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

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/itayshmool/creators-training-2026/main/scripts/setup-mac.sh | bash

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:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/itayshmool/creators-training-2026/main/scripts/validate-setup.sh | bash

Expected output:

✅ Node.js v20.x.x
✅ npm v10.x.x
✅ Python 3.x.x
✅ Git version 2.x.x
✅ Homebrew 4.x.x

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:

Downloads:

Scripts:

Documentation: