Scratch Coding: Chrome Dinosaur game

Tutorial plan

1- What is the Chrome Dinosaur game ?

2- Set Up the Chrome Dinosaur game in Scratch

What is the Chrome Dinosaur game ?

The Chrome Dinosaur Game, also known as "Dino Runner" or "T-Rex Game", is a built-in offline mini-game in the Google Chrome browser. It appears when your device is not connected to the internet.

In the game, you control a pixelated T-Rex dinosaur running through a desert. Your goal is to avoid obstacles such as cacti and flying pterodactyls by jumping or ducking. The game speeds up the longer you survive, making it more challenging over time. The game ends when the dinosaur hits an obstacle.

How It Works ?

- The dinosaur runs automatically.

- Press space bar or up arrow to make it jump.

- You need to avoid obstacles like Cactus

- The game gets faster over time.

- It continues until the player crashes.

Set Up the Chrome Dinosaur game in Scratch

Step 1: Prepare the game background

The background of the Dinosaur Game in Scratch is designed to closely resemble the simple, retro style of the original Google Chrome Dino Game. It features a minimalist desert landscape, using a white or light gray sky and a straight black ground line to give the illusion of endless running.

1) Go to import a background to add the space image.

2) Choose the  image for the game background :

Step 2: Creation of the Dinosaur sprite

The dinosaur typically has a cute, cartoon-like appearance, making it appealing for younger users. It’s more detailed and colorful than the pixelated Chrome Dino version.

1) Go to import a sprite to add the Dinosaur image.

2) Choose the Dinosaur-1 image:

3) Added costumes to Dinosaur sprite

Scratch dinosaur sprites often include multiple costumes to animate movement, actions, and expressions. These costumes help bring the character to life in games and stories.

a) At the top of the screen, click on the “Costumes” tab (next to "Code" and "Sounds").

b) Click the “Upload Costume” icon (arrow pointing up).

c) Choose images from your computer.

We obtain a Dinosaur sprite containing 4 costumes

4) Added sound files  to Dinosaur sprite

Sound files play an important role in enhancing the user experience when creating a Sprite Dinosaur game.

Jump Sound: When the dinosaur jumps, a short sound indicates the action was registered.

Collision/Crash Sound: When the dinosaur hits an obstacle (like a cactus), a sound effect alerts the player of game over.

a) Click the "Sounds" tab at the top (next to "Costumes").

b) Click the "Choose a Sound" button (speaker icon in the bottom left)

c) Import a custom .wav or .mp3 file from your computer

We obtain the sound files in Dinosaur sprite :

5) Script for the Dinosaur sprite

5) Explanation of Each Block 

Block	Role
	This block is used to start script automatically when the user clicks the green flag
	This block places the Dinosaur at its starting position when the game begins
	The Forever block is used in the Dinosaur sprite to handle jumping and detecting the cactus
	The if block lets the dinosaur react when it detect the cactus
	The touching [Cactus] block is used to detect collisions between the Dinosaur and the Cactus obstacle.
	The costume changes to dino-dead
	This block sends a message to Cactus sprite
	The say block is used to display "Game Over!" on the screen
	This block is used to play a sound effect when the dinosaur collides with a cactus
	This block is used to pause after a collision before ending the game
	We use "the stop all" block to end the game
	We use an if else block to check if the space key is pressed.
	This block is used to detect when the player presses the space bar
	This block is used to play a jump sound each time the dinosaur jumps
	This block is used to Make the dinosaur look like it's jumping by switching to a special jumping costume
	We use this block to makes the Dinosaur face up
	This block makes the Dinosaur glide upward, like it's jumping.
	This block is used to create a delay between going up and coming back down.
	This block makes the Dinosaur sprite face down
	This block can is used to make the Dinosaur move downward
	This block is used To simulate Dinosau rwalking
	This block is used To simulate Dinosau rwalking

Step 3: Creation of the Cactus sprite

A cactus sprite typically refers to the graphical object used in a game (like the one in the Google Chrome "Dino Game") to represent a cactus as an obstacle.

1) Go to import a sprite to add the Cactus image.

2) Choose the cactus-1 image:

3) Added costumes to Cactus sprite

We use costumes in a Cactus sprite in Scratch to create variation and increase game difficulty or visual interest

a) At the top of the screen, click on the “Costumes” tab (next to "Code" and "Sounds").

b) Click the “Upload Costume” icon (arrow pointing up).

c) Choose images from your computer.

We obtain a Cactus sprite containing 3 costumes

4) Script for the Cactus sprite

5) Explanation of Each Block 

Block	Role
	This block is used to start script automatically when the user clicks the green flag
	The show block makes the Cactus sprite appear on the Stage.
	This block places the Cactus at its starting position when the game begins
	Initialize the score variable
	Initialize the stop variable
	This block makes the Cactus continuously move,check for collisions, or keep appearing during thegame.
	This block is a control block that lets the Cactus sprite choose between two actions
	This block is a sensing block that checks if the Cactus is touching the edge of the Stage.
	This block makes the Cactus move smoothly from right to left
	This block used at the end of a glide makes the Cactus look different each time it appears
	The if block checks if the cactus touches the Dinosaur
	This block is used to checks if the variable stop is equal to 0
	This block increments the score variable