Create A Snake Game In Scratch: A Step-by-Step Tutorial

Hey guys! Ready to dive into the awesome world of game development? Today, we're going to create a classic Snake game using Scratch, a super cool visual programming language perfect for beginners. This tutorial will guide you step-by-step, so no prior coding experience is needed. Let's get started and build our very own Snake game from scratch!

Setting Up the Stage

First things first, let's set up our stage in Scratch. Think of the stage as the game board where all the action happens. We need to customize it to make it perfect for our Snake game. This initial setup is crucial, laying the foundation for all the exciting features we'll add later. So, let's roll up our sleeves and get the stage ready for some snake-y action!

1. Opening a New Scratch Project

Okay, first things first! Open up Scratch. If you're new to this, just head over to the Scratch website (scratch.mit.edu) and click on "Create" to start a new project. You'll see a default cat sprite, which we'll replace soon, but for now, let’s focus on the stage.

2. Designing the Game Board

Now, let's design our game board. A simple grid works best for a Snake game. You can draw the grid using Scratch's built-in paint editor. Click on the stage icon in the bottom right corner, then click on the "Backdrops" tab. Here, you can edit the backdrop. Use the line tool to draw a grid. Make sure the lines are clear and the grid squares are of a decent size so our snake can move around easily. Alternatively, you can choose a solid color for the background – a dark green or black usually looks great.

3. Setting the Initial Variables

Variables are super important in any game. They help us keep track of scores, snake length, and other vital info. Go to the "Variables" category and create the following variables:

• score: This will keep track of the player's score as they eat food.
• snakeLength: This determines how many segments the snake has. Initially, let's set it to 1 or 2.
• direction: This tells us which way the snake is moving (up, down, left, right).
• gameRunning: A boolean variable (true/false) to control when the game starts and stops. Set it to "false" initially.

4. Deleting the Default Sprite

Bye-bye, cat! We don’t need the default Scratch cat sprite for our Snake game. Click on the cat sprite in the bottom right corner and hit the delete button. Now we have a clean slate to add our snake.

Creating the Snake

Alright, time to bring our snake to life! We’ll design the snake sprite and write the code to make it move and grow. This is where the game starts to get really fun, so pay close attention. A well-designed snake and smooth movement are key to making the game enjoyable. Let's get this snake moving!

1. Adding a New Sprite for the Snake

Click on the "Choose a Sprite" button and either select a pre-made sprite or draw your own. A simple square or circle works perfectly for the snake's body. Name this sprite "Snake". You can customize the color and appearance to your liking. A bright green snake is always a classic choice!

2. Coding the Snake's Movement

Now for the exciting part: coding the snake's movement. We’ll use the arrow keys to control the snake's direction. Add the following code to the Snake sprite:

when green flag clicked
set gameRunning to false
set snakeLength to 1
set score to 0
go to x:0 y:0 // Start at the center

forever
  if gameRunning = true then
    move (10) steps // Adjust speed as needed
    if touching edge then
      set gameRunning to false
      say "Game Over!"
    end
  end
end

when key [up arrow] pressed
if direction ≠ "down" then
  set direction to "up"
  point in direction (0) // Up
end

when key [down arrow] pressed
if direction ≠ "up" then
  set direction to "down"
  point in direction (180) // Down
end

when key [left arrow] pressed
if direction ≠ "right" then
  set direction to "left"
  point in direction (-90) // Left
end

when key [right arrow] pressed
if direction ≠ "left" then
  set direction to "right"
  point in direction (90) // Right
end

when space key pressed
set gameRunning to true

This code makes the snake move continuously and changes direction based on the arrow keys pressed. We also added a game over condition when the snake touches the edge.

3. Implementing Snake Growth

To make the snake grow when it eats food, we need to clone the snake's body. Here’s how you can do it:

when I start as a clone
go to x: (x position of Snake)
y: (y position of Snake)
show


when green flag clicked
// Inside the forever loop in the main Snake sprite:
create clone of myself
wait (0.5) seconds // Adjust wait time for speed

if snakeLength > (number of clones) then
  create clone of myself
end

This code creates clones of the snake's head, making the snake appear longer as the snakeLength variable increases.

Adding the Food

No Snake game is complete without food! We need to add a sprite for the food and code it to appear randomly on the stage. When the snake eats the food, the score should increase, and the snake should grow longer. Let’s make some tasty food for our snake!

1. Creating the Food Sprite

Click on the "Choose a Sprite" button again and select or draw a sprite for the food. An apple, a dot, or any other small shape will work. Name this sprite "Food".

2. Coding the Food's Behavior

Add the following code to the Food sprite:

when green flag clicked
goto random position

forever
if not gameRunning then
  hide
else
  show
end

when Snake touching Food
change score by 1
change snakeLength by 1
goto random position

This code makes the food appear at a random position on the stage when the game starts. When the snake touches the food, the score increases, the snake grows, and the food moves to a new random position.

Game Over Condition

To make the game challenging, we need a game over condition. The game should end if the snake touches its own body. We’ll add code to detect this collision and stop the game.

1. Detecting Self-Collision

Add this code to the Snake sprite:

when green flag clicked

forever
  if gameRunning = true then
    if touching (Snake (clone)) then
      set gameRunning to false
      say "Game Over!"
    end
  end
end

This code checks if the snake is touching any of its clones (its own body). If it is, the game stops, and a