Genre: Survival

Resource scarcity, needs management, and progression through crafting define survival games.

Available Scripts

inventory_slot_resource.gd

Expert inventory slot pattern using Resources for save compatibility.

Core Loop

1. Harvest: Gather resources (Wood, Stone, Food)
2. Craft: Convert resources into tools/items
3. Build: Construct shelter/base
4. Survive: Manage needs (Hunger, Thirst, Environmental threats)
5. Thrive: Automation and tech to transcend early struggles

NEVER Do in Survival Games

• NEVER make gathering tedious without scaling — 50 clicks for 1 wood = fun-killer. Tool tiers MUST multiply yield: Stone Axe = 3 wood, Steel = 10 wood. Respect player time.
• NEVER use instant death for starvation — 0% hunger → instant death = cheap. Use gradual HP drain (2 HP/sec). Player should see death coming and scramble for food.
• NEVER allow infinite inventory stacking — 999 stacks of everything removes resource management strategy. Use weight systems OR stack limits (64 per slot).
• NEVER make crafting recipes a guessing game — Trial-and-error crafting = 1990s design. Show discovered recipes. Discovery can exist, but once learned, must be persistent.
• NEVER let needs decay at constant rate regardless of activity — Hunger drains same speed while sleeping/running? Unrealistic. Sprint = 3x drain, idle = 0.5x drain.
• NEVER spawn enemies near player's bed/spawn point — Dying, respawning into 3 enemies = rage quit. Enforce safe zone radius (50m) around respawn.

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Phase	Skills	Purpose
1. Data	resources, custom-resources	Item data (weight, stack size), Recipes
2. UI	grid-containers, drag-and-drop	Inventory management, crafting menu
3. World	tilemaps, noise-generation	Procedural terrain, resource spawning
4. Logic	state-machines, signals	Player stats (Needs), Interaction system
5. Save	file-system, json-serialization	Saving world state, inventory, player stats

Architecture Overview

1. Item Data (Resource-based)

Everything in the inventory is an Item.

# item_data.gd
extends Resource
class_name ItemData

@export var id: String
@export var name: String
@export var icon: Texture2D
@export var max_stack: int = 64
@export var weight: float = 1.0
@export var consumables: Dictionary # { "hunger": 10, "health": 5 }

2. Inventory System

A grid-based data structure.

# inventory.gd
extends Node

signal inventory_updated

var slots: Array[ItemSlot] = [] # Array of Resources or Dictionaries
@export var size: int = 20

func add_item(item: ItemData, amount: int) -> int:
    # 1. Check for existing stacks
    # 2. Add to empty slots
    # 3. Return amount remaining (that couldn't fit)
    pass

3. Interaction System

A universal way to harvest, pickup, or open things.

# interactable.gd
extends Area2D
class_name Interactable

@export var prompt: String = "Interact"

func interact(player: Player) -> void:
    _on_interact(player)

func _on_interact(player: Player) -> void:
    pass # Override this

Key Mechanics Implementation

Needs System

Simple float values that deplete over time.

# needs_manager.gd
var hunger: float = 100.0
var thirst: float = 100.0
var decay_rate: float = 1.0

func _process(delta: float) -> void:
    hunger -= decay_rate * delta
    thirst -= decay_rate * 1.5 * delta
    
    if hunger <= 0:
        take_damage(delta)

Crafting Logic

Check if player has ingredients -> Remove ingredients -> Add result.

func craft(recipe: Recipe) -> bool:
    if not has_ingredients(recipe.ingredients):
        return false
        
    remove_ingredients(recipe.ingredients)
    inventory.add_item(recipe.result_item, recipe.result_amount)
    return true

Godot-Specific Tips

• TileMaps: Use TileMap (Godot 3) or TileMapLayer (Godot 4) for the world.
• FastNoiseLite: Built-in noise generator for procedural terrain (trees, rocks, biomes).
• ResourceSaver: Save the Inventory resource directly to disk if it's set up correctly with export vars.
• Y-Sort: Essential for top-down 2D games so player sorts behind/in-front of trees correctly.

Common Pitfalls

1. Tedium: Harvesting takes too long. Fix: Scale resource gathering with tool tier (Stone Axe = 1 wood, Steel Axe = 5 wood).
2. Inventory Clutter: Too many unique items that don't stack. Fix: Be generous with stack sizes and storage options.
3. No Goals: Player survives but gets bored. Fix: Add a tech tree or a "boss" to work towards.