⚔️ 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. Lumo guides the 5-workshop route from setup to a complete, packaged game.

🧑 Ages 10+ ✓ Completely Free ⚔️ MUGEN 👨‍👧 Parent & Child ✓ No Experience Needed 🦊 Lumo Guided Path

🚀 Start with Episode 1 →

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

Build and customise your own fighting-game character: sprites, moves and special attacks, the heart of any MUGEN roster.

Ages 10+ 11 Steps · ~3 hrs Start Building →

Ep 3

✨

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+ 6 Steps · ~1 hr Start Building →

Ep 4

🎭

Custom Stage Design

Design a custom stage: background, floor, camera bounds and music, to give your fights their own atmosphere.

Ages 10+ 7 Steps · ~45 min 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 →

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

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.

My First
Fighting Game

5 Projects to Build Step by Step

What You Need

Design Your Assets

Ready to build your own fighting game?

Questions & Answers

Where to next?

🧩 First Steps Order

My FirstFighting Game

5 Projects to Build Step by Step

What You Need

Design Your Assets

Ready to build your own fighting game?

Questions & Answers

Where to next?

🧩 First Steps Order

My First
Fighting Game