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Frank Anemaet

When I was a kid, I used to play a lot of Asteroids, a simple arcade game where your space ship was orbiting around a bunch of asteroids. In the game you had to move your space ship around to avoid crashing into them or get onto them to destroy them with the lasers on the space ship. Whenever I played it I had fun.

In this course you will learn how to make the Asteroids game with the Python programming language. You don't need any advanced knowledge of Python nor any object orientated programming knowledge, it's a beginners course. Only basic Python knowledge is required like functions and loops.

Read more

When I was a kid, I used to play a lot of Asteroids, a simple arcade game where your space ship was orbiting around a bunch of asteroids. In the game you had to move your space ship around to avoid crashing into them or get onto them to destroy them with the lasers on the space ship. Whenever I played it I had fun.

In this course you will learn how to make the Asteroids game with the Python programming language. You don't need any advanced knowledge of Python nor any object orientated programming knowledge, it's a beginners course. Only basic Python knowledge is required like functions and loops.

The course will introduce you to PyGame, a game programming library. You will learn how to load and display images, how to create animations, how to create game play, how to add text and so on. By the end of this course, you will have a complete asteroids game made with the Python programming language.

The course includes all the code examples and graphics so you can follow along with each step. If you want to make games with Python, what are you waiting for? Enroll today and I'll see you inside the course.

Enroll now

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Basics of pygame
  • Load and display images
  • Handle keyboard input
  • Game loop
  • How to make the asteroids game

Syllabus

Introduction
Download the code
Game loop
Draw ship
Read more
Rotate image
Keyboard input 1
Keyboard input 2
Keyboard input 3
Draw asteroids
Move asteroids
Basic collision
Collision detection
Fire
Multiple fire
Collision bullet
Whats next?

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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 Asteroids with Python PyGame with these activities:
Review Basic Python Syntax
Solidify your understanding of fundamental Python concepts like loops, functions, and variables before diving into game development.
Browse courses on Python Syntax
Show steps
  • Review Python tutorials and documentation.
  • Practice writing simple Python scripts.
  • Complete online Python exercises.
Review "Python Crash Course, 2nd Edition: A Hands-On, Project-Based Introduction to Programming"
Reinforce Python fundamentals with a comprehensive guide that includes hands-on projects.
Show steps
  • Read the relevant chapters on Python basics.
  • Complete the exercises and projects in the book.
  • Relate the concepts to game development in PyGame.
Follow PyGame Tutorials
Gain familiarity with the PyGame library by working through introductory tutorials that cover essential concepts.
Show steps
  • Find beginner-friendly PyGame tutorials online.
  • Work through the tutorials step-by-step.
  • Experiment with the code and modify it.
Three other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all six activities
Document Your Asteroids Game Development
Improve your understanding by documenting your game development process, including challenges, solutions, and key learnings.
Show steps
  • Create a blog or journal to record your progress.
  • Document each step of the game development process.
  • Reflect on the challenges you faced and how you overcame them.
Create a Simple PyGame Project
Apply your PyGame knowledge by building a small, independent game project to reinforce your learning.
Show steps
  • Choose a simple game idea (e.g., Pong, Snake).
  • Plan the game's features and mechanics.
  • Implement the game using PyGame.
  • Test and debug the game.
Contribute to a PyGame Project
Deepen your understanding of PyGame by contributing to an open-source project, learning from experienced developers.
Show steps
  • Find an open-source PyGame project on GitHub.
  • Identify a bug or feature to work on.
  • Contribute your code and documentation.

