SCRATCH: My First Game

 SCRATCH: My First Game

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I'm familiar with block-based coding, yet I never really tried using Scratch till a couple months ago.

I've used it briefly in August 2023 but stopped in September. School just started and it was important school year for being my introduction to GCSEs, in turn, I left coding to focus on my studies. 

Since winter break is close, I'm done with my first assessments, I may as well start coding again.

I mainly picked up coding as, well, a hobby, a hobby to get into colleges. I've heard blogging is also a useful hobbies to get into colleges, so I may as well write about my experiences.

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I of course, started with a story for the game, my thought process flowed as this:

1] Make a game about Stick-Figure

2] Give the Stick-Figure a simple story so I can make a simple game, as this was my first time using scratch

3] Insert brainstorming

4] The game will be about helping the Stick-Figure

Like I said, a simple start would be a simple game, and a simple game needs a simple story. The Stick-Figure, who I'll name Mono, is trying to get a gift for her sister. 

There's 4 possible gifts for you to choose from, all of them being scattered across the room.

3 of them lead to different endings, where Mono visits her sister to give her the gift. However, only 3 are openly available at the start, 1 of the gifts make you restart, allowing you to choose the covered up gift.

Like I said, the game truly is simple. I'm still understanding certain commands, and java script is incredibly different from what I know. So I suppose it's better to have a simple start then one I can't finish.

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As for code, it all is fairly simple, with the exception of 'Broadcast' blocks; Which allows multiple actions to take place at a time without the interference of the player.

'Broadcast' allows you to make a message, when other sprites receive a message, they can do their own actions. Broadcasts can only be activated with the player's activity, afterwards, the story plays out by itself.

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I believe it would be reasonable for me to talk about the 'art' next.

The art is nothing special, Mono is just a literal stick-figure. I only gave her the earrings and such so she could look at least a little bit more interesting.

All of her sprites are fairly simple as well, since she spends most of the game sitting, it's easy to reuse/rebuild from the previous one.

As for the background, it is still simplistic of course, yet I'm glad with the result. Ignoring some crooked lines, I believe it is fine as it is.

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That concludes my first scratch project, if you wish to play, here is the link:

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/876158671

The game is named 'Help the Stickfigure get a gift!', if there's any problems, please contact me.