How to Build and Export Your Game for Windows/Mac

Download export templates. Go to Editor → Manage Export Templates. Click 'Download and Install' to get the latest templates. Choose your Godot version. These templates are required to export your game for different platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux, etc.).

Configure export presets. Go to Project → Export. Click 'Add...' and choose your target platform (Windows Desktop, macOS, etc.). This creates an export preset with default settings. You can have multiple presets for different platforms.

Customize export settings. Select your preset and adjust settings: Set 'Export Name' (your game's name), choose icon (.ico for Windows, .icns for Mac), configure features (debug/export with debug), set architecture (x86_64, arm64). For Windows, you can enable 'Console Wrapper' for debugging.

Test your export. Click 'Export Project' and choose an empty folder. Godot will create the executable and required files. For Windows, you'll get a .exe file plus .pck file. For Mac, you'll get a .app bundle. Run the exported game to test it works correctly outside the editor.

Package for distribution. For Windows: Zip the .exe and .pck files together, or use an installer creator. For Mac: Compress the .app bundle. For Steam/Itch.io: Follow their specific upload requirements. Always test the packaged version on a clean system to ensure no editor dependencies are missing.