Open your Episode 5 code, we are upgrading it. Falling power-ups (wide paddle, multi-ball, slow-mo), tough two-hit bricks, multiple levels and screen shake. This is how a demo becomes a game.
Make destroyed bricks sometimes drop a capsule that falls toward the paddle.
powerups = []
KINDS = ["wide", "multi", "slow"]
# when a brick is destroyed:
if random.random() < 0.2:
powerups.append({
"rect": pygame.Rect(b["rect"].centerx - 12, b["rect"].y, 24, 24),
"kind": random.choice(KINDS)
})
for p in powerups[:]:
p["rect"].y += 3
if p["rect"].top > 520:
powerups.remove(p)
Implement catching and your first timed effect: a wider paddle.
wide_timer = 0
for p in powerups[:]:
if p["rect"].colliderect(paddle):
if p["kind"] == "wide":
if wide_timer == 0:
paddle.x -= 30 # keep centred
paddle.width = 170
wide_timer = 600 # 10 seconds
powerups.remove(p)
if wide_timer > 0:
wide_timer -= 1
if wide_timer == 0:
paddle.x += 30
paddle.width = 110
if wide_timer > 0:
wide_timer -=
if wide_timer == 0:
paddle.width =
The big refactor: many balls at once, and losing a life only when the LAST drops.
balls = [{"rect": pygame.Rect(340, 300, 14, 14), "vx": 4, "vy": -4}]
# "multi" effect:
for bl in balls[:]:
for new_vx in (-3, 3):
balls.append({"rect": bl["rect"].copy(),
"vx": new_vx, "vy": bl["vy"]})
# dropped ball:
for bl in balls[:]:
if bl["rect"].top > 520:
balls.remove(bl)
if len(balls) == 0:
lives -= 1
balls.append({"rect": pygame.Rect(340, 300, 14, 14), "vx": 4, "vy": -4})
Add bricks with hit points and implement the "slow" power-up.
# building the wall:
hp = 2 if row == 0 else 1
bricks.append({"rect": ..., "row": row, "hp": hp})
# on hit:
b["hp"] -= 1
if b["hp"] == 0:
bricks.remove(b)
...
# slow effect (move balls every other frame):
frame += 1
move_balls = (slow_timer == 0) or (frame % 2 == 0)
b["hp"] -=
if b["hp"] == :
bricks.(b)
Define multiple levels as text patterns and progress through them.
LEVELS = [
[ "##########",
"##########",
".########.",
"..######..",],
[ "2222222222",
"#.#.#.#.#.",
".#.#.#.#.#",
"##########",],
]
def build_wall(pattern):
wall = []
for r, line in enumerate(pattern):
for c, ch in enumerate(line):
if ch != ".":
wall.append({"rect": pygame.Rect(c*68+12, r*26+50, 64, 22),
"row": r, "hp": 2 if ch == "2" else 1})
return wall
bricks = build_wall(LEVELS[0])
Add game-feel effects that make every hit feel chunky.
world = pygame.Surface((700, 520))
shake = 0
# draw everything onto world instead of screen, then:
offset = (0, 0)
if shake > 0:
shake -= 1
offset = (random.randint(-4, 4), random.randint(-4, 4))
screen.blit(world, offset)
pygame.display.flip()
if shake > 0:
shake -= 1
offset = (random.randint(, 4), random.randint(-4, ))
screen.blit(, offset)