Today, we’re going to explore something super cool that all game creators use: events! An event is like a signal that tells your game to do something when a specific action happens. For example, events can happen when you click the mouse, press an arrow key, or tap on a screen.
Let’s imagine we have a space bot in our game, and we want it to say “Hello!” to the earthlings when a player clicks on it. To do this, we use a “when clicked” block and attach a “say” block to it. This means that when the player clicks on the space bot, it will say whatever message you choose. What would your alien say?
There are also “when arrow” blocks that you can use. If you connect “move” blocks to these, you can make your characters move up, down, left, or right. This makes your game more interactive and fun to play!
One of the reasons people start making games is because they want to create something fun and enjoyable for others. If you’re interested in learning how to make games, just start experimenting! It’s okay to feel unsure or nervous at first. You can find a friend who knows a bit more, watch video tutorials, and just dive in.
Even if you think your game idea is a bit silly, or if you feel like there are already similar games out there, trying to create something from your own imagination is a fantastic experience. The most important thing is to take action and start creating. Who knows? You might make the next big game that everyone loves!
Imagine you are a game designer! Create a simple game using paper and markers. Draw characters and objects, and write down different events that could happen, like clicking a character or pressing a button. Share your game with a classmate and see if they can trigger the events you imagined!
Using a coding platform like Scratch, create a space bot character. Program it to say “Hello!” when clicked. Experiment with different messages and see how your classmates react. Can you make your space bot say something funny or surprising?
Design a simple maze on paper. Then, use a coding tool to create a character that can move through the maze using arrow keys. Challenge your friends to navigate the maze and see who can reach the end first!
In small groups, brainstorm ideas for a new game. Think about what events you could include to make the game exciting. Write down your ideas and share them with the class. Which game idea do you think would be the most fun to play?
Create a storyboard for a game, illustrating different events that occur as the player progresses. Use drawings and captions to show what happens when a player interacts with different elements. Present your storyboard to the class and explain how events make your game engaging.
Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
—
Now, we’re going to learn about something that all game programmers use every day: events. An event tells your program to listen for when something happens. When that event occurs, it performs an action. Some examples of events include listening for a mouse click, an arrow button press, or a tap on the screen.
Here, we’re going to make the space bot greet the earthlings when a player clicks on him. We’ll use the “when clicked” block and attach the “say” block to it. When the player clicks on the space bot, everything attached to this “when clicked” event block will be performed.
What does your alien say? There are also “when arrow” blocks. If you link the “move” blocks to these, you can start to move your characters up, down, left, or right. Step by step, your game is becoming more interactive.
For me, part of the reason I wanted to start a game company was that I wanted to make games—create something that people could love, play, and enjoy. My advice for kids who want to learn computer science is to just start doing things. Begin experimenting. If you’re feeling a bit insecure or afraid, that’s okay. Find a friend who has a bit more experience. Look at video tutorials. Just dive in and try to create something.
Even if you think, “Is this a little cheesy?” or if you feel like you could just play something similar elsewhere, the act of trying to create something in your own vision is an incredibly fun experience. I encourage everyone to just take action. That’s really the most important part.
—
This version maintains the original message while removing any informal language or expressions that may be considered less professional.
Events – Actions or occurrences that happen in a computer program, often triggered by the user or the system. – When you press a key on the keyboard, it can trigger events in a game to make a character jump.
Game – A program designed for entertainment, where players interact with a set of rules and objectives. – We used a coding platform to create a simple game where you catch falling stars.
Click – Pressing a button on a mouse or touchpad to select or interact with something on the computer screen. – To start the program, you need to click the green flag icon.
Space – An area or gap between elements in coding, or the key on the keyboard used to create such a gap. – In our coding project, pressing the space bar makes the character jump over obstacles.
Bot – A computer program that performs automated tasks, often simulating human activity. – We programmed a bot to automatically respond to simple questions in the chat room.
Say – A command in coding that makes a character or program display a message or speak. – In the animation, we made the cat say “Hello, world!” when the program starts.
Move – A command in coding that changes the position of a character or object on the screen. – By using the arrow keys, you can move the character left and right in the game.
Characters – Symbols or letters used in coding, or the figures that represent players or objects in a game. – We designed our game with colorful characters that each have special abilities.
Create – To make something new using coding or computer tools. – Our class project was to create a digital story using a simple coding language.
Fun – Enjoyable or entertaining, often used to describe engaging activities or games. – Coding can be a lot of fun when you see your ideas come to life on the screen.
