How to Create Custom UI Menus in Godot Using Control Nodes

Custom menus can greatly enhance the engagement and user experience of your Godot game. By creating intuitive and visually appealing menus, you can provide players with easy navigation and quick access to various game features.

Fortunately, Godot provides a powerful toolset for creating custom UI menus using control nodes.

Setting Up the Godot Game

To begin, create a 2D game scene inthe Godot game engine. Add aKinematicBody2Dnode for the player character and attach aCollisionShape2Dnode to it, define a rectangle shape that represents the player’s collision area.

The code used in this article is available in thisGitHub repositoryand is free for you to use under the MIT license.

Additionally, include aSprite2Dnode to display the player character visually. Below is a GDScript code snippet to enable player movement:

In this code, define a constantSPEEDto control the player’s movement speed. Update the velocity variable in response to user input, and callmove_and_slide()to move the player while taking into account collisions and the game’s gravity.

simple game in godot with player node

To create a start menu in Godot, add a Control node as the root of the scene. Add a Label node as a child of this Control node and set its text toSimple Game. you’re able to customize the font, size, and color of the label to match your game’s style.

After that, add a Button node as a child of the Control node. Set the button’s text toPlay Game. Write custom code for thePlay Gamebutton to handle its functionality:

This code connects thepressedsignal of theplayButtonto the_on_PlayButton_pressedfunction. That function loads the game scene usingpreload()and creates an instance of it. It then useschange_scene()to transition to the game scene.

Similarly, you can add anExitbutton that players can use to quit the game:

This code connects thepressedsignal of the exit button to the_on_ExitButton_pressedfunction. That function callsquit()to exit the game.

To add a pause menu to your Godot game, create a new scene with a Control node as the root of the pause menu. Design the visual elements of the menu, including a label forPausedand buttons to resume the game, return to the main menu, and exit the game.

Add the scene as a child node of the main game. In the script attached to the Control node, add the following code:

In the_ready()function, connect thepressedsignal of the resume, home, and exit buttons to their respective functions:_on_resume_button_pressed(),_on_menu_button_pressed(), and_on_exit_button_pressed().

Set thepause_modeof the node toNode.PAUSE_MODE_PROCESS. This allows the game to continue running while the pause menu is visible. By default, hide the pause menu usingself.hide()and setget_tree().pausedtofalseto ensure the game is not paused initially.

Next,use an if statementin the_input(event)function to check if theui_cancelaction is pressed. If the pause menu is not currently visible, you can pause the game by showing the pause menu and settingget_tree().pausedtotrue.

Create a Game Over Screen

To implement a game over screen in Godot, create a separate scene calledGameOver.tscnto define its UI elements and functionality. You can add this scene as a child node when the player crosses the screen boundaries, indicating the end of the game.

Open a new scene in Godot and add a Control node as the root of the scene. Inside the Control node, add a Label node to display theGame Overtext. Customize the font, size, and color of the label according to your game’s visual style.

Next, add Button nodes for thePlay AgainandExitoptions. Position them appropriately on the screen.

Connect the button signals to their respective functions to handle the actions when clicked. For example, connect thePlay Againbutton to a function calledonPlayAgainPressedand theExitbutton to a function calledonExitPressed.

To handle the button functionality, you need to define the corresponding functions in the GDScript code of the game over scene. Here’s an example:

Once you have set up theGameOver.tscnscene and defined the necessary button functionality, it’s possible to use the following code in the main game scene to display the game over screen:

The Game Over screen will look something like this, with buttons for the player to restart or quit:

Including Additional Features

When creating custom UI menus in Godot using control nodes, you have the flexibility to add various features to enhance the functionality and visual appeal of your menus. Here are some ideas to consider.

Animated Transitions

Add smooth transitions between different menu screens, such as fade-ins, slide-ins, or scaling effects. You can achieve this by modifying properties of the control nodes over time using tweens or animation players.

Sound Effects

Implement sound effects to provide audio feedback when the player presses the menu buttons. you may play different sounds for button clicks, menu transitions, or other interactions to make the menus feel more responsive and engaging.

Godot’s built-in audio system makes it easy to play sounds at appropriate times.

Visual Effects

Use shaders or particle systems to add visual effects to your menus. For instance, you can apply a subtle glow effect to selected buttons or create particle effects that trigger when certain menu actions occur. These effects can add a polished and immersive feel to your UI.

Background Music

Consider playingcopyright-free background musicspecific to each menu screen to create a more immersive atmosphere. you’re able to use audio streams or audio buses in Godot to manage the background music and ensure seamless transitions between different tracks as the player navigates through the menus.

Localization Support

If you plan to translate your game into multiple languages, consider adding localization support to your UI menus.

Provide a mechanism to dynamically change the text content of labels and buttons based on the selected language. Godot’s localization tools and resources can assist with managing multilingual UI elements.

Remember to test and iterate on your menus with real users to ensure that the additional features enhance the overall user experience and are intuitive to navigate. Pay attention to performance considerations, especially when using animations and visual effects, to ensure smooth and responsive UI interactions.

Custom UI menus can play a crucial role in player engagement. They provide intuitive navigation, allow easy access to game features, and enhance the overall visual appeal of your game.

With a little creativity and some coding, you may design menus that not only provide essential functionality but also captivate players and enhance their overall gaming experience. So, start exploring and crafting your own unique menus to make your Godot games stand out from the crowd.

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How to Create Custom UI Menus in Godot Using Control Nodes