Learn Defold - 10 Code Examples & CST Typing Practice Test

Defold is a free, cross-platform 2D game engine developed by King, designed for rapid development of high-performance 2D games. It features a lightweight editor, Lua scripting, a component-based architecture, and efficient deployment across multiple platforms.

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Defold Lua Script Example - Simple Player Movement Defold Lua Script Example - Player Jump Defold Lua Script Example - Simple Shooting Defold Lua Script Example - Enemy Follow Player Defold Lua Script Example - Timer Example Defold Lua Script Example - Mouse Click Detection Defold Lua Script Example - Display FPS Defold Lua Script Example - Random Movement Defold Lua Script Example - Simple Animation Defold Lua Script Example - Collision Detection

Learn DEFOLD with Real Code Examples

Updated Nov 24, 2025

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Code Sample Descriptions

Defold Lua Script Example - Simple Player Movement

-- player.script
function init(self)
    self.speed = 200
end

function update(self, dt)
    local move = vmath.vector3()
    if go.get_action("left").pressed then
        move.x = move.x - 1
    end
    if go.get_action("right").pressed then
        move.x = move.x + 1
    end
    go.set_position(go.get_position() + move * self.speed * dt)
end

A basic Defold script in Lua to move a player left and right using arrow keys.

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Defold Lua Script Example - Player Jump

-- player_jump.script
function init(self)
    self.speed = 200
    self.vspeed = 0
    self.gravity = 500
end

function update(self, dt)
    local move = vmath.vector3()
    if go.get_action("left").pressed then move.x = move.x - 1 end
    if go.get_action("right").pressed then move.x = move.x + 1 end
    if go.get_action("jump").pressed and self.vspeed == 0 then self.vspeed = -300 end

    self.vspeed = self.vspeed + self.gravity * dt
    move.y = self.vspeed * dt
    go.set_position(go.get_position() + move * self.speed * dt)
end

Adds jumping to the player with simple gravity.

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Defold Lua Script Example - Simple Shooting

-- player_shoot.script
function init(self)
    self.speed = 200
end

function update(self, dt)
    if go.get_action("shoot").pressed then
        factory.create("#bullet_factory", go.get_position())
    end
end

Player shoots a bullet when pressing space.

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Defold Lua Script Example - Enemy Follow Player

-- enemy.script
function update(self, dt)
    local player_pos = go.get_position("/player")
    local pos = go.get_position()
    local dir = vmath.normalize(player_pos - pos)
    go.set_position(pos + dir * 100 * dt)
end

Enemy moves towards the player.

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Defold Lua Script Example - Timer Example

-- timer.script
function init(self)
    self.timer = 0
end

function update(self, dt)
    self.timer = self.timer + dt
    if self.timer >= 1 then
        print("Timer triggered")
        self.timer = 0
    end
end

Runs a repeating timer action.

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Defold Lua Script Example - Mouse Click Detection

-- mouse.script
function update(self, dt)
    if mouse.is_button_pressed(mouse.BUTTON_LEFT) then
        print("Left click")
    end
    if mouse.is_button_pressed(mouse.BUTTON_RIGHT) then
        print("Right click")
    end
end

Detects mouse clicks in the game window.

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Defold Lua Script Example - Display FPS

-- fps.script
function update(self, dt)
    local fps = 1 / dt
    print(string.format("FPS: %.2f", fps))
end

Prints FPS each frame.

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Defold Lua Script Example - Random Movement

-- random_move.script
function update(self, dt)
    local pos = go.get_position()
    pos.x = pos.x + math.random(-1,1) * 50 * dt
    pos.y = pos.y + math.random(-1,1) * 50 * dt
    go.set_position(pos)
end

Moves an object randomly each frame.

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Defold Lua Script Example - Simple Animation

-- animation.script
function update(self, dt)
    self.time = (self.time or 0) + dt
    if self.time >= 0.1 then
        sprite.play_flipbook(go.get_id(), hash("anim"))
        self.time = 0
    end
end

Cycles sprite animation frames automatically.

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Defold Lua Script Example - Collision Detection

-- collision.script
function on_message(self, message_id, message, sender)
    if message_id == hash("contact_point_response") then
        print("Collision detected with", sender)
    end
end

Checks collision with another game object.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Defold

What is Defold?

What are the primary use cases for Defold?

2D mobile games. Rapid prototyping and game jams. Educational games. Casual and puzzle games. Performance-sensitive 2D games

What are the strengths of Defold?

