Best Plugins and Tools for ct.js in 2025

Beginner’s Guide to ct.js: Build Your First Gamect.js is an open-source, lightweight, and user-friendly game engine focused on 2D games. It combines a visual editor with JavaScript scripting, making it approachable for beginners while still powerful enough for experienced developers. This guide will walk you through installing ct.js, understanding its core concepts, and building a simple platformer from scratch — covering assets, scenes, behaviors, and packaging your game for web and desktop.

What is ct.js?

ct.js is a free, open-source 2D game engine that uses JavaScript and offers a visual editor. It’s designed to be accessible: you can drag-and-drop sprites, design scenes visually, and extend game logic with JS when needed. The engine supports animations, tilemaps, physics-like behaviors (via plugins), and exporting to HTML5 or desktop builds with packaging tools.

Why choose ct.js as a beginner?

Simple visual editor that lowers the barrier to entry.
JavaScript-based scripting, so you can leverage a widely-used language.
Lightweight and focused on 2D games — less to learn compared to full 3D engines.
Active community and plugins that add features without complex setup.

Prerequisites

Basic familiarity with JavaScript (variables, functions, event handling).
A modern desktop OS (Windows, macOS, Linux).
A code editor (VS Code recommended) for writing scripts, though a lot can be done inside ct.js itself.

Installing ct.js

Download ct.js from its official website or GitHub releases.
Install and run the application. The editor opens with examples and templates.
Create a new project (File → New Project), give it a name like “MyFirstPlatformer,” and choose a default resolution (e.g., 640×360).

Core concepts

Sprites — images or animations used for characters, tiles, and UI elements.
Templates — object blueprints (similar to prefabs) that define behavior and properties for instances.
Layers — control draw order; each layer can contain multiple instances.
Maps — tile-based layouts for level design (ct.js supports both rectangular and isometric tiles).
Events — built-in hooks like onCreate, onStep, onDraw to run code at specific times.
Collections — groups of instances (useful for management like enemies or pickups).
Scripts — JS files you can attach to templates or global events.

Project setup: assets and sprites

Import your sprites via the Assets panel. ct.js supports PNG, GIF, and sprite sheets.
Create animated sprites using the animation editor. Name them clearly: player_idle, player_run, coin_spin.
Use a tileset for ground and platforms; set tile size (e.g., 32×32).

Building the level

Create a new Scene from the Scenes panel. Name it Level1.
Add a Layer for the background, another for the ground, and a UI layer on top.
With the Map tool, paint the level layout using your tileset (platforms, walls).
Place objects: player template at a spawn point, coins, and enemies.

Creating the player template

In Templates, add a new template named Player. Assign the player sprite and initial properties: speed, jumpPower, gravity, onGround flag.
Use the built-in events:
- onCreate: initialize properties (speed = 150, jumpPower = 300, vy = 0).
- onStep: read input, apply gravity, check collisions with tiles, move the player, handle animation changes.
- onDraw (optional): draw debug info or custom effects.

Example onStep logic (pseudocode):

if left pressed: x -= speed * dt if right pressed: x += speed * dt vy += gravity * dt y += vy * dt if collision below: vy = 0; onGround = true if jump pressed and onGround: vy = -jumpPower; onGround = false

Handling collisions

ct.js has helper functions for tile and instance collisions. Use tileAt(x, y) to check ground tiles or collideWith(templateName) for instance collisions (like collecting coins). For precise physics, consider using a physics plugin or write custom collision resolution.

Adding collectibles and enemies

Coins: create a Coin template with a spinning animation. In onStep, check for collision with Player and, if colliding, increase score and destroy the coin instance.
Enemies: create a simple enemy that patrols between two points and deals damage on contact. Use Collections to manage groups of enemies for easier spawning and resets.

UI and scoring

Create a HUD on the UI layer. Add text instances bound to variables (like score and lives). Update these in the player or global script when events occur.
Use ct’s font rendering or import bitmap fonts for a retro look.

Sound and music

Import audio files in Assets. Play sounds on events: jumpSound.play() in the jump handler, coinSound.play() when collected, background music via an always-playing track in onCreate of the Scene.

Polishing: animations and feedback

Add particle effects or screen shake on hit using scripts or plugins.
Tweak acceleration, friction, and animation transitions to make controls feel tight.

Exporting your game

Export to HTML5 via Project → Export Web. You’ll get a folder with an index.html and assets ready to upload.
For desktop builds, wrap the exported web build with tools like Electron or Tauri. ct.js community provides guides and templates.

Tips and resources

Use the built-in examples in ct.js to learn patterns.
Keep your templates small and focused; separate logic into reusable scripts.
Join the ct.js community on forums/Discord for assets, plugins, and help.

Next steps and learning path

Implement more complex mechanics: ladders, moving platforms, projectile weapons.
Learn to structure larger projects with scenes and modular scripts.
Explore plugins for physics, pathfinding, or visual scripting.

This guide covered the essentials to get a simple platformer up and running in ct.js: setting up a project, creating sprites and templates, implementing player controls and collisions, adding collectibles/enemies, and exporting your game. With these foundations, you can expand mechanics and polish to complete a full game.