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Getting Started

Install GameForge locally with Docker Compose, create an account (or use seed demos), and run your first AI tool.

Prerequisites

Requirement Version Notes
Docker 24+ Compose v2 plugin
Git 2.x Clone the repository
curl / jq any Optional API smoke tests

Clone and configure

git clone https://github.com/valera7623/GameForge.git
cd gameforge
cp .env.example .env

Important local defaults:

Variable Typical local value Purpose
APP_ENV development Enables docs, looser gates
USE_MOCK_AI true No paid provider spend
SECRET_KEY change via deploy script JWT / cookie signing
DATABASE_URL Postgres in Compose Async SQLAlchemy
S3_ENDPOINT http://minio:9000 Object storage
EMAIL_PROVIDER console Prints mail to API logs

Deploy helper

./scripts/deploy.sh copies .env.example, generates a SECRET_KEY, and starts the stack.

Start the stack

docker compose up -d --build
docker compose exec api python scripts/seed_db.py

Wait until the API answers:

curl -sf http://localhost:8000/api/v1/health

Open the UI at http://localhost:3000.

First login

  1. Sign in with a seed account or register a new email.
  2. Open Dashboard → pick a tool (for example Character Creator).
  3. Submit a short prompt and wait for the result URL / JSON.

With USE_MOCK_AI=true, generations use procedural / placeholder backends — no OpenAI bill.

Hot-reload frontend (optional)

docker compose --profile dev up frontend-dev
# → http://localhost:5173

Next steps