🧰

Install Python & Pygame

Get the tools, open a window

Active

🎯

Goal for this step

Install Python and Pygame, and open your first game window.

1Install Python from python.org, tick "Add Python to PATH" during the install!
2Open a terminal and run pip install pygame.
3Create a folder for this game and a file called game.py.
4Type the starter code below and run it with python game.py, a dark window should open and stay open until you close it.

game.py

import pygame
pygame.init()

screen = pygame.display.set_mode((800, 480))
pygame.display.set_caption("My Python Game")
clock = pygame.time.Clock()

running = True
while running:
    for event in pygame.event.get():
        if event.type == pygame.QUIT:
            running = False

    screen.fill((25, 30, 60))
    pygame.display.flip()
    clock.tick(60)          # 60 frames per second

pygame.quit()

👨‍👧

Parent note: Python and Pygame are completely free. If pip is not found, re-run the installer and tick "Add Python to PATH".

✏️

Fill in the Blanks

+15 XP

Pygame is installed with the command pip install . The line clock.tick(60) locks the game to frames per second.

🧠

Knowledge Check

+15 XP

What does the while running: loop do?

ARuns once and stops

BRepeats ~60 times a second, every frame of the game happens inside it

COnly runs when a key is pressed

🧺

The Basket

Draw a basket and slide it with the arrow keys

Locked

🎯

Goal for this step

Get a basket on screen that glides left and right without leaving the window.

1Above the loop, create the basket as a pygame.Rect, position and size in one object.
2Inside the loop, read held keys with pygame.key.get_pressed().
3Move 7 pixels per frame while an arrow is held, then clamp so it cannot leave the screen.
4Draw it after the fill: pygame.draw.rect(screen, colour, basket).

game.py

basket = pygame.Rect(370, 430, 90, 26)
speed = 7

# inside the while loop, after event handling:
keys = pygame.key.get_pressed()
if keys[pygame.K_LEFT]:
    basket.x -= speed
if keys[pygame.K_RIGHT]:
    basket.x += speed
basket.x = max(0, min(800 - basket.width, basket.x))

screen.fill((25, 30, 60))
pygame.draw.rect(screen, (255, 119, 0), basket)
pygame.display.flip()

⌨️

Code Challenge

+20 XP

Keep the basket on screen. Fill in the clamp:

game.py

basket.x = (0, (800 - basket.width, basket.x))

💡 Hint: One function stops it going below 0, the other stops it passing the right edge.

🧠

Knowledge Check

+15 XP

Why use pygame.key.get_pressed() instead of KEYDOWN events for movement?

AEvents are broken in Pygame

Bget_pressed reports keys HELD each frame, smooth gliding instead of one step per press

CIt uses less memory

🍎

Falling Fruit

Spawn fruit at random x positions and let gravity take it

Locked

🎯

Goal for this step

Make a fruit fall from a random spot at the top, again and again.

1Import random at the top.
2The fruit is another Rect, starting above the screen at a random x.
3Each frame: fruit.y += fall_speed.
4When it falls past the bottom, reset it to the top at a new random x, one fruit object, reused forever.

game.py

import random

fruit = pygame.Rect(random.randint(20, 760), -30, 24, 24)
fall_speed = 4

# inside the loop:
fruit.y += fall_speed
if fruit.y > 480:
    fruit.y = -30
    fruit.x = random.randint(20, 760)

pygame.draw.ellipse(screen, (248, 113, 113), fruit)

💡

draw.ellipse in a square Rect gives you a circle, instant apple.

✏️

Fill in the Blanks

+15 XP

A random x position comes from random.(20, 760). When the fruit leaves the bottom we reset y to so it re-enters from above the screen.

🧠

Knowledge Check

+15 XP

Why reset the same fruit instead of creating a new one each time?

ANew objects are illegal in a loop

BReusing one object is simple and fast, nothing piles up in memory

CRandom only works once per object

💥

Catching & Scoring

Collision detection and an on-screen score

Locked

🎯

Goal for this step

Catch fruit in the basket to score, and see the score on screen.

