Welcome, fellow Scratchers! Today, we’re diving into the exciting world of game design by creating a Geometry Dash game using Scratch. This step-by-step guide will walk you through the process of bringing the iconic jumping character to life, designing a custom level, and adding music to enhance the gaming experience. Ready to unleash your creativity? Let's get started!
Getting Started with Scratch
Before we jump into coding, let’s set up our project. Open Scratch and create a new project. By default, Scratch gives you a cat sprite named Sprite 1. We’ll be using this as a starting point, but don’t worry; we’ll customize it to match our Geometry Dash character.
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1. Drawing the Player's Character
To create our player character, we need to design a new sprite. Click on the costume editor and select the paint tool. We’ll create a simple square shape that resembles the classic Geometry Dash character. Choose a yellow fill and a black border with a width of four pixels.
Zoom in on the drawing canvas until you can see the center point clearly. Start drawing your square from the center point, and remember to hold down the shift key to ensure it’s a perfect square. Once you have your square, check the size to make sure it’s 34x34 pixels. If it’s too big, shrink it down to fit our game better.
Now, drag the shape to snap it to the center point of the canvas to ensure proper rotation later. Feel free to add some extra details to make the character unique!
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2. Adding Some Music
Geometry Dash is known for its fantastic soundtracks. Let’s add some music to our game! Click on the sounds tab and choose a sound option. Filter for loops to find energetic tracks. You might find a short clip that fits the vibe, but we’ll need to loop it for a continuous play.
Switch to the code tab and drag in the “when flag clicked” block to start our music. Add a “forever” block to keep the music playing, and under the sounds category, select the “play sound until done” block to ensure the full sound plays before starting over. Test it out by clicking the green flag!
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3. Coding the Jumping Mechanic
Next, we need to implement the jumping mechanic. When the space key is pressed, we want our character to jump. To achieve this, we’ll use a repeat loop. Start by adding a “when space key pressed” block, and then create a “repeat 10” block inside it.
Within the repeat block, change the y position by 10 to move the character upwards. We want a gradual jump, so we’ll duplicate this and change the y position by -10 for the descent. Test it out to see how smooth the jump feels!
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4. Designing the Level
Now that we have our player character jumping, it’s time to create the level. Click on the stage sprite and access the backdrop costume tab. Draw a simple purple rectangle to serve as the floor. Make sure it covers the entire width of the canvas.
To add more flair, you can draw additional shapes or designs on the backdrop. Use the rectangle tool to create a vibrant background that fits the Geometry Dash aesthetic.
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5. Creating a Scrolling Effect
In a Geometry Dash game, the level scrolls while the player jumps over obstacles. To create this effect, we’ll need to code the level sprite to move continuously to the left. Use the “when flag clicked” block to set the initial position of the level and add a “forever” block to change the x position by -10 pixels.
However, we need to ensure that the level resets its position once it moves off-screen. Create a long rectangle below the visible area of the canvas to allow the level to scroll seamlessly. This extra width gives the illusion of an infinite level!
Photo by Pankaj Patel on Unsplash
6. Implementing Clones for Infinite Levels
To enhance our level design, we’ll use clones. Instead of creating multiple level sprites, we’ll create one sprite and clone it to fill the screen. Name the first costume “level 1.1” and duplicate it to create “level 1.2.”
Under the control category, find the “create clone of myself” block and set it to run in the forever loop. This will create copies of the level sprite that will scroll continuously. Adjust the x position for the clones to ensure they appear seamlessly in the game.
Photo by Jázon Kováts on Unsplash
7. Adding Obstacles: Spikes
No Geometry Dash game would be complete without obstacles! Let's create some spikes for our player to jump over. Draw a black triangle shape in the costume editor for the spikes. Make sure the triangle is sharp and clearly visible on the stage.
To detect collisions between the player and the spikes, we’ll need to add some code. In the player sprite, create a new block that waits until it touches a specific color (the color of the spikes). If a collision is detected, we can end the game or reset the player’s position.
Photo by Frankie Cordoba on Unsplash
8. Collision Detection and Game Over
To make the game more interactive, we need to code the collision detection. When the player touches the spikes, we want the game to end. In the player sprite, create a block that checks for touching the color of the spikes.
When a collision occurs, you can switch the backdrop to a “Game Over” scene and stop all scripts to halt the game. This adds a fun challenge for players to avoid the spikes!
Photo by Chris Ried on Unsplash
9. Adding Sound Effects
To make the game more engaging, let’s add a sound effect when the player collides with the spikes. Search for a “Bonk” sound effect in the sounds tab and play it right after detecting a collision. This provides immediate feedback to the player and enhances the gaming experience!
Photo by Ivan Bandura on Unsplash
10. Testing and Final Touches
Now that we have all the core mechanics in place, it’s time to test the game! Click the green flag and play your Geometry Dash game. Make sure everything works as expected, and adjust any code or sprites as needed to improve gameplay.
Feel free to customize your game further by adding new levels, different obstacles, or power-ups. The possibilities are endless!
Photo by Ellen Kerbey on Unsplash
Conclusion
Congratulations! You’ve successfully created your own Geometry Dash game in Scratch. This project not only teaches you coding skills but also allows you to express your creativity through game design. Keep experimenting and building more games!
If you want to dive deeper into Scratch coding, check out Griffpatch Academy for more tutorials and insights. Happy scratching!
