Building Starfinder: Professional Godot at Scale (godotfest2025)

As Godot gains traction in game development, a critical question remains: can it handle professional, large-scale production? This talk presents a case study from [Epictellers](https://www.epictellers.com/), where 30 developers are building Starfinder - a full-scale RPG. We examine the practical realities of pushing Godot beyond its traditional indie roots, sharing both the unexpected wins and the genuine challenges encountered when scaling the engine for commercial AA development. **Description:** This session provides an honest, practical look at developing a cRPG with 30 professionals using Godot. The [Epictellers](https://www.epictellers.com/) team shares their real-world experience building Starfinder, including both the surprises and challenges of scaling Godot for commercial production. We'll discuss where Godot exceeded expectations - particularly in iteration speed and optimization - and where we had to develop workarounds. From managing complex narrative systems to coordinating large teams, we'll share the workflows and solutions that emerged from actual production needs. **Session Structure:** **Ricard Pillosu (Co-founder, 20 years AAA experience):** Overview of Starfinder's technical architecture, team structure, and the decision-making process behind choosing Godot. Frank discussion of initial concerns versus production realities. **Felix Rios (Lead Narrative Designer):** Daily workflow for implementing branching narratives in Godot. How the narrative team adapted to the engine's capabilities and limitations. **Maria Calle (Level Designer):** Custom tools developed to bridge level design, code, and narrative systems. Practical examples of extending Godot to meet production needs. **Topics Include:** * Scaling challenges we anticipated vs. what actually proved difficult * Specific Godot limitations and our workarounds * Unexpected advantages that changed our production approach * Tools and workflows developed for team coordination * Performance considerations for content-heavy games This talk is for developers interested in Godot's real capabilities at scale, teams considering the engine for larger projects, and anyone seeking unfiltered production insights from the field. Licensed to the public under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ about this event: https://pretalx.godotfest.com/godotfest-25/talk/BE8AUB/