Code a Space Invaders Game With Pygame!

In this Instructables, I will take you through a coding course to code a Space Invaders type game with Pygame!

To play, run the program. Enter your username in the terminal (not the game screen).

The terminal displays the instructions:

Arrow keys to move.
Space to shoot.

Powerup guide:

• Orange powerups make your next bullet pierce.
• Yellow powerups make your next bullet big.
• Black powerups make your next bullet explode.
• Grey powerups give you a shield.
• Cyan (light blue-green) powerups give you 5 points.

Mob guide:

• Green mobs (1 pt) are normal.
• Purple mobs (2 pts) have more health.
• Blue mobs (2 pts) are faster.

• Software that can run Python, such as VSCode or IDLE.

Make a folder called "images" and place all of the images in there. Do the same for the sounds. Make a txt file called high_scores.

The images and sounds are stored here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IXvOS7lkpwDFJcBNz...

The "space.png" file is attached above. Thanks to healthcheck82 and jason.sowerby2012 for noticing that it was missing!

We need to import:

• os.stat_result and os.path to access files
• pygame to run the game
• random to randomize powerups

time is not needed, but I was using it to experiment with a timer before the start of the game.

We need constants for the screen width, height, and FPS. We also need constants for the colors (We don't need all of them, but if you want to change something's color, it'll be easier this way.)

The __init__ function sets up the image and collision detection.

The update function handles movement.

Shield and unshield change variables and the image when the player hits a shield powerup.

The __init__ function sets up the mob image, health, speed, and worth (points gained from killing it).

The update function handles movement forward and to the side. The 1000 in the section "If self.counter = 1000" can be set to anything between 0 and 1999.

The __init__ section handles different images and stats for powerups, as well as the speed.

The update section handles the movement and destroys the bullet if it goes off screen.

The __init__ function sets up the image.

The return_power function returns the powerup type.

The randomize function randomizes the powerup, and makes sure it won't become a shield powerup if the player is already shielded.

The update function randomizes the powerup if it is not hit after a while.

The __init__ function creates the button shape and text.

The prep_msg function renders the text.

The draw_button function draws the button.

The __init__ function gets the username from the player (from the terminal, not the game screen) and loads all the files.

The reset function assigns values to the mob stats and others, creates groups of sprites, and creates the player and powerups.

The image and sound functions retrieve and handle files.

The create_mobs function creates a rectangular block of mobs.

The display_text function displays a string of text.

The print_instructions function prints the instructions in the terminal.

The get_events and check_play_button functions handle the events.

The run function runs the program, completing tasks such as:

• Updating sprites
• Building levels
• Calculating collisions
• Applying powerups
• Reloading ammo

The display function displays the button, sprites, and briefly displays level text when entering a new level.

The end_game function ends the game and displays score, high score, and maximum level reached.

The main function initiates pygame, creates the clock, and runs the game.