WHAT WE ARE DOING

WHY WE ARE DOING IT

؜Building a small interactive game using Scratch.

To explore how code can be a fast, creative design tool.

؜There will be 4 phases to the design sprint

Instructions

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Physical Game Collaboration

...

Game testing

...

Brainstorming and Asset Creation

Scratch Coding

1

2

3

4

~50 min

~50 min

~100 min

~100 min

...

...

What is Scratch?

Scratch is a free, visual programming language created by MIT.

Instead of typing code, you snap together colored blocks to control characters, change backgrounds, and make interactive stories, animations, and games.

Why Scratch?

Beginner-friendly

no typing or syntax errors

Creative freedom

draw or import your own art & sounds

Instant results

test your game while building it

Great for teamwork

art, story, and code can be split between partners

What is Game Design?

Game design is more than making things fun.

It’s about crafting rules, systems, and feedback that shape the player’s experience.

We’ll explore:

Mechanics

(what you do)

Dynamics

(how it feels)

Aesthetics

(what it looks and sounds like)

Game logic is how a game reacts to what the player does. It’s the system that makes everything feel alive and responsive.

In simple terms: If something happens → the game responds. It’s how the game “knows” what to do.

What Is Game Logic?

Without logic, a game is just a drawing.

Logic makes it interactive, surprising, and fun.

It tells the game:

What can the player do?

What happens when they do it?

What changes over time?

Why Game Logic Matters

PART I

Physical Game Collaboration

~50 mins

We're going to start by writing game logic and testing out a game in real life before we dive into coding one on a computer

Physical Game Collaboration

1.

Real games use logic like this all the time.

Real Game Examples

؜If you press a plate, a door opens

Real Game Examples

Zelda

If you place a cube, a timer starts

Real Game Examples

Portal

If you move too soon, you hit a hazard

Real Game Examples

Celeste

If you talk to an NPC, they remember you

Real Game Examples

Undertale

Now it’s your turn to design how a game world behaves.

In this activity, you won’t just design the rules—you’ll become them.

You’ll create a system of conditions and responses.

Then you’ll physically act it out, like the game’s engine.

This means thinking like:

A puzzle designer

A game developer

A rule-maker

rule-runner

Become the Logic

ACTIVITY PROMPT

We’re designing game systems using logic and teamwork.

You’ll test real gameplay ideas—by acting them out live.

You’ll be split into two game design teams:

Team A: Designs & runs a 10x10 game level

Team B: Sends a player to complete Team A’s level

Then you’ll switch roles.

Team Setup

1st

Each team creates a puzzle game on a 10x10 grid:

1. Design a map (walls, keys, traps, switches)

1. Write logic rules (if X, then Y)

1. Assign teammates as NPCs or objects

1. Playtest and revise after gameplay

What Your Team Will Do

2nd

Use IF / THEN statements to control the game:

IF player steps on (3,2), unlock door at (5,4)

IF enemy sees player, move toward them 1 tile

IF timer = 3, activate trap on (4,6)

IF player has 2 keys, open exit at (9,9)

Your team will enforce these rules during gameplay.

Rules & Logic Examples

؜Think like a level designer!

Here’s what you can build:

Keys + Locked Doors

Pressure Plates

Moving Enemies

Timed Hazards

Collectibles (coins, gems)

Secret Tiles

Game Elements

Team A sets up the grid and writes rules Team B selects a player and receives the goal Team A runs the logic live (as NPCs, traps, etc.)

Pause

Feedback and fix any unclear moments Switch roles and repeat!

Gameplay Flow

Writing logic rules with clear conditions

Designing systems and puzzles

Working collaboratively under time pressure

Building a foundation for coding in Python

What We're Practicing

PART II

Scratch Skill Lab

~50 mins

Scratch Skill Lab

We are going to have quick hands-on warmups so you can test basic blocks and see results before starting the exploration game.

we will try to spend 6–8 minute on each of these with a 1-minute partner share-out after each.

Move a Sprite

First we make sure the sprite is selected.

We can also choose a new sprite.

always start by checking for the green fag

now we setup a loop for the game engine to check for things to do

then we create 4 "if" statements that say:

if I press this arrow change x or y by a certain amount. This will be our character's speed.

now we can click the green flag and test it out!

Reflection

Does movement feel too fast/slow? Adjust numbers!

Bump into Things (Sensing)

Goal: make the sprite interact with other things.

To make this work first we need to use a sprite as an obstacle.

We also need to make variables which are like boxes that holds numbers and other data to make our job easier.

Bump into Things (Sensing)

Goal: make the sprite interact with other things.

؜Now we are going to change our player sprite's code to not just move by a number; instead, we will use our newly created variables. it works like this:

1. We set our variables dx and dy to 0.

These represent change in location.

1. Then we change our variables by the amount we want to move.

1. when we're done we actually move our player by the variable values.
2. then we reset our change in location so we can do it again.

Bump into Things (Sensing)

but if our player touches the tree, we cancel that change by moving it back to its original position (-dx or -dy)

then we reset the dx and dy variables to make sure the player doesn't move through our obstacle

Bump into Things (Sensing)

Reflection

Can we make the player say ouch for 0.2 seconds whenever they bump into something?

Can we build a maze instead of a simple obstacle?

Collect & Score

Goal: make collectable items that the game keeps count of.

for this one we need to code inside the item the player will collect instead of inside the player.

We will also make a new variable called score and another called collected.

Show when the game starts

؜in coding 0 means no and 1 means yes

if object is not collected

if object touches the player

؜add 1 to the score

Set collected to 1 (yes it has been collected)

Hide the object

Collect & Score

Reflection

Why is the score in the previous GIF 3 then becomes 4?

why not 0 then 1? did we forget something?

can we add another collectable that is worth 2 points?

Changing Backdrops

Goal: use a key press to change the backdrop.

To make this work first we need to add backdrops into our game.

Then we can select the stage area to put our code inside.

now we just make it switch to the next backdrop if we press the space key and have it wait 1 seconds until the next switch is possible.

Changing Backdrops

Reflection

What would happen if we didn't make the game wait after the backdrop switch?

could we switch to a specific backdrop after pressing a key? what about after collecting an item?

PART III

Brainstorming and Asset Creation

~100 mins

Brainstorming

Pick an environment with a purpose.

Examples:

1. Underwater Garbage Cleanup — collect plastic, avoid fragile coral
2. Desert Oasis Rescue — gather water jugs to refill an oasis
3. Arctic Wildlife Patrol — pick up tracking tags, avoid ice cracks
4. Urban Rooftop Garden — collect seeds/compost, avoid pests

Brainstorming

؜

What’s the player trying to accomplish?

What 3–5 item types will they collect?

What obstacles or hazards fit the theme?

Where does it start/end?

Guiding questions

Asset Creation

Within that environment,

sketch a main character and the items you will be collecting.

note: draw your character from the side you will be seeing them in game.

Is it going to be a top down game or a side view game?

Asset Creation

3x3 World Map Creation

We are going to make a huge map the player can explore.

We'll draw 9 backdrops that connect to each other in a loop.

؜If you move right from room 2-3 you will get to the left side of room 2-1!

PART IV

Scratch Coding

~100 mins