal game_paused(is_paused: bool)
signal game_over(won: bool)
signal score_changed(new_score: int)

enum GameState { MENU, PLAYING, PAUSED, GAME_OVER }

var state: GameState = GameState.MENU
var score: int = 0:
    set(value):
        score = value
        score_changed.emit(score)

var high_score: int = 0

func _ready() -> void:
    process_mode = Node.PROCESS_MODE_ALWAYS
    _load_high_score()

func _input(event: InputEvent) -> void:
    if event.is_action_pressed("pause") and state == GameState.PLAYING:
        toggle_pause()

func start_game() -> void:
    score = 0
    state = GameState.PLAYING
    game_started.emit()

func toggle_pause() -> void:
    var is_paused := state != GameState.PAUSED

    if is_paused:
        state = GameState.PAUSED
        get_tree().paused = true
    else:
        state = GameState.PLAYING
        get_tree().paused = false

    game_paused.emit(is_paused)

func end_game(won: bool) -> void:
    state = GameState.GAME_OVER

    if score > high_score:
        high_score = score
        _save_high_score()

    game_over.emit(won)

func add_score(points: int) -> void:
    score += points

func _load_high_score() -> void:
    if FileAccess.file_exists("user://high_score.save"):
        var file := FileAccess.open("user://high_score.save", FileAccess.READ)
        high_score = file.get_32()

func _save_high_score() -> void:
    var file := FileAccess.open("user://high_score.save", FileAccess.