Barrel Dodger

Make an action game where the player has to react quickly to avoid fast moving barrels. Get hit and it’s GAME OVER!

Step 1

OK, let’s get started by making our Player sprite. Start by placing a ||variables(sprites):set mySprite to|| block in an ||loops:on start|| block to create your sprite.

let mySprite: Sprite = sprites.create(img``, SpriteKind.Player)

Step 2

Draw your player sprite’s image using the image editor.

Step 3

We want to put our sprite character nearer to the left side of the screen so drag a ||sprites:set mySprite position|| into ||loops:on start|| and set x to 20 and y to 70.

let mySprite: Sprite = sprites.create(img`
    . . . . . . 5 . 5 . . . . . . .
    . . . . . f 5 5 5 f f . . . . .
    . . . . f 1 5 2 5 1 6 f . . . .
    . . . f 1 6 6 6 6 6 1 6 f . . .
    . . . f 6 6 f f f f 6 1 f . . .
    . . . f 6 f f d d f f 6 f . . .
    . . f 6 f d f d d f d f 6 f . .
    . . f 6 f d 3 d d 3 d f 6 f . .
    . . f 6 6 f d d d d f 6 6 f . .
    . f 6 6 f 3 f f f f 3 f 6 6 f .
    . . f f d 3 5 3 3 5 3 d f f . .
    . . f d d f 3 5 5 3 f d d f . .
    . . . f f 3 3 3 3 3 3 f f . . .
    . . . f 3 3 5 3 3 5 3 3 f . . .
    . . . f f f f f f f f f f . . .
    . . . . . f f . . f f . . . . .
`, SpriteKind.Player)
mySprite.setPosition(20, 70)

Step 4

Drag a ||variables(sprites):set mySprite x|| into the ||loops:on start||, click the dropdown, and select ay (acceleration y). Set the value to 500 so that character is pulled down by “gravity”.

let mySprite: Sprite = sprites.create(img`
    . . . . . . 5 . 5 . . . . . . .
    . . . . . f 5 5 5 f f . . . . .
    . . . . f 1 5 2 5 1 6 f . . . .
    . . . f 1 6 6 6 6 6 1 6 f . . .
    . . . f 6 6 f f f f 6 1 f . . .
    . . . f 6 f f d d f f 6 f . . .
    . . f 6 f d f d d f d f 6 f . .
    . . f 6 f d 3 d d 3 d f 6 f . .
    . . f 6 6 f d d d d f 6 6 f . .
    . f 6 6 f 3 f f f f 3 f 6 6 f .
    . . f f d 3 5 3 3 5 3 d f f . .
    . . f d d f 3 5 5 3 f d d f . .
    . . . f f 3 3 3 3 3 3 f f . . .
    . . . f 3 3 5 3 3 5 3 3 f . . .
    . . . f f f f f f f f f f . . .
    . . . . . f f . . f f . . . . .
`, SpriteKind.Player)
mySprite.setPosition(20, 70)
mySprite.ay = 500

Step 5

Now let’s create a platform base at the bottom of the screen. Get a ||scene:set tilemap to|| and put it in ||loops:on start||. Click on the gray box to open the tilemap editor. In the bottom left corner, set the size of the tilemap to 10x8 and draw a platform for in the bottom two rows of the tilemap. Finally, click the Wall button, and fill in those two rows with walls.

namespace myTiles {
    //% blockIdentity=images._tile
    export const tile0 = img`
        . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
    `
}
tiles.setTilemap(tiles.createTilemap(
    hex`0a0008000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000303030303030303030303030303030303030303`,
    img`
        . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . .
        2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
        2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
    `,
    [myTiles.tile0,sprites.builtin.brick,sprites.builtin.oceanDepths0,sprites.builtin.oceanDepths3],
    TileScale.Sixteen
))

Step 6

Next, let’s have some barrels moving at random speeds. Make them start from the right side of the screen and fly towards the player sprite. Move an ||game:on game update every|| onto the editor and set the interval time to 1500 milliseconds. Drag a ||sprites:projectile from side|| into it. Click the empty image box in the projectile block and change the dimensions to 8x8. Draw the barrel.

After that, drag a ||math:pick random|| block into where vx is and set the range from -100 to -80.

game.onUpdateInterval(1500, function () {
    let projectile = sprites.createProjectileFromSide(img`
    . e e e e e e .
    e e e e e e e e
    1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
    e e e e e e e e
    e e e e e e e e
    1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
    e e e e e e e e
    . e e e e e e .
`, randint(-100, -80), 0)
})

Step 7

Find ||scene:place mySprite on top of tilemap col row|| and drag it into the ||game:on game update interval|| after ||variables:set projectile to||. Set the ||scene:col|| to 9 and the ||scene:row|| to 5, which is the tile on the right side of the screen directly above the wall. Change ||variables(noclick):mySprite|| to ||variables(noclick):projectile||, so that it refers to the sprite that was just created.

game.onUpdateInterval(1500, function () {
    let  projectile = sprites.createProjectileFromSide(img`
        . e e e e e e .
        e e e e e e e e
        1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
        e e e e e e e e
        e e e e e e e e
        1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
        e e e e e e e e
        . e e e e e e .
    `, randint(-100, -80), 0)
    tiles.placeOnTile(projectile, tiles.getTileLocation(9, 5))
})

