Installing Löve2D

Chapter 2: Installation and Setup

Installing Love2D

Windows Installation

Method 1: Direct Download

  1. Visit love2d.org
  2. Click “Download” and select the Windows version
  3. Download the ZIP file (love-11.x-win64.zip or win32)
  4. Extract the ZIP file to a folder (e.g., C:\love2d\)
  5. (Optional) Add the folder to your system PATH for easier access

Method 2: Using Package Managers

# Using Chocolatey
choco install love

# Using Scoop
scoop install love

macOS Installation

Method 1: Homebrew (Recommended)

# Install Homebrew if you haven't already
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

# Install Love2D
brew install love

Method 2: Direct Download

  1. Visit love2d.org
  2. Download the macOS version
  3. Open the DMG file and drag LÖVE to Applications
  4. Run from Applications or Launchpad

Linux Installation

Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install love

Fedora:

sudo dnf install love

Arch Linux:

sudo pacman -S love

From Source:

# Install dependencies first
sudo apt install build-essential cmake libopenal-dev libvorbis-dev libtheora-dev libfreetype6-dev libphysfs-dev libluajit-5.1-dev libsdl2-dev

# Clone and build
git clone https://github.com/love2d/love.git
cd love
mkdir build && cd build
cmake ..
make -j$(nproc)
sudo make install

Setting Up Your Development Environment

Project Structure

Create a well-organized project structure:

my-awesome-game/
├── main.lua              # Entry point
├── conf.lua              # Configuration
├── README.md             # Project documentation
├── assets/               # Game assets
│   ├── images/           # Sprites, backgrounds, UI
│   │   ├── player.png
│   │   ├── enemies/
│   │   └── ui/
│   ├── sounds/           # Sound effects and music
│   │   ├── sfx/
│   │   └── music/
│   ├── fonts/            # Custom fonts
│   └── data/             # Game data files
├── src/                  # Source code modules
│   ├── player.lua
│   ├── enemy.lua
│   ├── gamestate.lua
│   └── utils.lua
├── libs/                 # External libraries
└── build/                # Build output

Text Editors and IDEs

Recommended Editors:

  1. Visual Studio Code (Free)
    • Install the “Lua” extension by sumneko
    • Install “Love2D Support” extension
    • Excellent debugging and IntelliSense support
  2. ZeroBrane Studio (Free, Lua-specific)
    • Built-in Love2D support
    • Integrated debugger
    • Lua-focused features
  3. Sublime Text (Paid)
    • Fast and lightweight
    • Install “Lua Dev” package
    • Good for quick edits
  4. Atom (Free, discontinued but still usable)
    • Install “love-ide” package
    • Community packages available

VS Code Setup for Love2D:

  1. Install Visual Studio Code
  2. Install extensions:
    • “Lua” by sumneko
    • “Love2D Support” by pixelbyte-studios
  3. Create .vscode/settings.json:
{
    "lua.diagnostics.globals": [
        "love"
    ],
    "lua.workspace.library": [
        "/path/to/love2d/api"
    ]
}

Running Your Game

Command Line:

# Navigate to your game directory
cd my-awesome-game

# Run with Love2D
love .

# Or specify the directory
love my-awesome-game/

# On Windows (if not in PATH)
"C:\love2d\love.exe" .

Drag and Drop:

  • Drag your game folder onto the Love2D executable
  • On macOS, drag onto the LÖVE app icon

File Association:

  • Associate .love files with Love2D
  • Double-click .love files to run them

Your First Program

Create main.lua:

function love.draw()
    love.graphics.print("Hello, Love2D World!", 100, 100)
end

Output: A window displaying “Hello, Love2D World!” at position (100, 100).

Adding Configuration

Create conf.lua to customize your game:

function love.conf(t)
    -- Game identity (for save files)
    t.identity = "my-awesome-game"
    
    -- Love2D version
    t.version = "11.4"
    
    -- Window settings
    t.window.title = "My Awesome Game"
    t.window.icon = "assets/images/icon.png"
    t.window.width = 800
    t.window.height = 600
    t.window.resizable = false
    t.window.minwidth = 400
    t.window.minheight = 300
    t.window.fullscreen = false
    t.window.fullscreentype = "desktop"
    t.window.vsync = 1
    t.window.msaa = 0
    t.window.display = 1
    t.window.highdpi = false
    t.window.usedpiscale = true
    t.window.borderless = false
    t.window.centered = true
    
    -- Console (Windows only)
    t.console = false
    
    -- Modules (disable unused ones for smaller builds)
    t.modules.audio = true
    t.modules.event = true
    t.modules.graphics = true
    t.modules.image = true
    t.modules.joystick = true
    t.modules.keyboard = true
    t.modules.math = true
    t.modules.mouse = true
    t.modules.physics = true
    t.modules.sound = true
    t.modules.system = true
    t.modules.thread = true
    t.modules.timer = true
    t.modules.touch = true
    t.modules.video = false
    t.modules.window = true
end

Common Setup Issues

Issue: “love: command not found”

  • Solution: Add Love2D to your system PATH or use the full path

Issue: Game window doesn’t appear

  • Check for syntax errors in your Lua files
  • Ensure main.lua exists in your project root
  • Check the console for error messages

Issue: Assets not loading

  • Verify file paths are correct (case-sensitive on Linux/macOS)
  • Ensure assets are in the correct directory structure
  • Use forward slashes in paths, even on Windows

Issue: Performance problems

  • Update graphics drivers
  • Check if integrated graphics are being used instead of dedicated GPU
  • Reduce window size or disable vsync for testing

Development Tips

  1. Use Version Control: Initialize a Git repository for your project
  2. Start Small: Begin with simple projects to learn the basics
  3. Test Early: Run your game frequently during development
  4. Read the Wiki: The official documentation is comprehensive
  5. Join the Community: The Love2D forum and Discord are very helpful

Next Steps

Now that you have Love2D installed and configured, you’re ready to create your first interactive game. In the next chapter, we’ll explore the basic game structure and create a simple moving character.

Chapter Summary:

  • Love2D can be installed on Windows, macOS, and Linux
  • Proper project structure helps organize your game
  • Various text editors support Love2D development
  • Configuration files customize your game’s behavior
  • Common setup issues have straightforward solutions
  • Development best practices improve your workflow
✏️ Edit on GitHub