Project 1
Introduction
In this first project we’re going to build a game that makes players stay alive. How that looks and works will be down to you, of course: you can have them avoiding asteroids in space, avoiding mines in the sea, or even avoiding cars on a highway.
Along the way you’ll also learn about particle effects, collision detection, and more – this project is a great way to dive into SpriteKit!
To get started we need to create a new project using the template for this book. This template doesn’t include any special code, but I have cleaned it completely so you’re starting with a completely blank slate each time. So, take a copy of my DiveIntoSpriteKit template and call it “Project1”, then it open it in Xcode.
It’s now time for your first choice. Do you want the player to fly through space, swim through the sea, or race on roads?
Please make your choice:
- Fly through space
- Sail through the sea
- Race on roads
Project 2
Introduction
In this project you’re going to build a puzzle game that asks users to study a grid of similar items closely and select the correct answer. What kind of items they see and what makes for a correct answer will be down to you – is it a grid of animals where one appears only once, a grid of numbered balls where they need to find the highest number, or a grid of lights where only one flashed?
To get started we need to create a new project using the template for this book. This template doesn’t include any special code, but I have cleaned it completely so you’re starting with a completely blank slate each time. So, take a copy of my DiveIntoSpriteKit template and call it “Project2”, then it open it in Xcode.
It’s now time for your first choice. Should the user see a grid of animals and tap the odd one out, should they see a grid of lights and tap the one that didn’t flash, or should they see a grid of numbered balls and tap whichever one has the highest number?
Please make your choice:
- Spot the odd one out
- Tap the light that didn't flash
- Tap the highest-numbered ball
Project 3
Introduction
In this project you’re going to build a game similar to Flappy Bird – how similar depends on the choices you make along the way, of course.
In this project you’re going to be using parallax scrolling, which is a time-honored technique to create the feeling of depth in 2D games. It works by making different parts of the background scroll at different speeds, and even though it’s fairly trivial to code I think you’ll find the effect looks great!
All the projects in this book start with the same blank SpriteKit template project, DiveIntoSpriteKit. It doesn’t add anything special – in fact, it’s just the basic Xcode project with all the unnecessary extras deleted so that you have a completely blank slate.
So, take a copy of that project now, call it Project3, then open it in Xcode.
Now it’s time for your first choice. Do you want to make Crashy Plane, Sinky Sub, or Bumpy Balloon?
Please make your choice:
- Crashy Plane
- Sinky Sub
- Bumpy Balloon
Project 4
Introduction
In this project we’re going to build a match three game – the kind of thing first popularized by Bejeweled years ago. Players will see a grid of items to choose from – aliens, gems, or balloons depending on what you choose – and it’s their job to tap them in groups to score maximum points.
Along the way you’ll get practice with sprites, labels, particle effects, touch detection, and more.
To get started we need to create a new project using the template for this book. This template doesn’t include any special code, but I have cleaned it completely so you’re starting with a completely blank slate each time. So, take a copy of my DiveIntoSpriteKit template and call it “Project4”, then it open it in Xcode.
It’s now time for your first choice. Do you want the player to match shapes, pop balloons, or zap aliens?
Please make your choice:
- Match shapes
- Pop balloons
- Zap aliens
