For the programming unit of Sparkade 15, we had to create our own video game based on a certain community issue, for example pollution or climat change. This page shows the design progress of how I achieved this.
I did 4 different tutorials to get used to coding and Phidgets.Â
This includes the research of other games to use as inspiration in creating my own.
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Using the research, I came up with ideas for my own game. Here they are:
For my video game, the player controls a seed whose forest has just been deforested. The goal is to reach the end or find another forest to live in and grow. The bunny will help the seed travel, while the fox will try to stop the bunny and get in the way.
This is the creation part of my project and the day-to-day process of how I coded my game.
November 4, 2024: I created the character design for the seed, bunny and the obstacles. I also added the left and right movement for the seed.
November 5, 2024
New: I added the use of jumping and gravity to the seed.
Tricky: Having the seed sense the flooring because it kept falling through the floor.Â
How it was fixed: I made the flooring thicker for the seed to sense it.
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November 6, 2024
New: When the seed is touching the bunny and the space bar is pressed, the bunny is able to move. I also drew the design for the fox.
Tricky: Making the bunny and seed move in unison and being able to unequip the bunny.
November 9, 2024
New: Fixed the bug by making the seed and bunny have the same settings when they are touching. Added a wallpaper to the game.
November 13-14, 2024
New: Made a scrolling background to make it look like they are moving.
Tricky: The characters keep going through the walls and go out of frame because they are too fast. Additionally, because of the moving wallpaper, the bunny does not move with the background and looks out of place.
X=BunMovement which is changing by 5 or -5 every second
November 15, 2024
New: I changed how the bunny moves, so he goes in line with the wallpaper, I did this by creating variables to sense the wallpaper moving and created the left and right motion when the bunny is not in use.
November 16, 2024
New: I added movement to the fox and created some sensing to have the bunny disappear when he touches the fox.
November 17, 2024
New: I added the "Hitwall" variable which senses when the bunny touches the obstacle. This variable stops the wallpaper from moving further and the bunny from going through the wall.
November 18, 2024
New: I added a second bunny to the game.
Tricky: Because they had the same code, the seed would try to go to both of them, and this bug would stop the bunny from being controlled.
November 19, 2024
New: I created a separate variable for each bunny (BControl1) and create a variable to sense if one is being controlled (XControlBun) and which one it is (XAControlBun).
November 21, 2024
New: I added two other bunnies and adjusted each to their needs. I also changed some of their movements to be further along in the game.
November 22, 2024
New: I added some text to explain the rules, coins for a point system and sound effects.
November 23, 2024
New: I finalized the text for the game.
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Jan 7, 2025
New: I added more coins, foxes and bunnies to the game to make it more entertaining to play.
Jan 9, 2025
New: I created some clouds for decoration and added an ending where the trees grew out.
Yes, when I was coding the mechanics of the bunny, I ran into some problems when you went to control it. When I added more bunnies, their mechanics interfered with each other, so I had to make separate variables for each.
The most enjoyable moment for me was when my bunny code had been completed, each individual worked on their own and the game as a whole was almost completed.
The most interesting discovery was the use of variables in coding, I thought that variables unlocked a new way of coding for me and found it very interesting.
I learned that I find coding to be enjoyable. At first when we started this unit, I was dreading coding my own video game. However, now I'm happy with the way things turned out even thought it was a lot of work.