🎮 PyGame: An Introduction

🔹 What is PyGame?

PyGame is a free, open-source library for Python that helps you build 2D games and multimedia applications. It has powerful tools that will allow you to use:

  • Graphics and animation

  • Sounds and music

  • User input (keyboard, mouse)

  • Sprites and collisions

  • Game loops and timers

✅ Recommended Python Versions for PyGame

  • ✅ Fully supported and stable versions of Python are 3.7 to 3.11

    • These are the most commonly used versions with PyGame.

    • PyGame is regularly tested against these versions.

✅ Use PyGame when you want…

  • smoother animation

  • images

  • sound

  • interactivity

🛠 Installation

Install with pip:

pip install pygame

If you’re using a specific Python version:

python3.11 -m pip install pygame

🔍 Check Compatibility with Your Python Version

Run this in your terminal or Python shell:

import pygame
print(pygame.ver)
print(pygame.get_sdl_version())

🔗 Official Guide

🧱 PyGame Basics

Initial Setup

import pygame
pygame.init()

Create a Window

width, height = 500, 500
window = pygame.display.set_mode((width, height))
pygame.display.set_caption("My First Game")

Main Game Loop

running = True
while running:
    for event in pygame.event.get():
        if event.type == pygame.QUIT:
            running = False

    pygame.display.update()

🖼 Drawing & Displaying Graphics

Background Images

bg = pygame.transform.smoothscale(pygame.image.load("bg.jpg"), (width, height))
window.blit(bg, (0, 0))  # Draw background at (0,0)

Display Update

pygame.display.update()  # Refreshes screen

⛔ Forgetting to call blit() or update() will result in no visible changes!

🧍 Working with Sprites (Player, Objects)

Load and Resize

player = pygame.transform.smoothscale(pygame.image.load("player.png"), (100, 100))

Draw (Blit) to Screen

window.blit(player, (player_x, player_y))

Blit your background before your player or the player will disappear!

🕹 Keyboard Input & Movement

def movement():
    keys = pygame.key.get_pressed()
    global player_x, player_y
    if keys[pygame.K_LEFT]:
        player_x -= 5
    if keys[pygame.K_RIGHT]:
        player_x += 5
    if keys[pygame.K_UP]:
        player_y -= 5
    if keys[pygame.K_DOWN]:
        player_y += 5

Inside your main loop, call movement() before updating the display.

🍎 Project: Apple Collect Starter

You can use the code below to create an interactive game:

import pygame
pygame.init()

width, height = 500, 500
window = pygame.display.set_mode((width, height))
pygame.display.set_caption("Apple Collect")

bg = pygame.transform.smoothscale(pygame.image.load("bg.jpg"), (width, height))
player = pygame.transform.smoothscale(pygame.image.load("player.png"), (100, 100))
apple = pygame.transform.smoothscale(pygame.image.load("apple.png"), (50, 50))

player_x, player_y = 200, 200

def movement():
    keys = pygame.key.get_pressed()
    global player_x, player_y
    if keys[pygame.K_LEFT]:
        player_x -= 5
    if keys[pygame.K_RIGHT]:
        player_x += 5
    if keys[pygame.K_UP]:
        player_y -= 5
    if keys[pygame.K_DOWN]:
        player_y += 5

running = True
while running:
    window.blit(bg, (0, 0))
    movement()
    window.blit(player, (player_x, player_y))
    window.blit(apple, (100, 100))
    pygame.display.update()

    for event in pygame.event.get():
        if event.type == pygame.QUIT:
            running = False

🧠 Intermediate Topics

🎯 Collision Detection

player_rect = pygame.Rect(player_x, player_y, 100, 100)
apple_rect = pygame.Rect(100, 100, 50, 50)

if player_rect.colliderect(apple_rect):
    print("Apple Collected!")

📦 Using Classes for Sprites

class Player(pygame.sprite.Sprite):
    def __init__(self, x, y):
        super().__init__()
        self.image = pygame.image.load("player.png")
        self.image = pygame.transform.scale(self.image, (100, 100))
        self.rect = self.image.get_rect()
        self.rect.topleft = (x, y)

    def move(self, keys):
        if keys[pygame.K_LEFT]:
            self.rect.x -= 5
        if keys[pygame.K_RIGHT]:
            self.rect.x += 5
        if keys[pygame.K_UP]:
            self.rect.y -= 5
        if keys[pygame.K_DOWN]:
            self.rect.y += 5

🔥 Advanced Topics

🎵 Adding Sound

pygame.mixer.init()
collect_sound = pygame.mixer.Sound("collect.wav")
collect_sound.play()

🎲 Random Placement

import random
apple_x = random.randint(0, 450)
apple_y = random.randint(0, 450)

⏱ Frame Rate Control

clock = pygame.time.Clock()
clock.tick(60)  # Limit to 60 frames per second

📚 Organizing Code into Modules

Split code into:

  • main.py

  • player.py

  • utils.py

🧪 Leveling Up Projects

Encourage students to:

  • Add timers or scores

  • Create multiple levels

  • Add enemies

  • Track high scores with file I/O

🧰 Final Tips for Teaching

  • Use visuals for explaining coordinates and layering.

  • Show examples of sprite sheets or sprite animations.

  • Let students modify assets to personalize their games.

  • Use pre-built templates and have them “remix” the code.