Description
Description: This fast-paced workshop teaches game design with Microsoft MakeCode Arcade so students can build a playable project quickly. They start by customizing a hero sprite and choosing a game mechanic like collecting, dodging, or maze navigation. Students wire up controller events, collisions, and score systems using block code. They explore randomness to spawn enemies or items at fair intervals without overwhelming players. Basic physics show how gravity, velocity, and tile maps affect movement and difficulty. Learners iterate on balance by adjusting speed, hit points, and power-ups based on peer feedback. A simple art lab teaches palette choices and clarity for small pixel canvases. They test on desktops and tablets, then export a sharable link or downloadable ROM for emulators. Reflection prompts encourage writing patch notes that document each improvement. By the end, every student has a complete, replayable mini game to showcase in class.
Format: Live-coded demos + block templates + pixel art worksheet + playtesting rubric
Duration: 2 weeks (four 60–75 minute sessions)
What You’ll Learn: Event-driven logic, collisions, variables, randomness, basic physics, balance, iteration
Target Audience: Grades 5–8 students who enjoy games and want a friendly coding start
