Build, Debug and Share a Fuller Game

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1 What We're Building
2 Introduction
3 Create a New Arcade Project
4 Create Your Player Sprite
5 Move the Sprite
Pupil practice

1 - What We're Building ~5 mins

Illustration for What we're building Real programmers rarely finish a program in one go — they build a first version, test it, then improve it. Today you are the technologist returning to your own project. You'll take your saved Shark Attack game, make it better with a loop or an event, hunt down anything that doesn't behave as expected, and tidy up. Watch the board as we reopen a project and make one change, then get your own game running.

Teacher Notes

Set the scene: today is about improving work already made, not starting from scratch. Ask: what does a programmer do after the first version works? Model reopening a saved project on the IWB before pupils touch devices. Remind pairs to find their own saved file. Safety: agree a sensible volume level if game sound is on.

👇 Mark your steps as done as you complete them.

+5 XP

2 - Introduction ~2 mins

Welcome to our exciting coding adventure! Today, we are going to create a fun game called 'Shark Attack'. In this game, you will control a character who needs to avoid the enemies that are chasing them. We will be using a platform called MakeCode Arcade to build our game. Don't worry if you haven't coded before, we will guide you through each step. Let's get started!

Teacher Notes

Read the intro aloud to re-orient pupils to Shark Attack. Key question: who remembers what our game already does? Keep this brief — most of the lesson is improving, not re-explaining. Support: quickly recap that a sprite is the character on screen.

👇 Mark your steps as done as you complete them.

+10 XP

3 - Create a New Arcade Project ~2 mins

Open the MakeCode Arcade website using the link below and create a new project. You can call the project whatever you want.

https://arcade.makecode.com

Arcade: How to create a new project

Create a new Arcade project using the makecode.com website.

Teacher Notes

Pupils should be reopening their existing project rather than creating a fresh empty one — check nobody starts blank by mistake. Ask: can you see your player and your sharks when you press play? Bug to watch: a pupil opening the wrong project; help them locate the saved one by name.

+10 XP

4 - Create Your Player Sprite ~4 mins

Next, you will create your player sprite. This is the character that you will control in the game. Add the following code:

let mySprite = sprites.create(img`...`, SpriteKind.Player)

Then click on the grey box and choose a sprite character from the gallery.

let mySprite = sprites.create(img`
    . . . . . . f f f f . . . . . . 
    . . . . f f f 2 2 f f f . . . . 
    . . . f f f 2 2 2 2 f f f . . . 
    . . f f f e e e e e e f f f . . 
    . . f f e 2 2 2 2 2 2 e e f . . 
    . . f e 2 f f f f f f 2 e f . . 
    . . f f f f e e e e f f f f . . 
    . f f e f b f 4 4 f b f e f f . 
    . f e e 4 1 f d d f 1 4 e e f . 
    . . f e e d d d d d d e e f . . 
    . . . f e e 4 4 4 4 e e f . . . 
    . . e 4 f 2 2 2 2 2 2 f 4 e . . 
    . . 4 d f 2 2 2 2 2 2 f d 4 . . 
    . . 4 4 f 4 4 5 5 4 4 f 4 4 . . 
    . . . . . f f f f f f . . . . . 
    . . . . . f f . . f f . . . . . 
    `, SpriteKind.Player)

Arcade: How to create a sprite in Arcade

Click on the gray box in the sprite block to open the Editor. You can choose a sprite from the Gallery or you can paint your own sprite using the Editor.

Teacher Notes

Their player sprite should already exist from before. Model on the IWB where the sprite is defined so pupils can find it if they want to change the character. Common issue: a pupil accidentally creates a second player — point out one player sprite is enough. Extension: swap the player image from the gallery.

+10 XP

5 - Move the Sprite ~4 mins

Now, let's make your sprite move using the joystick (or the arrow keys on your keyboard).

Add the following new code:

let mySprite = sprites.create(img`
    . . . . . . f f f f . . . . . . 
    . . . . f f f 2 2 f f f . . . . 
    . . . f f f 2 2 2 2 f f f . . . 
    . . f f f e e e e e e f f f . . 
    . . f f e 2 2 2 2 2 2 e e f . . 
    . . f e 2 f f f f f f 2 e f . . 
    . . f f f f e e e e f f f f . . 
    . f f e f b f 4 4 f b f e f f . 
    . f e e 4 1 f d d f 1 4 e e f . 
    . . f e e d d d d d d e e f . . 
    . . . f e e 4 4 4 4 e e f . . . 
    . . e 4 f 2 2 2 2 2 2 f 4 e . . 
    . . 4 d f 2 2 2 2 2 2 f d 4 . . 
    . . 4 4 f 4 4 5 5 4 4 f 4 4 . . 
    . . . . . f f f f f f . . . . . 
    . . . . . f f . . f f . . . . . 
    `, SpriteKind.Player)
controller.moveSprite(mySprite)

Once you've added the new code, test that you can move your player sprite with the joystick or your keyboard arrow keys.

Teacher Notes

Movement should already work; use this to check the game runs before pupils extend it. Key question: does the joystick still move your player? If not, the last change likely caused it — undo and retest. Support: confirm arrow keys work on the simulator.

+10 XP

Pupil practice · Investigation Journal

Module 4 · Technology: IPO, Algorithms, Makecode Arcade and Micro:bit

Lesson 26 · Build, Debug and Share a Fuller Game

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This lesson is copyright of Coding Ireland 2017 - 2025. Unauthorised use, copying or distribution is not allowed.

Teacher Class Feed

1 - What We're Building ~5 mins

2 - Introduction ~2 mins

3 - Create a New Arcade Project ~2 mins

4 - Create Your Player Sprite ~4 mins

5 - Move the Sprite ~4 mins

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XP