Pre-Workshop Requirements

Complete Before Workshop Day

Overview

Time needed: 60-90 minutes total
Difficulty: Easy - just follow the steps
Support: We're here to help if you get stuck

Complete ALL sections before workshop day.

What You'll Need

Mac laptop 

Software & Accounts:

✅ GitHub account (free)
✅ Render account (free)
✅ Cursor installed (free)
✅ Development environment (free, automated setup)

Section 1: GitHub Account

Time: 10 minutes

What is GitHub?

Version control platform where your code lives.
Think: Google Drive for software projects.

Setup Steps

Step 1: Go to github.com

Step 2: Click "Sign up"

Step 3: Create account with your email

Step 4: Verify your email (check inbox)

Validation: GitHub

Test 1: Can you log in?

• Go to github.com
• Sign in with your credentials
• ✅ You should see your GitHub dashboard

Test 2: Can you create a repository?

• Click the "+" icon (top right)
• Click "New repository"
• ✅ You see the "Create a new repository" form
• Don't create it yet - just verify access

Test 3: Note your username

• Top-right corner shows your username

Section 2: Render Account

Time: 10 minutes

What is Render?

Deployment platform that hosts your game on the internet.
Think: The place where your game becomes a real website.

Setup Steps

Step 1: Go to render.com

Step 2: Click "Get Started for Free"

Step 3: Sign up (can use GitHub to sign in, or email)

Step 4: Complete email verification if needed

Validation: Render

Test 1: Can you log in?

• Go to render.com
• Sign in
• ✅ You see the Render dashboard with "New +" button

Test 2: Can you access Account Settings?

• Click your profile icon (top right)
• Click "Account Settings"
• ✅ You see your account settings page
• Look for "API Keys" in left sidebar (we'll use this during workshop)

Section 3: Cursor Installation

Time: 5 minutes

What is Cursor?

AI-powered code editor where you'll direct AI to build your game.
Think: Microsoft Word, but for code, with an AI assistant built-in.

Setup

Download and install: cursor.com

Validation: Cursor

Test 1: Does Cursor launch?

• Open Cursor from Applications
• ✅ Cursor opens (welcome screen or empty editor)

Test 2: Can you access chat?

• Press Cmd+L (Command + L)
• ✅ Chat panel appears

Section 4: Development Environment

Time: 10-15 minutes (automated)

What Gets Installed?

• Homebrew (Mac package manager)
• Node.js v20 (includes npm)
• Python 3 (required by some tools)
• Git (version control)
• Xcode Command Line Tools (Mac developer tools)

Why?

Your Mac needs these tools to run the game locally before deploying.

Don't worry: The script does everything automatically.

Automated Setup (Recommended)

Step 1: Open Terminal

• Press Cmd + Space
• Type Terminal
• Press Enter

Step 2: Copy and paste this command

Step 3: Press Enter

Step 4: When you see "Setup Complete!" - you're done

Step 6: Close Terminal and open a new one

Validation: Development Environment

Run this validation script:

Expected output:

All checked? ✅ You're ready!

Manual Setup (Alternative)

Prefer to see each step?

Follow the detailed manual guide:
github.com/itayshmool/creators-training-2026/blob/main/docs/manual-setup.md

Takes: 20-30 minutes
Same result as automated setup

Complete Pre-Workshop Checklist

Before workshop day, verify ALL of these:

Accounts

• I can log into GitHub
• I know my GitHub username: _______________
• I can log into Render
• I can see "API Keys" in Render settings

Software

• Cursor launches successfully
• I can open chat in Cursor (Cmd+L)
• Validation script shows all tools installed ✅

Getting Help

Stuck on any step?

Email us with:

1. Which section you're stuck on
2. Screenshot of the error/issue
3. What you expected vs. what you see

We'll help you before workshop day.

What NOT to Do

❌ Don't configure MCP - we'll do this together
❌ Don't create GitHub repositories yet
❌ Don't try to deploy to Render yet
❌ Don't worry about Git commands

Just complete the setup above.
Everything else happens during the workshop.

You're Ready When...

✅ All checkboxes on the checklist are marked
✅ Validation script shows green checkmarks
✅ You can log into all accounts
✅ Cursor opens and shows chat panel

See you at the workshop!

Quick Links Reference

Accounts:

• GitHub: github.com
• Render: render.com

Downloads:

• Cursor: cursor.com

Scripts:

• Automated setup: Setup Script
• Validation: Validation Script

Documentation:

• Full setup guide: GitHub Repo