Voice of CallingEst. 2018
JoinTeachersDonate
AboutMembersChaptersOur Work

Programs

Coding ClassVoice of CodingVoice of DreamShowdown

Projects

Voice of BooksVoice of PieceAtaxiaVSomaBox

Global Initiatives

Future of TanzaniaFuture of RwandaACTS.africaAdducate
Past work archive
Learning HubGalleryNewsTeachersJoin / VolunteerDonate

Learning Hub/Scratch/Session 4

Session 4 of 5 · 60 minutes

Game Design: Quest Game

Design a game with a goal: a quest through different scenes, with choices, items and a way to win.

Goals

By the end of this session you can:

  • Plan a game with a goal, a challenge and a way to win
  • Switch backdrops to move the player between scenes
  • Use broadcast to tell sprites when something happens
  • Remix a game starter project: Quest Game or Escape Game

Words to know

backdrop
The picture behind the sprites. Switching backdrops can make a new room or a new level.
broadcast
A message one sprite sends so other sprites can react to it.
goal
What the player is trying to do to win the game.

The lesson

Step 1: Quest Game

Today’s main project is Game Design - Quest Game. Open a starter, play it all the way through, and use See inside to find out how it works.

Step 2: Plan a game

Before you change anything, answer three questions about the game you are playing:

  1. What is the goal? (What does the player do to win?)
  2. What is the challenge? (What gets in the way?)
  3. What is the story? (Who is the player, and where?)

Write one sentence for each. Your changes will be better when you know what the game is for.

Step 3: Scenes with backdrops

Open the Backdrops tab and add a backdrop for each scene. Use switch backdrop to from Looks to move the player from one scene to another, for example when they click a door.

Step 4: Tell other sprites what happened

broadcast sends a message. A sprite with when I receive hears it and runs its own script. For example, when the player clicks the key, the key sprite can broadcast “got key”, and the door sprite can open when it receives “got key”.

Step 5: Project to remix

If your class finishes the main project early, try this one.

Exercise

Two rooms

  1. Create two backdrops: room 1 and room 2.
  2. Add a door sprite. In room 1, make it go to the right side of the stage.
  3. On the door: when this sprite clicked, then switch backdrop to room 2.
  4. Add a say block on a character that says "You made it!" when the second room shows (use when backdrop switches to room 2).
  5. Click the green flag, then click the door, and see if it works.
Need a hint?

switch backdrop to is in Looks. when backdrop switches to is in Events.

Small project

My quest

Remix a game starter project and turn it into a quest of your own.

  1. Open the Quest Game (choose one of its starters) and click Remix.
  2. Play it all the way through. What is the goal? What is the challenge?
  3. Change the story: new characters, new backdrops and new words.
  4. Add one new challenge or one new scene.
  5. Test it all the way to the end, then ask a classmate to play.

Stretch it: Add a score or a number of lives that change while you play.

Quiz

Check your understanding

Pick one answer for each question. Your score appears right in the page; nothing is sent anywhere.

  1. Question 1In a game, what is the goal?
  2. Question 2Which block changes the picture behind your sprites to a new room?
  3. Question 3What does broadcast do?
  4. Question 4You are building an escape game. Why should you test it all the way to the end?
  5. Question 5When the player finishes the Quest Game, which is the best next step?