1Pygame Rects have collision built in: basket.colliderect(fruit) returns True on overlap.
2On a catch: score += 1 and reset the fruit to the top.
3Render text with a Font object: create it once above the loop, then render + blit each frame.
4Draw the score in the top-left corner.

game.py

score = 0
font = pygame.font.Font(None, 36)

# inside the loop:
if basket.colliderect(fruit):
    score += 1
    fruit.y = -30
    fruit.x = random.randint(20, 760)

text = font.render(f"Score: {score}", True, (255, 255, 255))
screen.blit(text, (16, 12))

⌨️

Code Challenge

+20 XP

Complete the catch check:

game.py

if basket.(fruit):
    score += 
    fruit.y = -30

💡 Hint: Rect has a method that checks overlap with another rect. Each catch is worth one point.

🧠

Knowledge Check

+15 XP

What does basket.colliderect(fruit) return when they touch?

AThe overlap area in pixels

BTrue

CThe fruit’s coordinates

⏩

Lives & Rising Difficulty

Miss three fruit and it is game over, and it gets faster

Locked

🎯

Goal for this step

Add three lives, and make the fruit fall faster as your score climbs.

1Add lives = 3. A fruit passing the bottom now costs a life before it resets.
2Difficulty: every 5 catches, increase fall_speed by 1, fall_speed = 4 + score // 5.
3The // operator is whole-number division: 12 catches → 4 + 2 = speed 6.
4Show lives as hearts next to the score.

game.py

lives = 3

# replace the bottom check:
if fruit.y > 480:
    lives -= 1
    fruit.y = -30
    fruit.x = random.randint(20, 760)

fall_speed = 4 + score // 5

hearts = font.render("❤" * lives, True, (248, 113, 113))
screen.blit(hearts, (700, 12))

✏️

Fill in the Blanks

+15 XP

Missing a fruit costs one . The speed formula 4 + score // uses whole-number division, so speed rises one point every five catches.

🧠

Knowledge Check

+15 XP

With score = 17, what is 4 + score // 5?

A7, because 17 // 5 is 3

B7.4

C21

🏁

Game Over & Restart

Freeze the game at zero lives, press R to play again

Locked

🎯

Goal for this step

End the game properly with a final score and a restart key.

1Add game_over = False. When lives hits 0, set it True.
2While game_over: skip ALL movement (wrap the update code in if not game_over:) but keep drawing.
3Draw GAME OVER and the final score in big text in the centre.
4Press R to reset: score, lives, speed, fruit position, game_over = False. A full game, done!

game.py

game_over = False
big_font = pygame.font.Font(None, 72)

# in the event loop:
if event.type == pygame.KEYDOWN and event.key == pygame.K_r and game_over:
    score, lives, game_over = 0, 3, False
    fruit.y = -30

# update only while playing:
if not game_over:
    # ... all movement / catching code ...
    if lives == 0:
        game_over = True

if game_over:
    msg = big_font.render("GAME OVER", True, (255, 209, 102))
    screen.blit(msg, (240, 190))

⌨️

Code Challenge

+20 XP

Reset everything when R is pressed after a game over:

game.py

score, lives, game_over = 0, ,

💡 Hint: Lives go back to the starting three, and the game-over flag switches off so the loop runs again.

🧠

Knowledge Check

+15 XP

Why keep drawing while game_over is True but skip updating?

ADrawing is free

BThe player needs to SEE the game-over screen, a frozen picture, not a black window

CPygame crashes if you stop drawing

🎉🏆🎮✨🎉

Workshop Complete!

Game loop, input, random spawning, collision, difficulty, the DNA of every arcade game, written in Python by you. Episode 2: jumping!

Total XP

Level

Best Streak

Accuracy

▶ Episode 2: Simple Platformer →
⭐ View My Progress & Certificates

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