Learn Modern Javascript by Coding a Snake Ga…

Ever wanted to learn Javascript, Node.js & Express.js but found traditional courses a little boring & long?

Jump straight in by coding a snake game and learn the fun way.

You will get experience using:

Javascript
ES6
Classes
Arrays
Functions
Objects
Phaser 3
Node.js
Express.js
Phaser 3

Snake is a nice, simple game that includes many fundamental elements that you will find in many games. It is the ideal first game to code.

The game includes:

Movement
Input handling
Power ups
Randomisation
Collision detection
Game over handling

I hope you enjoy the course.

What's inside

Syllabus

Getting Started

Installing Visual Studio Code & Node.js

Here is how you get additional help if you get stuck!

Node.js & Express

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Uses Phaser 3, a popular open-source HTML5 game framework, which allows learners to build games for desktop and mobile web browsers

Covers Node.js and Express.js, which are commonly used for building server-side applications and APIs, thus expanding the learner's skillset

Teaches ES6, which introduces modern syntax and features to Javascript, such as classes and arrow functions, which are essential for modern web development

Requires installing Visual Studio Code and Node.js, which may require learners to configure their development environment before starting the course

Reviews summary

Learn javascript by building a game

According to learners who might find traditional courses dull, this course offers a fun and engaging way to learn Javascript fundamentals by building a classic Snake game. Students appreciate the practical, hands-on approach which provides ample coding practice using modern Javascript (ES6), classes, and basic data structures. It serves as a great introduction to the Phaser 3 game engine and touches upon server-side basics with Node.js and Express.js. While the focus is clearly on the game project and foundational concepts, some learners note that it doesn't delve deeply into advanced topics, suggesting it's best suited for beginners or those looking for an interactive way to solidify core JS skills before exploring more complex areas.

Learning tied to game development.

"Keep in mind the context is game development, not general web dev."

"The skills are taught through the lens of building a simple game."

"Learned JS concepts specifically for building a game, which was my goal."

Learn basics of a game engine.

"Gave me a useful introduction to using the Phaser 3 game engine."

"I got comfortable with the basics of working with Phaser."

"Explains how to use Phaser for game elements like sprites and movement."

Solid introduction to JS fundamentals.

"If you're new to Javascript, this course is a solid starting point."

"It covers the basic concepts needed to get started with game development."

"Helped me understand core JS ideas through a practical example."

Provides practical coding experience.

"The course has a lot of coding exercises built into the project."

"This course really helped me get hands-on practice with Javascript."

"I appreciated the practical steps in building the game piece by piece."

Learning through building a game is fun.

"Building the Snake game made learning JavaScript genuinely fun and kept me motivated."

"I enjoyed the project-based approach; it felt more practical than just lectures."

"It's great to see core concepts applied immediately in a game context."

Doesn't cover advanced topics deeply.

"This is great for basics, but don't expect deep dives into advanced JS or Node.js."

"Covers fundamentals but lacks depth for more complex scenarios."

"Good intro, but you'll need other resources for advanced learning."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Learn Modern Javascript by Coding a Snake Game with these activities:

Review JavaScript Fundamentals

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Solidify your understanding of core JavaScript concepts like variables, data types, functions, and control flow to prepare for the course's game development focus.

Browse courses on JavaScript Fundamentals

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Read through a JavaScript tutorial or guide.
Complete basic JavaScript exercises on websites like freeCodeCamp or Codecademy.
Practice writing simple JavaScript programs.

Eloquent JavaScript, 3rd Edition

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Deepen your understanding of JavaScript with a comprehensive guide that covers the language's core concepts and advanced features.

View Melania on Amazon

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Read the first few chapters covering basic syntax and data structures.
Work through the exercises at the end of each chapter.

Phaser 3 Tutorials

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Familiarize yourself with the Phaser 3 framework by following online tutorials that cover basic game development concepts.

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Search for Phaser 3 tutorials on the Phaser website or YouTube.
Follow a tutorial on creating a simple game, such as a platformer or an arcade shooter.
Experiment with different Phaser 3 features and functionalities.

Four other activities

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Practice JavaScript Array and Object Manipulation

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Sharpen your skills in manipulating arrays and objects, which are essential for game development in JavaScript.

