Downloading Kristal
There are three methods of downloading and using Kristal.
- Using a beta release - Not recommended.
- Using a nightly release - Recommended for playing mods.
- Using the source code - Perfect for mod development.
Beta releases are created every time we deem the engine stable enough to be used by the public. As Kristal is still in development, we do not recommend beta releases. This is because they don't update very often, so they're frequently outdated.
Nightly releases are created every time a change is made to the code. This means that nightly releases are the most up-to-date version of Kristal, but they are also untested.
Using the source code is the most complicated method, but it also gives you the most control over Kristal. This method is recommended for developers who want to make mods, or contribute to Kristal.
If you want to play mods, use the latest nightly release.
If you want to make mods, use the source code.
Beta releases
To download a beta release, go to the releases page.
WINDOWS
Download the latest release as a .zip file. You can then extract the archive and run the executable.
OTHER
Download the latest release as a .love file. You can then run the file with LÖVE.
Nightly releases
To download a nightly release, download the archive from here.
WINDOWS
You can then extract the archive, extract the archive which ends with -win.zip, and run the executable.
OTHER
You can then run the .love file with LÖVE.
Source code
There are multiple ways to use the source code, but both require installing LÖVE.
Once LÖVE is installed, you can either use Git or download the source code as a ZIP archive.
Using Git (Recommended)
First, you need the following prerequisites:
Now we need to clone the repository. First, you need to install Git. You can download it from here. Once Git is installed, you have to open a terminal. Make sure it's in the folder where you want to download Kristal.
If you are on Windows, you can right-click in the folder. There should either be an option to Open in Terminal,
or Git Bash Here.
Otherwise, you can open a terminal and use the cd command to navigate to the folder.
Next, you have to clone the repository. That can be done with the following command:
git clone https://github.com/KristalTeam/Kristal
This will download the source code to the folder you are in, and set it up to allow future updates, and even contributions to Kristal if you feel like it!
Finally, you can run Kristal.
Downloading the source code as a ZIP archive
To download the source code as a ZIP archive, go to the repository page and click on the green "Code" button. Then, click on "Download ZIP". You can then extract the archive in the folder of your choice.
Finally, you can run Kristal.
NOTE: This method is not recommended, as it does not allow you to update Kristal to the latest version easily, and you will not be able to contribute to Kristal. To update, you'll have to refollow these steps.
Running Kristal from sources
This part of the guide assumes you've followed the previous steps, and now have Kristal's code on your computer.
Running Kristal's sources on Windows
Now, locate where your LÖVE executable is. It should be located at somewhere like C:\Program Files\LOVE\.
You can open a terminal in the Kristal folder, and run something like the following command, using your path instead if it's different:
"C:\\Program Files\\LOVE\\love.exe" .
You can make a batch file to simplify this.
"C:\\Program Files\\Love\\love.exe" "C:\\Path\\To\\Your\\Kristal\\Folder"
Save that to a file named something like run-kristal.bat anywhere (preferably not in the Kristal folder!)
Make sure that it actually points to the LÖVE executable, AND the Kristal folder.
Alternatively, if you don't want to use the terminal, or don't want to make a batch file,
you can and drag the Kristal folder itself onto the LÖVE executable, love.exe.
This will run Kristal as well, but it is less convenient.
If you're doing mod development, a useful resource is the output console. To open it, use lovec.exe rather than love.exe.
Running Kristal's sources on other platforms
On other platforms, you can easily just run love path/to/kristal in a terminal once it's installed.
Next Steps
Congratulations, you've successfully opened Kristal! Now, you can move on to playing mods, or learning how to make them!