Control Flow

Learn GDScript's if/elif/else, while and for loops, break and continue, and the match statement — GDScript's answer to switch.

Introduction

GDScript's control flow will feel familiar if you know Python — indentation defines blocks instead of braces or an end keyword, and there's a genuinely useful match statement for multi-way branching.

What You Will Learn

GDScript's if/elif/else syntax.
while and for loops, including for loops over ranges and arrays.
break and continue, both fully supported in GDScript.
The match statement for clean multi-way branching.

if, elif, else

Blocks are defined purely by indentation — no braces, no end keyword.

var score := 72

if score >= 90:
    print("Grade: A")
elif score >= 75:
    print("Grade: B")
elif score >= 60:
    print("Grade: C")
else:
    print("Grade: F")

Output

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while Loops

var count := 1
while count <= 3:
    print("count:", count)
    count += 1

Output

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for Loops

GDScript's for loop can iterate over a numeric range() (like Python's), or directly over the elements of an array.

for i in range(5):
    print(i)

print("--")

var enemies := ["Goblin", "Skeleton", "Slime"]
for enemy in enemies:
    print("Spawning:", enemy)

Output

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break and continue

Unlike some scripting languages (Lua, for one), GDScript supports both break and continue directly — no workaround needed.

for i in range(10):
    if i == 5:
        break
    if i % 2 == 0:
        continue
    print("odd:", i)

Output

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The match Statement

match compares a value against several patterns in order, similar to a switch statement in C-family languages, but more flexible — patterns can include ranges, arrays, and wildcards.

var input_action := "jump"

match input_action:
    "move_left":
        print("Moving left")
    "move_right":
        print("Moving right")
    "jump":
        print("Jumping!")
    _:
        print("Unknown action")

Output

Click Run to see what this code prints.

The _ Wildcard

The underscore pattern (_) matches anything not caught by an earlier case — GDScript's equivalent of a switch statement's default case.

Common Mistakes

Avoid These Mistakes

Mixing tabs and spaces for indentation — GDScript, like Python, is strict about consistent indentation defining blocks.
Forgetting the colon (:) at the end of an if/elif/else/while/for/match line.
Writing a long elif chain when a match statement would be clearer for comparing one value against many options.

Best Practices

Configure your editor to insert spaces (not tabs) consistently, or vice versa — just stay consistent within a project.
Reach for match instead of a long elif chain once you're comparing one value against three or more specific options.
Prefer for enemy in enemies over manually indexing an array with a while loop when you don't need the index itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does GDScript support a do-while loop?

Not as separate syntax — the idiomatic equivalent is a while true: loop with an explicit break condition inside.

Can match patterns include ranges or multiple values?

Yes — a single case can list several values separated by commas, or use range-like array patterns for more advanced matching.

Why does GDScript use indentation instead of braces?

It's a direct, deliberate borrow from Python's syntax, chosen for readability and to keep the language approachable for beginners and non-programmers alike.

Key Takeaways

GDScript uses indentation, not braces, to define blocks — consistency matters.
for loops work over range() or directly over array elements.
Both break and continue are fully supported.
match provides clean multi-way branching with a _ wildcard default case.

Summary

You can now branch and loop through GDScript code confidently. Next, you'll cover functions in depth, including the lifecycle callbacks like _ready() and _process() that Godot calls automatically.

Next Lesson →

Functions & Lifecycle Callbacks