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Solve coding challenges on websites like LeetCode or HackerRank that focus on array and object manipulation.
Implement common array and object operations, such as filtering, mapping, and reducing.

Create a Simple JavaScript Game

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Apply your knowledge by building a small game using JavaScript and Phaser 3, reinforcing the concepts learned in the course.

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Plan a simple game idea, such as a pong or breakout clone.
Set up a Phaser 3 project and create the game's basic structure.
Implement the game's logic, including player movement, collision detection, and scoring.
Add visual and audio effects to enhance the game's experience.

Document Your Game Development Process

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Reinforce your understanding by documenting your game development journey, explaining the challenges you faced and the solutions you implemented.

Show steps

Write blog posts or create videos that showcase your game development progress.
Share your code and documentation on platforms like GitHub.

Contribute to a Phaser 3 Project

Show steps

Deepen your understanding of Phaser 3 by contributing to an open-source project, collaborating with other developers and learning from their expertise.

Show steps

Find a Phaser 3 project on GitHub that you're interested in.
Identify a bug or feature that you can contribute to.
Submit a pull request with your changes.

Career center

Learners who complete Learn Modern Javascript by Coding a Snake Game will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Game Developer

A game developer creates video games for computers, consoles, and mobile devices. This individual employs programming languages and software development tools to design game mechanics, implement artificial intelligence, and integrate graphics and sound. This course builds a strong foundation in Javascript, Node.js, Express.js, and Phaser 3, all valuable technologies used in modern game development. The course's hands-on approach of coding a Snake game provides practical experience in core game development concepts like movement, input handling, collision detection, and game-over handling. This course may be useful for aspiring game developers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Game Developer

Full-Stack Developer

A full stack developer works on both the front-end and back-end portions of an application. This career requires knowledge of databases, servers, systems engineering, and client-facing work. The course can help those in this field through its coverage of the essentials. A full stack developer can benefit from learning Javascript, ES6, Classes, Arrays, Functions, Objects, Phaser 3, Node.js, and Express.js. By learning how to make the snake game, the full stack developer can get the skills to construct web applications.

See salaries and explore the career path for Full-Stack Developer

Backend Developer

A backend developer focuses on the server-side logic and infrastructure of web applications. This individual specializes in technologies such as Node.js, Express.js, databases, and APIs. The backend handles data storage, processing, and security. This course helps refine the skills required of this career. The exposure to Node.js and Express.js is directly applicable to backend development. Completing the Snake game project provides practical experience in building server-side applications. Becoming familiar with Javascript, ES6, Classes, Arrays, Functions, and Objects is a valuable skill.

See salaries and explore the career path for Backend Developer

Frontend Developer

A frontend developer specializes in building the user interface of websites and web applications. Responsibilities include writing clean, efficient code using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, implementing responsive designs, and ensuring cross-browser compatibility. This course emphasizes foundational Javascript concepts. This course helps frontend developers learn to work with Phaser 3, an additional useful tool. The focus on ES6, Classes, Arrays, Functions, and Objects helps sharpen Javascript skills. The practical experience of building a game with Javascript may be useful for solidifying a frontend foundation.

See salaries and explore the career path for Frontend Developer

Web Application Developer

A web application developer designs, develops, and maintains interactive web applications. This individual is proficient in frontend and backend technologies, database management, and server-side scripting. The course's coverage of Javascript, Node.js, and Express.js helps someone build full-stack web applications. The course's practical project helps one practice these skills. The course's lessons on how to use Javascript, Classes, Arrays, Functions, and Objects may be useful to web application developers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Web Application Developer

Software Engineer

Software engineers design, develop, test, and deploy software applications. They often possess expertise in multiple programming languages, data structures, and algorithms, allowing them to tackle complex challenges. This course introduces Node.js and Express.js, which are commonly used for backend development. The course also helps refine Javascript skills. Using this course to gain experience with core Javascript concepts, software engineers can expand their skillset and broaden their opportunities. By learning how to work with ES6, Classes, Arrays, Functions, and Objects, one may enhance their prospects as a software engineer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Engineer

Mobile Game Developer

Mobile game developers specialize in creating games for smartphones and tablets. They are proficient in mobile game engines such as Unity or Unreal Engine, and they understand the unique considerations for mobile devices. This course may be useful for mobile game developers, as it builds a foundation in Javascript, Phaser 3, Node.js, and Express.js. The course emphasizes fundamental game development elements like movement, input handling, power-ups, randomisation, collision detection, and game-over handling, which are applicable to mobile game development.

