How to Make a Hurdle Jumping Game in Scratch — Build a Fun Hurdle Runner with Score & Win Screen

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Scratch Game
How to Make a Hurdle Jumping Game in Scratch — Build a Fun Hurdle Runner with Score & Win Screen

Introduction — Hurdle Jumping Game in Scratch

Are you ready to create your very own hurdle jumping game in Scratch—just like the iconic Chrome Dino or Super Mario? 🎮 Whether you're new to Scratch or just looking for your next fun project, this step-by-step tutorial will guide you through building an exciting runner-style game complete with jumping mechanics, moving obstacles, a scoring system, game over detection, and a victory screen.

Omaansh Aggarwal from Kodex Academy walks you through every part of the game—from sprite setup to game over logic.

Using Scratch's simple drag-and-drop interface, you'll learn how to:

  • Animate a jumping sprite (Pico) over moving hurdles
  • Detect collisions with obstacles
  • Track and display your score
  • Play coin sound effects when scoring
  • Trigger a "You Win" screen when the player reaches a target score
  • And more!

This is a perfect Scratch game for beginners, kids learning to code, or anyone looking for fun Scratch project ideas. By the end of this tutorial, you'll have a fully playable game that looks and feels just like the classics—but built entirely by you!

👉 Watch the Full YouTube Tutorial Here:

Epic Jumping Sprite Over Hurdles Game | Fun Gameplay! by Kodex Academy

Setting Up Your Scratch Project

Deleting the Cat Sprite and Adding Pico

  1. Open a new Scratch project.
  2. Delete the default cat sprite.
  3. Click "Choose a Sprite," search for Pico, and select it.
  4. Resize Pico to around 40–50%.

Choosing the Desert Backdrop

  1. Click the "Choose a Backdrop" icon.
  2. Search and select the Desert backdrop.
  3. Duplicate it twice and rename:
    • One to Game Over
    • One to You Win

Creating Game Over and You Win Screens

  1. Open the "Game Over" backdrop.
  2. Use the Text Tool to write "Game Over" (use red color).
  3. Do the same for "You Win" using a celebratory color and font.

Coding the Jumping Sprite in Scratch

Simple Jump Logic with Motion Blocks

Add this to the Pico sprite:

when [space v] key pressed
repeat 10
  change y by 10
end
repeat 10
  change y by -10
end

Pico now jumps whenever you press the space-bar!

Enhancing the Jump with Gravity (Optional Advanced Feature)

when green flag clicked
set [y-velocity v] to 0
forever
  change y-velocity by -1
  change y by (y-velocity)
  if and then
    set [y-velocity v] to 15
  end
end

This adds a realistic gravity effect for more advanced gameplay.

Adding Moving Hurdles (Rock Obstacles)

Animating Rock Movement with Glide Blocks

  1. Add a rock sprite and resize it to 40.
  2. Name it Rock One and duplicate it as Rock Two.

Add this to both:

when green flag clicked
forever
  go to x: 240 y: -160
  glide 3 secs to x: -240 y: -160
end

Fixing Overlap with Timing and Visibility

For Rock Two, stagger its appearance:

when green flag clicked
hide
wait 1.5 seconds
show

Now, both rocks appear at different times.

Game Over Logic — Collision Detection in Scratch

For each rock sprite:

when green flag clicked
wait until
switch backdrop to [Game Over v]
stop all

Game over triggers when Pico hits any rock!

Creating a Score System in Scratch

Adding a Score Variable

  1. Go to Variables → Create variable: score
  2. Reset the score when the game starts:
when green flag clicked
set [score v] to 0

Detecting Clean Jumps for Points

Inside Pico:

if and not > then
  change [score v] by 1
end

Playing Coin Sound on Scoring

  1. Go to the Sounds tab for Pico.
  2. Add a sound like Coin.
  3. In the code:
start sound [Coin v]

Now scoring plays a rewarding sound!

Win Condition — Creating the You Win Screen

Broadcasting Win Message

Inside Pico:

if <(score) = 5> then
  broadcast [You Win v]
  play sound [Victory v] until done
end

Playing a Celebration Sound

Choose a fun sound like "Victory" from the sound library and reduce the volume if needed.

Switching to the Final Backdrop

On the Stage:

when I receive [You Win v]
switch backdrop to [You Win v]
stop all

Final Gameplay Demo — Test Your Game

Now test everything in full-screen mode:

  • Jump over rocks
  • Earn points
  • Hear coin sounds
  • Win at score 5 or get Game Over

Enhancement Ideas to Take It Further

Add Gravity for Realistic Movement

As shown earlier—add vertical velocity and simulate falling.

Increase Difficulty Over Time

when green flag clicked
set [rockSpeed v] to 3
forever
  wait 10 seconds
  change [rockSpeed v] by 1
end

Adjust glide time dynamically using rockSpeed.

Add Bonus Coins or Power-Ups

Create a coin sprite:

when green flag clicked
forever
  wait (pick random 5 to 10) secs
  go to x: 240 y: -100
  show
  wait 2 secs
  hide
end

when Pico touches [Coin v]
change [score v] by 3
hide

Animate the Sprite with Costumes

when I receive [Jump v]
repeat 5
  next costume
  wait 0.1 seconds
end

Common Errors & Debugging Tips

  • Sprite not jumping? Double-check motion blocks and repeat counts.
  • Score not increasing? Ensure "if not touching rocks" is used.
  • Rocks not moving? Make sure the glide blocks are inside a forever loop.
  • Win screen not showing? Check if broadcast and backdrops are set up properly.

Final Thoughts — A Great Scratch Project for Beginners

This game combines the core fundamentals of Scratch coding for kids with fun, creativity, and challenge. You've learned:

  • How to use motion and control blocks
  • How to add variables and score logic
  • How to play sounds and change backdrops
  • How to build a runner game in Scratch that mimics popular platforms

Encourage kids to remix the project by:

  • Changing the sprite
  • Using different backdrops
  • Adding more obstacles or themes

Call to Action

  1. Don't forget to check out the full video tutorial by Kodex Academy here: Epic Jumping Sprite Over Hurdles Game | Fun Gameplay! By Omaansh Aggarwal — Kodex Academy
  2. Like, comment & share the video
  3. Visit kodexacademy.com
  4. Subscribe to the Kodex Academy YouTube channel for deeper Scratch content.

Happy coding with Kodex Academy! 🚀

Next Steps: Learn More with Kodex Academy

At Kodex Academy, we're passionate about helping students learn coding in creative ways. This project teaches more than Scratch—it empowers young minds to build tools that work in the real world.

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