Python game development

Did you know that the creator of Python, Guido van Rossum, sum has returned to his roots, hoping to find ways to make it the fastest programming language in the world? For what ultramodern task, guess? You won't believe - neural networks and machine learning! Guido believes the machine learning field "has become more successful because of Python… It’s a very nice symbiosis." But everyone can't go into "machine learning" right now, it's better to start with something simpler.

We suggest you start with our Python Game Programming course. Your kids will feel like real game developers! The course consists of 9 modules and lasts approx. 9 months. It is for 11-14 ages. Teenage years is the best time to learn programming, and game development is a very convenient format for learning a language: first we code, then we play, testing our code. The course is suitable for beginners, as we learn many concepts of programming and game design from the basics. But if the students have a little experience in programming or developing games on engines, it will also be useful for them in our course.

The speed and ease of creating python programs has earned it a solid reputation in a wide variety of fields. Almost all major technology companies use this language. For example, Instagram is written in Python as well as the Dropbox storage software. Intel, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, IBM, and other companies use Python for data analysis, scientific computing, artificial intelligence development, and machine learning. In the media industry, Industrial Light & Magic, Pixar, and other companies use Python to produce animated films. Python plays a significant role in the Netflix and YouTube infrastructures – they use it to work with big data, analyze video traffic, and create recommendation algorithms.

With Python, our teachers can easily demonstrate important object-oriented programming concepts to young developers. Thanks to its ease of understanding, programming games in Python for children will help instill in them a passion for writing code, without overloading them. Python's versatility allows even beginners to create applications of all types and sizes, from small text-based games to full-fledged 3D projects. Ready-made libraries simplify the creation of both 2D and 3D games, and allow children to program almost any game: from simple platformers to more complex RPGs and strategies; from simple first-person shooters to more complex open-world games.

With the help of the well-known cross-platform library pygame for the Python programming language, students will be able to create their own games with a graphical interface. Pygame has many useful tools, features, and modules, and is actively maintained and updated by the developer community. With Pygame, you can easily and quickly add images, sounds, music, animations, buttons, and more to your games. With it, your kids will create puzzles, arcade games, strategy games, 2D shooters, 3D games, and games of other genres in our wonderful Python Game Development Course.

Who is the course "Programming games in Python" for?

• for kids who want to create their own games
• teenagers interested in programming
• those who want to learn the Python programming language
• for those who want to realize their creativity in gamedev
• those who wish to continue their training in game development
• connecting their future profession with IT

What will your child learn?

• In order to start programming games in Python, you need to learn the basics of the programming language itself, and how it is used to create game applications. So, we'll start the course by learning the basic concepts of programming languages, and then move on to study the pygame library.
• During the course, the child will learn how code works, what program algorithms are, get acquainted with variables, operators, data types, strings, for and while loops, print, input, range, len, and other functions, and then learn how to move objects on the game screen, process interactions between objects, and start creating their own games.
• In this course, your child will gain fundamental knowledge and practical skills that will help them enter the exciting world of game development. They will be able to turn their creative ideas into reality and become the developers of their own gaming apps!

Course objectives

• learn the basics of the popular Python programming language
• learn how to use the pygame library for game development
• understand the aspects of creating games of different genres and develop practical skills to implement your own games
• learn how to create simple, 2D and 3D games using the pygame library
• learn how to upload and share your games with your friends over the internet
• guide your child from just playing games to programming passion and discovering their abilities in the field of IT technologies
• write and publish at least 5 games of various genres and difficulty on the Internet

Python game development course content

In the first three learning modules, students will learn the basics of programming and first create text-based games in classic Python. It's an interesting experience to use Python in the PyCharm text editor without a GUI: just the code creation window and the command line or terminal.

Here we will learn how to apply the basic constructs of the programming language and learn the basics of the interface of the PyCharm program, learn the logic of creating simple games such as quiz, tic-tac-toe, rock-paper-scissors and others.

By this time, children will have mastered the basics of Python syntax and will be ready to program! At the end of the 3rd module, we will create the game "Sea World".

In Module 4, students will get acquainted with the Pygame library and learn how to make games with a graphical interface. Here, their gamedev skills will grow before our eyes - children will write new, more complex scripts, learn how to control a character, create collected elements in the game, and implement a sandbox RPG game.

In module 5, we create a game similar to Flappy Bird. Now we can handle touches with the screen border and create dynamic elements. In our version of the game, children will create an animated character, a bird. At this stage of learning, we will learn how to publish games on the Internet.

In module 6, we are writing a platformer game similar to Doodle Jump, and on module 7, the guys will create a game in the Tower Defense genre. They will learn how to process keyboard input and mouse movements, and learn many new commands. Thanks to this experience, young developers will improve their programming skills on the most interesting tasks — graphics, animation, simple calculations and much more.

In module 8, children will create a 2D Shooter game. They will learn how to create animations for a character and a level map. In this game, you can shoot, fight with enemies, students will learn how to implement the system of lives, learn how to display the rest of the ammunition, grenades, etc. on the screen, learn how to create their own game levels.

In the 9th module, the guys will create a 3D RPG game. They will learn how to work in 3D space, change the environment of the level, add their own characters, set up a dialogue with him, and also be able to experiment, adding their own details to the projects analyzed in the lessons, and share their own unique games on the Internet.

Modules 5-9 will feature various game mechanics, object control, character and enemy spawn, and object collisions. Students will improve the game interface of their games, create health point (HP) and score points systems, implement shooting effects, and that's not all.

The result of the course for the student will be the creation and publication of at least 5 games of different genres created using the Python programming language and the Pygame library. During the course, the child will learn the necessary skills step by step, so that they can apply them in their final project. At the final lesson of the course, we will have a presentation of the projects. We will prepare it together with the students, and they will be able to demonstrate their games created on the course and talk about them.

Enroll your child in our Python Game Programming course and give them a unique opportunity to plunge into the world of game development, expand their creative and algorithmic skills, and get acquainted with the IT professions at gamedev.

• children learned the basics of programming and game development in Python
• learned how to work with the pygame library
• they gained practical skills in developing 2D and 3D games, including adding their own graphics, images, sprites, and music to games
• have created and published their own games on the internet
• they learned to understand the fundamental concepts and rules of programming

Learning from our course will bring noticeable results to your child:

• During the course, each student will gain an active experience in creating, testing, debugging, and publishing games on the internet on their own. This ensures a full immersion in the world of gamedev.
• We also pay considerable attention to the development of soft skills. Working on their own game applications, children develop a creative approach and algorithmic thinking. They also acquire valuable skills such as time management, problem solving and decision making, and project preparation and presentation.

Join our course and give your child the opportunity to learn valuable programming and game development skills in Python.

The Big Book of Small Python Projects (2021)
Author: Al Sweigart
Preview the book in English here 

Our course will allow your child not only to learn programming and game development, but also to develop important skills that will be useful in any area of life and are necessary for a successful future career.

What do I need for the lessons?

For a successful class, your child will need a computer or laptop with pre-installed software, internet access (recommended connection speed - at least 20 Mbit/sec), headphones and additional equipment for better sound quality - a microphone or headset. Please make sure you have a stable internet connection before you start the course.

You must have a computer that meets certain requirements to successfully complete the course. Please follow the link for details on computer requirements.

We will provide instructions for installing the software required for the course, which you can open by clicking here. Please follow the step-by-step instructions to install the software. If you have any questions or problems during the installation process, please contact your manager or course instructor.

We are proud of the success of each student who has completed our course and therefore issue a personal certificate from CODDY at the end of the course. This certificate is a proof of the achievements and efforts invested in the course and can be used to build the student's portfolio.