Create a SadConsole project with Visual Studio

Learn how to create a new project based on SadConsole using .NET 8.0 (or later) and Visual Studio.

Before you start, install the SadConsole project templates. The Create a SadConsole project with the templates article walks you through the installation. Follow those instructions and then come back here.

Prerequisites

Download and install Visual Studio 2026.
During installation, select the .NET Desktop development workload.

If you’ve already installed Visual Studio, modify your installation with the Visual Studio Installer app.
Install the SadConsole templates with the dotnet command: dotnet new install SadConsole.Templates. For more information on how to install the templates, see Create a SadConsole project with the templates.

Create a new project

Start Visual Studio.

In the Create a new project dialog, type sadconsole into the search box and select the SadConsole Game (MonoGame) project template.

The SadConsole Game (MonoGame) template creates a SadConsole game that uses MonoGame, and the SadConsole Game (SFML) template creates a game that uses SFML.

MonoGame and SFML are the backend renderers for SadConsole. In general, your SadConsole code works the same regardless of which renderer you choose. However, as your game grows in complexity, the choice of renderer becomes important. Use the MonoGame renderer because it has the following benefits:
- It offers easier cross-platform targeting.
- It supports 3D rendering, such as models and scenes.
- It’s built for .NET development.
SFML is cross-platform but requires more work to set up.
Press Next and then set the Project name to SadConsoleGame and choose a Location on your computer to save the project.

Congratulations, you have a new project! Press F5 to run the game:

a new console in SadConsole with hello text

Create a project without a template

You can also create a project without using the SadConsole templates. It’s straightforward.

Create a new Console App with either C# or VB.NET.

Don’t create a Console App (.NET Framework) project!
Press Next and follow the wizard to set the name of the project to SadConsoleGame.
Set the Location of your project code, and then press Next.
Set the Framework to .NET 8.0 or later.

Make sure that Do not use top-level statements is unchecked, unless you know what you’re doing and can convert the code in the next section.
Press Create.
Next, add the NuGet SadConsole MonoGame renderer package to the project.
1. In the Solution Explorer, right-click on the project and select Manage NuGet Packages. This displays the NuGet package manager.
2. Search for SadConsole and install the SadConsole.Host.MonoGame package.
3. Search for MonoGame.Framework and install the MonoGame.Framework.DesktopGL package.

Congratulations, you have all the required libraries to start creating a SadConsole game!

Configure the startup code

Make a small change to the project file, and then update the auto-generated startup code.

Project file

Open the project file, which is probably named SadConsoleGame.csproj. Replace the content with the following snippet:

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">

  <PropertyGroup>
    <OutputType>WinExe</OutputType>
    <TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
    <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
    <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
    <RootNamespace>SadConsoleGame</RootNamespace>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <Using Include="SadConsole" />
    <Using Include="SadRogue.Primitives" />
    <Using Include="SadConsole.Console" Alias="Console" />
  </ItemGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="MonoGame.Framework.DesktopGL" Version="3.8.3" />
    <PackageReference Include="SadConsole.Host.MonoGame" Version="10.6.0" />
    <PackageReference Include="SadConsole.Extended" Version="10.6.0" />
  </ItemGroup>

</Project>

Root screen

The startup code will designate a startup object, known as the “root screen.” That object is a ScreenObject type, or any type derived from ScreenObject such as ScreenSurface. Create a new root screen:

In the Solution Explorer window, right-click on the project and select Add > Class.
Name the class RootScreen and create it. The code editor opens.

Replace the generated code with the following:

class RootScreen : ScreenObject
{
    private ScreenSurface _mainSurface;

    public RootScreen()
    {
        // Create a surface that's the same size as the screen.
        _mainSurface = new ScreenSurface(Game.Instance.ScreenCellsX, Game.Instance.ScreenCellsY);

        // Fill the surface with random characters and colors
        _mainSurface.FillWithRandomGarbage(_mainSurface.Font);

        // Create a rectangle box that has a violet foreground and black background.
        // Characters are reset to 0 and mirroring is set to none.
        _mainSurface.Fill(new Rectangle(3, 3, 23, 3), Color.Violet, Color.Black, 0, Mirror.None);

        // Print some text at (4, 4) using the foreground and background already there (violet and black)
        _mainSurface.Print(4, 4, "Hello from SadConsole");

        // Add _mainSurface as a child object of this one. This object, RootScreen, is a simple object
        // and doesn't display anything itself. Since _mainSurface is going to be a child of it, _mainSurface
        // will be displayed when RootScreen is either the starting screen or somewhere in that collection of objects.
        Children.Add(_mainSurface);
    }
}

Program startup code

In the Solution Explorer window, double-click Program.cs. This opens the code editor.

Replace the code with the following:

using SadConsole.Configuration;

Settings.WindowTitle = "My SadConsole Game";

Builder
    .GetBuilder()
    .SetWindowSizeInCells(90, 30)
    .SetStartingScreen<RootScreen>()
    .IsStartingScreenFocused(true)
    .ConfigureFonts(true)
    .Run();

Press the F5 key to run your SadConsole program. You should be presented with the following screen:

Next steps

Now that you have the project created and working, check out the Create your first SadConsole game tutorial series.