Lightweight and fast. Easy cross-platform deployment. Free and open-source. Good performance on mobile devices. Component-based architecture for modular design

What are the limitations of Defold?

Primarily 2D-focused, limited 3D support. Smaller community than Unity or Godot. Less asset marketplace support. Requires familiarity with Lua scripting. GUI system is basic compared to full-feature engines

How can I practice Defold typing speed?

CodeSpeedTest offers 10+ real Defold code examples for typing practice. You can measure your WPM, track accuracy, and improve your coding speed with guided exercises.

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Code Sample Descriptions

Defold Lua Script Example - Simple Player Movement

-- player.script
function init(self)
    self.speed = 200
end

function update(self, dt)
    local move = vmath.vector3()
    if go.get_action("left").pressed then
        move.x = move.x - 1
    end
    if go.get_action("right").pressed then
        move.x = move.x + 1
    end
    go.set_position(go.get_position() + move * self.speed * dt)
end

A basic Defold script in Lua to move a player left and right using arrow keys.

Let’s Try →

Defold Lua Script Example - Player Jump

-- player_jump.script
function init(self)
    self.speed = 200
    self.vspeed = 0
    self.gravity = 500
end

function update(self, dt)
    local move = vmath.vector3()
    if go.get_action("left").pressed then move.x = move.x - 1 end
    if go.get_action("right").pressed then move.x = move.x + 1 end
    if go.get_action("jump").pressed and self.vspeed == 0 then self.vspeed = -300 end

    self.vspeed = self.vspeed + self.gravity * dt
    move.y = self.vspeed * dt
    go.set_position(go.get_position() + move * self.speed * dt)
end

Adds jumping to the player with simple gravity.

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Defold Lua Script Example - Simple Shooting

-- player_shoot.script
function init(self)
    self.speed = 200
end

function update(self, dt)
    if go.get_action("shoot").pressed then
        factory.create("#bullet_factory", go.get_position())
    end
end

Player shoots a bullet when pressing space.

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Defold Lua Script Example - Enemy Follow Player

-- enemy.script
function update(self, dt)
    local player_pos = go.get_position("/player")
    local pos = go.get_position()
    local dir = vmath.normalize(player_pos - pos)
    go.set_position(pos + dir * 100 * dt)
end

Enemy moves towards the player.

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Defold Lua Script Example - Timer Example

-- timer.script
function init(self)
    self.timer = 0
end

function update(self, dt)
    self.timer = self.timer + dt
    if self.timer >= 1 then
        print("Timer triggered")
        self.timer = 0
    end
end

Runs a repeating timer action.

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Defold Lua Script Example - Mouse Click Detection

-- mouse.script
function update(self, dt)
    if mouse.is_button_pressed(mouse.BUTTON_LEFT) then
        print("Left click")
    end
    if mouse.is_button_pressed(mouse.BUTTON_RIGHT) then
        print("Right click")
    end
end

Detects mouse clicks in the game window.

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Defold Lua Script Example - Display FPS

-- fps.script
function update(self, dt)
    local fps = 1 / dt
    print(string.format("FPS: %.2f", fps))
end

Prints FPS each frame.

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Defold Lua Script Example - Random Movement

-- random_move.script
function update(self, dt)
    local pos = go.get_position()
    pos.x = pos.x + math.random(-1,1) * 50 * dt
    pos.y = pos.y + math.random(-1,1) * 50 * dt
    go.set_position(pos)
end

Moves an object randomly each frame.

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Defold Lua Script Example - Simple Animation

-- animation.script
function update(self, dt)
    self.time = (self.time or 0) + dt
    if self.time >= 0.1 then
        sprite.play_flipbook(go.get_id(), hash("anim"))
        self.time = 0
    end
end

Cycles sprite animation frames automatically.

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Defold Lua Script Example - Collision Detection

-- collision.script
function on_message(self, message_id, message, sender)
    if message_id == hash("contact_point_response") then
        print("Collision detected with", sender)
    end
end

Checks collision with another game object.

Let’s Try →

Frequently Asked Questions about Defold

What is Defold?

What are the primary use cases for Defold?

2D mobile games. Rapid prototyping and game jams. Educational games. Casual and puzzle games. Performance-sensitive 2D games

What are the strengths of Defold?

Lightweight and fast. Easy cross-platform deployment. Free and open-source. Good performance on mobile devices. Component-based architecture for modular design

What are the limitations of Defold?

How can I practice Defold typing speed?

CodeSpeedTest offers 10+ real Defold code examples for typing practice. You can measure your WPM, track accuracy, and improve your coding speed with guided exercises.