Leadwerks 5 Documentation

Welcome to the Leadwerks 5 documentation. Here you will learn how to use the software to build high-performance games and applications with the world's fastest game engine.

Leadwerks 5 is currently available in early access mode, with support for the C++ and Lua programming languages.

Leadwerks 4 documentation can be found here.

System Requirements

• Nvidia GEForce 420 or AMD Radeon RX 5300M
• Windows 10 or 11
• Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable

Additional Recommended Software

• Microsoft Visual Studio Community Edition is used for C++ programming.
• Microsoft Visual Studio Code is used for Lua programming.

Installation

On Steam

If you purchased this software on Steam, the application will appear in your Steam library when you open the Steam client software.

If you received a Steam key, please follow these instructions to activate your purchase on Steam:

• Launch the Steam client software and log into your Steam account.
• Click the Games menu option at the top of the Steam client.
• Choose Activate a Product on Steam...
• Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the process.

Standalone

The following installation instructions only apply if you own a license for the standalone version of Leadwerks 5.

First, download and install the Leadwerks Client. This application will allow you to install different versions of the game engine and receive updates. When you open the application you will be prompted to sign into your Leadwerks account. If you do not have an account yet, you can create one here.

When you sign into your account in the application, it will look like this:

The Updates tab allows you to select and install a version of the engine.

The Community tab contains links to community features you can access on our site.

The Learn tab contains links to documentation.

The Billing tab contains information about your account and license.

The Settings tab contains various settings for the client application.

When your license is active, you can select a channel in the Updates panel and install the engine. If you do not have an active license you can get one here.

The default channel will contain the current stable build, which does not change. You can select a newer version and receive more frequent updates, but the releases will not be as thoroughly tested. If you want to switch channels, uninstall the engine and select a new channel to install.

Once the game engine is installed you can press the launch button to run the editor.