Game Makecode Arcade

Beginner

60 mins

Teacher/Student led

+70 XP

What you need:
Chromebook/Laptop/PC or iPad/Tablet

Monkey Mayhem

Get ready for a thrilling coding challenge! In this lesson, you'll build a game using MakeCode Arcade where you control a monkey to collect donuts within 30 seconds. Follow the steps to create and code your exciting adventure!

Learning Goals Learning Outcomes Curriculum Mapping Teacher Notes Lesson Files

Warning: Your screen size is quite small for viewing this. Rotate your device into landscape mode if you can.

1 Introduction
2 Create a new project
3 Add your player
4 Move your player
5 Create the donuts
Challenge
Quiz

1 - Introduction

Welcome to our exciting coding adventure, Monkey Mayhem! In this lesson, you will create a fun game using MakeCode Arcade. You will control a monkey character who loves to eat donuts. Your task is to help the monkey collect as many donuts as possible within 30 seconds. Are you ready to start coding? Let's go!

2 - Create a new project

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.

👇 Mark your steps as done as you complete them.

+5 XP

3 - Add your player

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. In our example we will choose the monkey character.

let mySprite = sprites.create(img`
    . . . . f f f f f . . . . . . . 
    . . . f e e e e e f . . . . . . 
    . . f d d d d e e e f . . . . . 
    . c d f d d f d e e f f . . . . 
    . c d f d d f d e e d d f . . . 
    c d e e d d d d e e b d c . . . 
    c d d d d c d d e e b d c . f f 
    c c c c c d d d e e f c . f e f 
    . f d d d d d e e f f . . f e f 
    . . f f f f f e e e e f . f e f 
    . . . . f e e e e e e e f f e f 
    . . . f e f f e f e e e e f f . 
    . . . f e f f e f e e e e f . . 
    . . . f d b f d b f f e f . . . 
    . . . f d d c d d b b d 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.

+10 XP

4 - Move your player

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 e e e e e f . . . . . . 
    . . f d d d d e e e f . . . . . 
    . c d f d d f d e e f f . . . . 
    . c d f d d f d e e d d f . . . 
    c d e e d d d d e e b d c . . . 
    c d d d d c d d e e b d c . f f 
    c c c c c d d d e e f c . f e f 
    . f d d d d d e e f f . . f e f 
    . . f f f f f e e e e f . f e f 
    . . . . f e e e e e e e f f e f 
    . . . f e f f e f e e e e f f . 
    . . . f e f f e f e e e e f . . 
    . . . f d b f d b f f e f . . . 
    . . . f d d c d d b b d 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.

+10 XP

5 - Create the donuts

Next, we will create the food sprites. These will be created every 2 seconds

Add the following code:

game.onUpdateInterval(2000, function () { let mySprite2 = sprites.create(img`...`, SpriteKind.Food) })

Make sure you select Food as the kind of sprite.

And then choose a character from the gallery for the food sprite, in our example we chose a donut.

let mySprite2: Sprite = null
game.onUpdateInterval(2000, function () {
    mySprite2 = sprites.create(img`
        . . . . . . b b b b a a . . . . 
        . . . . b b d d d 3 3 3 a a . . 
        . . . b d d d 3 3 3 3 3 3 a a . 
        . . b d d 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 a . 
        . b 3 d 3 3 3 3 3 b 3 3 3 3 a b 
        . b 3 3 3 3 3 a a 3 3 3 3 3 a b 
        b 3 3 3 3 3 a a 3 3 3 3 d a 4 b 
        b 3 3 3 3 b a 3 3 3 3 3 d a 4 b 
        b 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 d a 4 4 e 
        a 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 d a 4 4 4 e 
        a 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 d d a 4 4 4 e . 
        a a 3 3 3 d d d a a 4 4 4 e e . 
        . e a a a a a a 4 4 4 4 e e . . 
        . . e e b b 4 4 4 4 b e e . . . 
        . . . e e e e e e e e . . . . . 
        . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
        `, SpriteKind.Food)
})

Now after 2 seconds the food sprite should be created and appear on top of your player sprite.

+20 XP

Unlock the Full Learning Experience

Get ready to embark on an incredible learning journey! Get access to this lesson and hundreds more in our Digital Skills Curriculum.

Get started

Your Answer or Description of Your Work

Project URL This can be a link to your project (e.g. a Scratch, Microbit, Arcade or CodePen URL link).

Upload File

You must be logged into Scratch to share your project, otherwise the link will not work.

To get the URL link of your Scratch project:

Make sure you're logged into Scratch.
Click on the Share button in the project editor.
Click on the Copy Link button.
Click on the Copy Link link. This will save the URL of your project page into your clipboard.

To get the URL link of your Microbit project:

Click on the button in the project editor.
Click on the Publish Project button.
Click on the Copy button. This will save the URL of your project page into your clipboard.

To get the URL link of your Arcade project:

Click on the button in the project editor.
Click on the Publish Project button.
Click on the Copy button. This will save the URL of your project page into your clipboard.

To get the URL link of your CodePen project:

Make sure you're logged into CodePen.
Open your project in the editor.
Click on the Save button at the top of the editor.
Copy the link from the address bar in your web browser (e.g. https://codepen.io/Jane-Smith/pen/gOVXxBQ)

Monkey Mayhem

Teacher Class Feed

1 - Introduction

Send your work to your teacher

2 - Create a new project

Send your work to your teacher

3 - Add your player

Send your work to your teacher

4 - Move your player

Send your work to your teacher

5 - Create the donuts

Send your work to your teacher

Unlock the Full Learning Experience