⚔️ My First Fighting Game · 5 Episodes · All Free
⚔️ Beginner Friendly · MUGEN · Ages 10+

My First
Fighting Game

Build your own fighting game with MUGEN, the legendary free engine where every character, stage and screen is editable. 5 workshops take you from setup to a complete, packaged game.

🧑 Ages 10+ ✓ Completely Free ⚔️ MUGEN 👨‍👧 Parent & Child ✓ No Experience Needed
🚀 Start with Episode 1 →
5
Episodes
12+
Steps
10+
Age
Free
Always
The Full Series

5 Projects to Build Step by Step

Start at Episode 1 to install MUGEN and learn its files. Each episode adds a new skill, ending with a complete fighting game you can share.

Ep 1
🥊
⭐ Start Here · Setup · Files · First Edits
Fighter Basics
Install MUGEN, learn the file anatomy, add fighters and stages, and make your first real edits to a character’s stats.
Ages 10+ 6 Steps · ~1.5 hrs Start Building →
Ep 2
🥋
Custom Fighter
Custom Fighter
Build and customise your own fighting-game character — sprites, moves and special attacks — the heart of any MUGEN roster.
Ages 10+ Workshop Start Building →
Ep 3
🤖
Fighter AI Programming
Fighter AI Programming
Program the computer opponent: teach your fighter when to attack, block and combo so it puts up a real fight.
Ages 10+ Workshop Start Building →
Ep 4
🎭
Custom Stage Design
Custom Stage Design
Design a custom stage — background, floor, camera bounds and music — to give your fights their own atmosphere.
Ages 10+ Workshop Start Building →
Ep 5
👑
Screenpack · Roster · Boss
Complete Game Setup
The finale: a custom screenpack, authored roster and arcade ladder, a boss and hidden characters, lifebars and music — packaged to share.
Ages 10+ 6 Steps · ~2 hrs Start Building →
Before You Start

What You Need

MUGEN is free and portable — no installer. Everything you need is walked through in Episode 1.

⚔️
MUGEN (Free)
A free, portable fighting-game engine by Elecbyte, kept alive by a huge community. Unzip and run — no installer.
✓ Free
💻
Windows PC
MUGEN is Windows-native. Mac and Linux users can run it through Wine. Any recent PC handles it easily.
Windows (or Wine)
📝
A Text Editor
Notepad works, but the free Notepad++ is far nicer for editing the .def, .cns and select files with syntax colouring.
✓ Free (Notepad++)
📐
No Experience Needed
Everything in MUGEN is editable text and assets. We explain the file structure and every edit as we go.
✓ Beginner Friendly
🛠️ Free Browser Tools

Design Your Assets

Use these free browser tools alongside MUGEN to design portraits, sprites and sound for your fighters and stages.

🎨
Pixel Studio
Draw pixel art sprites and animations for your characters and enemies. Export as PNG to use in your game.
Open Tool →
🗺️
Level Designer
Sketch out level layouts, platforms and enemy positions before you build them in code.
Open Tool →
🔊
SFX Generator
Generate retro sound effects — jumps, shoots, pickups, game over — and export them as WAV files.
Open Tool →
🖌️
Colour Palette
Build a game-ready colour palette so your art stays consistent. Export hex values to use anywhere.
Open Tool →
See all free dev tools →

Ready to build your own fighting game?

Download MUGEN for free, unzip it, then start Episode 1. You will be adding your own fighters and stages within the first hour.

🚀 Start Episode 1 → 📊 Track My Progress

Questions & Answers

Do I need to know coding?
No. MUGEN is built from editable text files and assets. We explain the structure and walk through every edit — it is modding, not heavy programming.
Is MUGEN really free?
Yes. MUGEN is free software by Elecbyte, supported by a large fan community. Stick to well-known community sites for downloads.
What will I build?
You will install MUGEN, add fighters and stages, edit character stats, program fighter AI, design a stage, and package a complete game with a custom screenpack, roster, boss and lifebars.
Does it work on Mac?
MUGEN is Windows-native, but Mac and Linux users can run it through Wine. The workshops focus on the Windows version.
Can I share the game I make?
Yes. Because MUGEN is portable, you zip the whole folder and share it. Episode 5 covers packaging and crediting the content creators you include.
Is it really free?
All 5 episodes, forever. No ads, no paywall, no sign-up needed.
🚀 Keep Going

Where to next?

Finished here, or just curious? These series are a natural next step, same step-by-step format, bigger games.

🕹️
My First Godot Engine Game
2D games from scratch with GDScript.
Ages 10+ Start →
🔷
My First Unity Game
2D & 3D games with C#.
Ages 10+ Start →
🏗️
My First Unreal Engine Game
AAA visuals with Blueprints.
Ages 10+ Start →
Browse all workshops →