Game Makecode Arcade

Beginner

60 mins

Teacher/Student led

+175 XP

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

Shark Attack

Get ready for an exciting coding journey! You'll create a thrilling game where you control a character avoiding chasing enemies. Using MakeCode Arcade, follow simple steps to build and test your game from start to finish.

Learning Goals Learning Outcomes Teacher Notes Lesson Files

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1 Introduction
2 Create a new Arcade project
3 Create your player sprite
4 Move the sprite
5 Make it stay on the screen
6 Create the enemy sprites
7 Set the enemy position
8 Make them chase the player sprite
9 Game over
10 Game Over, Well Done!
Challenge
Quiz

1 - Introduction

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!

2 - Create a new Arcade 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 - Create your player sprite

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.

+10 XP

4 - Move the sprite

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.

+15 XP

5 - Make it stay on the screen

You may have noticed that you can move your sprite off the screen. To stop your sprite from moving off the screen, 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)
mySprite.setStayInScreen(true)

Now check that you can't move your player sprite off the screen edges.

+15 XP

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

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)

Shark Attack

Teacher Class Feed

1 - Introduction

Send your work to your teacher

2 - Create a new Arcade project

Send your work to your teacher

3 - Create your player sprite

Send your work to your teacher

4 - Move the sprite

Send your work to your teacher

5 - Make it stay on the screen

Send your work to your teacher

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