Introduction to Flappy Bird Scratch Tutorial
This tutorial will guide you through creating a simple Flappy Bird-style game using Scratch, a visual programming platform. No coding experience is required — just follow the steps to add a bird character, create pipes, and implement basic game mechanics. The project is ideal for learning fundamental programming concepts like loops, conditionals, and event handling.
Setting Up Your Project
1. Open [Scratch](https://scratch.mit.edu/) and click **Create** to start a new project.
2. Rename the project to "Flappy Bird Game" for easy organization.
3. Delete the default cat sprite by right-clicking and selecting **delete**.
4. Add a **bird** character from the sprite library or upload your own image.
5. Create two **pipe** sprites (top and bottom) using the drawing tools or import images.
Coding the Bird Movement
Select your bird sprite and add these blocks to handle jumping and gravity:
when [space v] key pressed
change y by (10)
if <touching (pipe v)?> then
stop [all v]
end
To create gravity, use a forever loop that slowly pulls the bird down:
forever
change y by (-2)
end
Adjust the numbers to control how high the bird jumps and how fast it falls. For a smoother experience, add a **throttle** block to limit the fall speed when holding space.
Creating the Pipe System
1. Position the two pipe sprites on the right side of the stage.
2. Add code to make them move left across the screen:
when green flag clicked
forever
move (5) steps
if <(x position) < (-240)> then
go to x: (240) y: (random position)
end
end
3. Add a **score system** by creating a variable called "Score" and increasing it when the bird passes a pipe:
when bird crosses pipe
change [Score v] by (1)
4. Add a game-over screen by checking if the bird touches the ground or a pipe:
if <touching (ground v)?> then
show [Game Over] message
stop [all v]
end
Testing and Customization
1. Click the green flag to test your game. Make sure the bird jumps, pipes move, and collisions work.
2. Customize your game by:
- Changing the bird animation
- Adding background music
- Adjusting pipe speed and spacing
- Creating a main menu screen
3. Share your project on Scratch by clicking the **Share** button. You can also add comments to explain how your code works.
For advanced challenges, try adding:
- A high score tracker
- Power-up items
- Animated backgrounds
This Flappy Bird Scratch tutorial teaches core game development skills while creating something fun. With practice, you can build more complex games using similar techniques!