Build an Egg Shooting Game in Scratch: Step-by-Step Coding | Complete Guide for Beginners

Introduction: Egg Shooting Game in Scratch

Creating a Scratch shooting game is a fantastic way for beginners to dive into Scratch programming while making a fun, interactive project. Whether you're a kid or a beginner coder, building a shooting game in Scratch helps you learn essential concepts like sprite movement, variables, broadcasting messages, and event handling — all through a step-by-step process.

This easy Scratch game tutorial guides you through setting up sprites, coding shooting mechanics, and adding game dynamics like scoring and speed increase. It's perfect for those wanting to explore coding games for kids, Scratch beginner game projects, or looking for fun Scratch projects to develop programming skills.

Inspired by classic arcade games like Galaxian and Angry Birds, this tutorial helps you combine shooting action with simple game logic. By the end, you'll have built a complete step-by-step Scratch game that you can customize, share, and enjoy.

What You Will Learn:

This comprehensive guide teaches you how to:

• ✅ Set up sprites and backdrops in Scratch
• ✅ Create and manage variables like score, speed, and missed shots
• ✅ Implement sprite movement using loops and random positioning
• ✅ Code interactive shooting mechanics with costume changes and sound effects
• ✅ Add win/lose conditions with backdrop changes
• ✅ Enhance gameplay with sounds and animations
• ✅ Step-by-step instructions for Scratch beginner game project

This project is perfect for beginners and intermediate Scratch users who want to learn Scratch programming and how to make games in Scratch.

Project Overview: What You'll Build

In this game:

• The player controls a gun target that follows the mouse cursor
• Eggs move across the screen from left to right
• Clicking on eggs shoots them, increasing score and speed
• Missing 3 eggs ends the game
• Hitting 5 eggs wins the game

This is an excellent starter project for learning interactive mechanics, variables, and Scratch game logic.

Step-by-Step Guide to Coding – Egg Shooting Game in Scratch

1. Set Up Your Scratch Project

Before writing any code, we prepare our scene:

• Open Scratch at scratch.mit.edu
• Choose a wall backdrop or any background that fits your game theme
• Delete the default cat sprite
• Add an egg sprite with multiple costumes (intact and cracked)
• Create a gun target sprite (circle with crosshair)

This step ensures your game starts with a clean, organized layout before you begin programming.

2. Create Variables

Go to Variables → Make a Variable and create these three for all sprites:

• score — Tracks successful hits
• speed — Controls egg movement speed
• missedShots — Tracks missed eggs

3. Coding the Egg Sprite

The egg sprite handles movement, collision detection, and game logic.

Initial Setup and Movement Logic:

Move to Initial Position:

Moving Across Screen and Game Logic:

4. Shooting Mechanic

When the egg sprite is clicked:

5. Gun Sprite Coding

The gun follows the mouse and plays shooting sound:

Game Enhancements & Troubleshooting

Enhancement Features

1. Add Levels or Difficulty Progression

Make the game harder over time by increasing the speed at intervals.

2. Add a Countdown Timer

Introduce a timer to make the game time-bound.

3. Show Lives Instead of Missed Shots

Create a visual life bar with heart sprites or emoji.

4. Add an Explosion Animation

Import or draw explosion costumes and show them on hit.

5. Show Final Score at Game Over

6. Add a Restart Button

Create a button sprite named "Restart" and use broadcast messages to reset the game.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Problem 1: Egg Doesn't Reset After Shot

Make sure you broadcast "Move to Initial Position" after a successful click.

Problem 2: Costume Doesn't Reset to Egg A

Add costume reset in the "Move to Initial Position" script.

Problem 3: Sound Doesn't Play

Ensure sound is added to the Sounds tab and use "play sound until done".

Problem 4: Gun Sprite Doesn't Follow Cursor

Use "go to mouse-pointer" instead of mouse x/y coordinates.

Problem 5: Game Doesn't End at 3 Missed Shots

Confirm you're checking missedShots = 3 inside the forever loop.

Problem 6: Score Increases Multiple Times

Use "hide" immediately after clicking or add wait to prevent double-clicks.

Conclusion: Ready, Aim, Code!

Building an egg shooting game in Scratch is more than just fun — it's a powerful way to learn the fundamentals of Scratch programming for beginners. This project covers everything from sprite movement, variables, and broadcasting, to visual effects, sounds, and game logic — making it one of the best Scratch beginner game projects for kids and new coders.

By following this step-by-step Scratch game tutorial, you've not only created a playable arcade-style game but also gained hands-on experience in designing, coding, and debugging — skills that form the foundation for more advanced Scratch game development.

Whether you're a teacher, student, or parent encouraging kids to explore coding, this project is a perfect entry into the world of coding games for kids. With countless opportunities to customize, enhance, and expand your game, the possibilities are endless.