Step 8

Let’s give the sprite the ability to jump when we press a button. We do this with ||controller:on any button pressed||. Find that block and drag it out onto the editor. Change the button from any to A.

controller.A.onEvent(ControllerButtonEvent.Pressed, function () {

})

Step 9

We need to make sure that the sprite is on the ground before jumping, so drag an ||logic:if then|| conditional into the ||controller:on A button pressed||. Replace true with ||scene:is mySprite hitting wall|| and change left side bottom. Finally, put in a ||sprites:set mySprite x|| and choose ||sprites:vy (velocity y)|| from the dropdown. Set the value to -250.

let mySprite = sprites.create(img`
    . . . . . . 5 . 5 . . . . . . .
    . . . . . f 5 5 5 f f . . . . .
    . . . . f 1 5 2 5 1 6 f . . . .
    . . . f 1 6 6 6 6 6 1 6 f . . .
    . . . f 6 6 f f f f 6 1 f . . .
    . . . f 6 f f d d f f 6 f . . .
    . . f 6 f d f d d f d f 6 f . .
    . . f 6 f d 3 d d 3 d f 6 f . .
    . . f 6 6 f d d d d f 6 6 f . .
    . f 6 6 f 3 f f f f 3 f 6 6 f .
    . . f f d 3 5 3 3 5 3 d f f . .
    . . f d d f 3 5 5 3 f d d f . .
    . . . f f 3 3 3 3 3 3 f f . . .
    . . . f 3 3 5 3 3 5 3 3 f . . .
    . . . f f f f f f f f f f . . .
    . . . . . f f . . f f . . . . .
`, SpriteKind.Player)
controller.A.onEvent(ControllerButtonEvent.Pressed, function () {
    if (mySprite.isHittingTile(CollisionDirection.Bottom)) {
        mySprite.vy = -250
    }
})

Step 10

Each time a barrel starts to move we want to increase the score. Get a ||info:change score by|| and put it into ||game:on game update every||. Leave the value at 1.

game.onUpdateInterval(1500, function () {
    let projectile = sprites.createProjectileFromSide(img`
        . e e e e e e .
        e e e e e e e e
        1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
        e e e e e e e e
        e e e e e e e e
        1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
        e e e e e e e e
        . e e e e e e .
    `, randint(-100, -80), 0)
    info.changeScoreBy(1)
    tiles.placeOnTile(projectile, tiles.getTileLocation(9, 5))
})

Step 11

Our final step is to end the game if a barrel touches the sprite player. Drag an ||sprites:on sprite overlaps|| onto the editor. Set the sprite kind for otherSprite to Projectile. End the game with a ||game:game over|| block inside.

sprites.onOverlap(SpriteKind.Player, SpriteKind.Projectile, function (sprite, otherSprite) {
    game.over(false)
})

Complete

Awesome! Congratulations on making the Barrel Dodger game! You are on your way to making amazing games with Arcade.

controller.A.onEvent(ControllerButtonEvent.Pressed, function () {
    if (mySprite.isHittingTile(CollisionDirection.Bottom)) {
        mySprite.vy = -250
    }
})
sprites.onOverlap(SpriteKind.Player, SpriteKind.Projectile, function (sprite, otherSprite) {
    game.over(false)
})
let mySprite = sprites.create(img`
    . . . . . . 5 . 5 . . . . . . .
    . . . . . f 5 5 5 f f . . . . .
    . . . . f 1 5 2 5 1 6 f . . . .
    . . . f 1 6 6 6 6 6 1 6 f . . .
    . . . f 6 6 f f f f 6 1 f . . .
    . . . f 6 f f d d f f 6 f . . .
    . . f 6 f d f d d f d f 6 f . .
    . . f 6 f d 3 d d 3 d f 6 f . .
    . . f 6 6 f d d d d f 6 6 f . .
    . f 6 6 f 3 f f f f 3 f 6 6 f .
    . . f f d 3 5 3 3 5 3 d f f . .
    . . f d d f 3 5 5 3 f d d f . .
    . . . f f 3 3 3 3 3 3 f f . . .
    . . . f 3 3 5 3 3 5 3 3 f . . .
    . . . f f f f f f f f f f . . .
    . . . . . f f . . f f . . . . .
`, SpriteKind.Player)
mySprite.setPosition(20, 70)
mySprite.ay = 500

namespace myTiles {
    //% blockIdentity=images._tile
    export const tile0 = img`
        . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
    `
}
tiles.setTilemap(tiles.createTilemap(
    hex`0a0008000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000303030303030303030303030303030303030303`,
    img`
        . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . .
        . . . . . . . . . .
        2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
        2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
    `,
    [myTiles.tile0,sprites.builtin.brick,sprites.builtin.oceanDepths0,sprites.builtin.oceanDepths3],
    TileScale.Sixteen
))
game.onUpdateInterval(1500, function () {
    let projectile = sprites.createProjectileFromSide(img`
        1 e e e e e e 1
        e e e e e e e e
        1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
        e e e e e e e e
        e e e e e e e e
        1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
        e e e e e e e e
        1 e e e e e e 1
    `, randint(-100, -80), 0)
    info.changeScoreBy(1)
    tiles.placeOnTile(projectile, tiles.getTileLocation(9, 5))
})