Career center

Learners who complete Asteroids with Python PyGame will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Game Programmer
Game programmers are responsible for implementing the code that brings a game to life. This includes writing game logic, handling user input, and managing graphics and sound. This course is an excellent starting point for a career as a game programmer. Using Python and PyGame, this course helps one to gain hands on experience implementing essential game mechanics. The course gives practical experience in loading images, creating animations, handling keyboard input, and detecting collisions. Working through the Asteroids project helps to build a strong foundation in game programming principles.
Indie Game Developer
An indie game developer typically works independently or on a small team, creating and publishing their own games. This course is an excellent starting point for would be developers looking to create their own games using Python and PyGame. Building the Asteroids game provides hands on experience with game programming concepts. The course covers essential skills like loading images, creating animations, handling keyboard input, and implementing game loops. The course helps to gain a practical understanding of game development, which is invaluable for anyone pursuing a career as an indie game developer.
Game Developer
A game developer brings video game concepts to life, crafting the mechanics, rules, and overall experience for players. This often involves programming, designing game systems, and collaborating with artists and designers. This course helps one to develop a foundation in game development, using Python and PyGame to recreate a classic arcade game. The course focuses on loading images, creating animations, handling keyboard input, implementing game loops, and detecting collisions. These are fundamental skills for anyone looking to build interactive games. Working through the Asteroids project provides hands on experience and a practical understanding of how to implement game mechanics. This is a valuable starting point for aspiring game developers.
Computer Science Teacher
Computer science teachers educate students in the principles of computer science including programming, algorithms, and data structures. This course will be valuable to a computer science teacher as it provides a hands on project that can be used as a teaching tool. By working through the Asteroids game development process, the teacher gains practical experience in game programming with Python. The course helps one to teach concepts of loading images, creating animations, handling keyboard input, and implementing game loops in the classroom environment.
Python Developer
Python developers specialize in using the Python programming language to build various applications. This course helps to provide a practical experience in applying Python skills to a specific project. Working through the Asteroids game project helps you to learn how to use Python in conjunction with the PyGame library to create a functioning game. The course covers essential concepts like handling keyboard input, creating animations, and detecting collisions. Completing this course helps Python developers to expand their skills and portfolio.
Educational Game Developer
Educational game developers create games that are designed to teach specific skills or concepts. This course helps to build a solid foundation in game development with Python and PyGame. The course may be particularly useful for creating simple, engaging games that teach basic programming concepts or other educational topics. The course helps one to learn how to load and display images as well as handle keyboard input. This understanding is a valuable asset when designing interactive learning experiences.
Mobile Game Developer
Mobile game developers specialize in creating games for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. This course may be helpful for mobile game developers by introducing the fundamentals of game programming using Python and PyGame. Although PyGame might not be the primary framework for mobile game development, the course helps to understand core concepts such as game loops, input handling, and collision detection. The knowledge helps developers to adapt to different mobile game development frameworks and tools and learn to load and display images.
Software Engineer
Software engineers design, develop, and test software applications. They work on a wide variety of projects, from mobile apps to enterprise systems. This course may be useful to a software engineer by providing experience with Python and a game programming library. Developing the Asteroids game demonstrates a basic understanding of game logic, event handling, and graphical display. This course may especially benefit those interested in specializing in game development or graphical applications. This course gives hands on experience with loading and displaying images and handling keyboard input.
Software Developer
Software developers are involved in the creation, maintenance, and testing of software applications. This course may be useful to a software developer by offering an opportunity to expand their skills in Python and learn a new library, PyGame. The course can enhance a portfolio with a hands on project that demonstrates practical application of programming concepts. The course helps one expand knowledge of loading and displaying images and handling keyboard input.
Simulation Developer
Simulation developers create software that simulates real world scenarios for training, research, or entertainment purposes. This course may be useful for simulation developers as it introduces the basics of game development with Python and PyGame. While game development and simulation development are separate fields, many of the underlying programming concepts are the same such as handling input, updating game state, and displaying graphics. The course covers implementing game loops and collision detection. This is a valuable skillset that could be used to model interactions between objects.
Game Designer
Game designers are responsible for the overall vision and design of a game. This includes defining the game's mechanics, rules, and player experience. While game designers may not always need to code, understanding the underlying technology helps with communication with developers and making informed design decisions. This course may be useful to a game designer because it provides a practical understanding of how game mechanics are implemented using Python and PyGame. The course helps a designer to appreciate the challenges and possibilities involved in creating a game and making informed design decisions.
Application Developer
Application developers design, develop, and implement software applications. While this course focuses on game development using Python and PyGame, the fundamentals of programming are applicable to application development. This course may be useful for learning the basics of Python. The learning of game loops and handling keyboard input are good stepping stones to becoming an effective application developer. The course will show one how to load and display images.
Automation Engineer
Automation engineers design, develop, and implement automated systems and processes. This course may be useful if you are an automation engineer since it can help one to learn the basics of coding, debugging, and problem solving. This course teaches one how to handle keyboard input in Python programming language. This is one of the most useful skills that an automation engineer needs to master, and for this reason, this course may be useful.
Web Developer
Web developers build and maintain websites and web applications. While this course focuses on game development, the underlying programming concepts are transferable to web development. This course may be useful for web developers interested in creating interactive web based games or applications. The course helps to expand knowledge of Python and how to load and display images. It also helps to add a project to one's portfolio by developing the Asteroids game.
Virtual Reality Developer
Virtual reality developers build immersive experiences for VR platforms. Although this course focuses on a 2D game, the fundamental programming concepts taught here, such as game loops, input handling, and collision detection, are transferable to VR development. The course may be useful in building a foundational understanding of game development principles. One can learn how to load and display images through this course. This knowledge may be useful when working with 3D environments and interactive elements in VR applications.

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 Asteroids with Python PyGame.
Provides a solid foundation in Python programming, covering essential concepts and syntax. It's particularly helpful for beginners who want a project-based approach to learning. The book includes several projects that can be adapted to game development, making it a valuable resource for this course. It can be used as a reference or for additional reading to reinforce the concepts taught in the course.

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