See salaries and explore the career path for Mobile Game Developer

Software Developer

A software developer creates applications that allow users to do specific tasks on a computer or another device. Software developers may work on operating systems or compilers, or they may work on applications used by end-users. This course may be useful to software developers, as it offers lessons in Javascript, ES6, Classes, Arrays, Functions, Objects, Phaser 3, Node.js, and Express.js. The course is designed around making a Snake game, which can serve as an introduction to software development.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Developer

QA Engineer

QA engineers are responsible for ensuring the quality of software through testing and identifying defects. They create test plans, execute test cases, and report bugs. Some QA roles involve automating tests using programming languages like Python or Javascript. This course's emphasis on Javascript may be useful to QA engineers. By learning about Javascript, ES6, Classes, Arrays, Functions, Objects, Phaser 3, Node.js, and Express.js, this course may be helpful for QA engineers.

See salaries and explore the career path for QA Engineer

Web Designer

A web designer plans, creates, and codes internet sites and web pages, many of which combine text with sounds, pictures, graphics, and video clips. A web designer may be responsible for creating the look and feel of a website. With lessons in Javascript, ES6, Classes, Arrays, Functions, Objects, Phaser 3, Node.js, and Express.js, this course may be useful to web designers. The course's hands-on approach can impart important skills to those in this field.

See salaries and explore the career path for Web Designer

UI Designer

A UI designer focuses on the user interface elements of digital products, ensuring they are visually appealing and easy to use. This includes designing layouts, creating graphics, and selecting color palettes. While UI designers do not typically write code, a familiarity with frontend technologies can improve communication with developers. This course helps UI designers be able to comprehend how Javascript works. With lessons in Javascript, ES6, Classes, Arrays, Functions, Objects, Phaser 3, Node.js, and Express.js, this course may be helpful to UI designers.

See salaries and explore the career path for UI Designer

UX Designer

A UX designer conducts user research, creates wireframes and prototypes, and designs user flows to optimize the user experience of digital products. While coding is not a primary responsibility, understanding frontend technologies allows UX designers to create more realistic and feasible designs. This course helps UX designers obtain an understanding of Javascript concepts. With lessons in Javascript, ES6, Classes, Arrays, Functions, Objects, Phaser 3, Node.js, and Express.js, this course may be useful to UX designers.

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Software Architect

Software architects are responsible for making high-level design choices and framing technical standards, including software coding standards, tools, and platforms. This often requires an advanced degree. They guide the development team, and they play a key role in the success of a software project. Though software architect is often a leadership position, staying abreast of programming languages is still useful. This course's lessons in Javascript, ES6, Classes, Arrays, Functions, Objects, Phaser 3, Node.js, and Express.js may be useful to software architects.

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Data Scientist

Data scientists analyze large datasets to extract meaningful insights and inform business decisions. They use programming languages like Python and R, statistical modeling techniques, and machine learning algorithms. While not a primary tool, Javascript knowledge can be helpful for data visualization and building interactive dashboards. This course's lessons on Javascript, ES6, Classes, Arrays, Functions, Objects, Phaser 3, Node.js, and Express.js may be useful to data scientists.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Scientist

IT Support Specialist

An IT support specialist provides technical assistance to computer users, resolving hardware and software issues. While programming is not a core requirement, a basic understanding of scripting languages can be beneficial for troubleshooting and automation. This course's lessons on Javascript, ES6, Classes, Arrays, Functions, Objects, Phaser 3, Node.js, and Express.js may be useful to IT support specialists.

See salaries and explore the career path for IT Support Specialist

Reading list

We've selected one books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Learn Modern Javascript by Coding a Snake Game.

Learn Modern Javascript by Coding a Snake Game

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Reviews summary

Learn javascript by building a game

Activities

Career center

Reading list

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