Install dependencies and World CLI
Learn how to install World Engine dependencies and the World CLI.Note: This assumes that you are using Linux or MacOS. If you are using Windows, we
recommend you use WSL to run World
Engine.
Install Go
Install Go
World Engine (WE) is built using Go, a performant, easy-to-learn, and expressive
programming language that is widely used in distributed systems.To install Go, follow the instructions on the Go website.To verify that Go is installed, run the following command in your terminal:Go beginner tip: World Engine, combined with the simplicity of Go, makes it easy to get started with
your game with little to no experience in Go. If this is your first time writing a program in Go,
we recommend you follow the Go tour to familiarize yourself with
the language. However, you don’t need prior Go knowledge to complete this quickstart
Install Docker
Install Docker
World Engine uses Docker to make it easier to develop and deploy your rollup and game in
any operating system.Docker is a containerization tool that allows you to run applications in a sandboxed
environment; it ensures
that the World Engine stack will run the same way on your machine as it will on production deployments.To install Docker, follow the instructions on the Docker website.To verify that Docker is installed, run the following command in your terminal:
Install World CLI
Install World CLI
World CLI is a swiss army knife command-line tool for creating,
managing, and deploying World Engine projects.Important: World CLI will not work properly without Go and DockerTo install World CLI, follow the instructions on the CLI release page.Important: If you have previously installed World CLI using the install script,
you need to remove it first by running the following command:
Install OrbStack (Optional — MacOS only)
Install OrbStack (Optional — MacOS only)
OrbStack is a tool that makes it easier to run Docker containers on MacOS. It is not
required to run World
Engine, but it is recommended for MacOS users as it provides a better performance and user experience than
Docker
Desktop.The Argus Labs team uses OrbStack to develop and build on top of World Engine, and we
recommend it for MacOS
users.To install OrbStack, follow the instructions on the OrbStack website.
Setup your first World Engine project
If you’re looking for fully functioning examples, you can head over to the basic
example or demo game example.
Scaffold a boilerplate project
This scaffolds the same stack as the demo game example, minus the client.

TroubleshootingIf you encountered
Error: dependency check "Docker daemon is running" failed
, make sure that you have
installed Docker and have Docker Desktop or OrbStack running.Start World Engine stack
Once you have scaffolded your project, you can start World Engine stack by running the following command from your project directory in your terminal:Once that’s up and running, you can start integrating your client using one of our client
SDKs.