Pygame Platformer – Completing the Game

In this section we’ll finally complete our Pygame Platformer game series.

If you’ve been following our Platformer Tutorial Series uptil now, you’ll know that we’ve reached a point where our game is almost complete. There are just a few small things that need to be added to really complete the concept of a successful and complete game in Pygame.

What are these few things that need to be added to our Pygame Platformer?

  • Game-Over Screen
  • Score System
  • Moving Platforms
Pygame Platformer game

Part 4 – Code

The completed code from the previous section:

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import pygame
from pygame.locals import *
import sys
import random
 
pygame.init()
vec = pygame.math.Vector2 #2 for two dimensional
 
HEIGHT = 450
WIDTH = 400
ACC = 0.5
FRIC = -0.12
FPS = 60
 
FramePerSec = pygame.time.Clock()
 
displaysurface = pygame.display.set_mode((WIDTH, HEIGHT))
pygame.display.set_caption("Game")
 
class Player(pygame.sprite.Sprite):
    def __init__(self):
        super().__init__()
        #self.image = pygame.image.load("character.png")
        self.surf = pygame.Surface((30, 30))
        self.surf.fill((255,255,0))
        self.rect = self.surf.get_rect()
   
        self.pos = vec((10, 360))
        self.vel = vec(0,0)
        self.acc = vec(0,0)
        self.jumping = False
 
    def move(self):
        self.acc = vec(0,0.5)
    
        pressed_keys = pygame.key.get_pressed()
                
        if pressed_keys[K_LEFT]:
            self.acc.x = -ACC
        if pressed_keys[K_RIGHT]:
            self.acc.x = ACC
                 
        self.acc.x += self.vel.x * FRIC
        self.vel += self.acc
        self.pos += self.vel + 0.5 * self.acc
         
        if self.pos.x > WIDTH:
            self.pos.x = 0
        if self.pos.x < 0:
            self.pos.x = WIDTH
             
        self.rect.midbottom = self.pos
 
    def jump(self):
        hits = pygame.sprite.spritecollide(self, platforms, False)
        if hits and not self.jumping:
           self.jumping = True
           self.vel.y = -15
 
    def cancel_jump(self):
        if self.jumping:
            if self.vel.y < -3:
                self.vel.y = -3
 
    def update(self):
        hits = pygame.sprite.spritecollide(self ,platforms, False)
        if self.vel.y > 0:       
            if hits:
                if self.pos.y < hits[0].rect.bottom:              
                    self.pos.y = hits[0].rect.top +1
                    self.vel.y = 0
                    self.jumping = False
 
 
class platform(pygame.sprite.Sprite):
    def __init__(self):
        super().__init__()
        self.surf = pygame.Surface((random.randint(50,100), 12))
        self.surf.fill((0,255,0))
        self.rect = self.surf.get_rect(center = (random.randint(0,WIDTH-10),
                                                 random.randint(0, HEIGHT-30)))
 
    def move(self):
        pass
 
 
def check(platform, groupies):
    if pygame.sprite.spritecollideany(platform,groupies):
        return True
    else:
        for entity in groupies:
            if entity == platform:
                continue
            if (abs(platform.rect.top - entity.rect.bottom) < 40) and (abs(platform.rect.bottom - entity.rect.top) < 40):
                return True
        C = False
 
def plat_gen():
    while len(platforms) < 6:
        width = random.randrange(50,100)
        p  = platform()     
        C = True
         
        while C:
             p = platform()
             p.rect.center = (random.randrange(0, WIDTH - width),
                              random.randrange(-50, 0))
             C = check(p, platforms)
        platforms.add(p)
        all_sprites.add(p)
 
 
        
PT1 = platform()
P1 = Player()
 
PT1.surf = pygame.Surface((WIDTH, 20))
PT1.surf.fill((255,0,0))
PT1.rect = PT1.surf.get_rect(center = (WIDTH/2, HEIGHT - 10))
 
all_sprites = pygame.sprite.Group()
all_sprites.add(PT1)
all_sprites.add(P1)
 
platforms = pygame.sprite.Group()
platforms.add(PT1)
 
for x in range(random.randint(4,5)):
    C = True
    pl = platform()
    while C:
        pl = platform()
        C = check(pl, platforms)
    platforms.add(pl)
    all_sprites.add(pl)
 
 
while True:
    P1.update()
    for event in pygame.event.get():
        if event.type == QUIT:
            pygame.quit()
            sys.exit()
        if event.type == pygame.KEYDOWN:   
            if event.key == pygame.K_SPACE:
                P1.jump()
        if event.type == pygame.KEYUP:   
            if event.key == pygame.K_SPACE:
                P1.cancel_jump() 
 
    if P1.rect.top <= HEIGHT / 3:
        P1.pos.y += abs(P1.vel.y)
        for plat in platforms:
            plat.rect.y += abs(P1.vel.y)
            if plat.rect.top >= HEIGHT:
                plat.kill()
 
    plat_gen()
    displaysurface.fill((0,0,0))
     
    for entity in all_sprites:
        displaysurface.blit(entity.surf, entity.rect)
        entity.move()
 
    pygame.display.update()
    FramePerSec.tick(FPS)

Implementing a Game Over Screen

The following code is inserted into the Game loop (directly below the keys and events handling).

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import time
...
...
 
while True:
   ...
   ...
   ...
 
   if P1.rect.top > HEIGHT:
        for entity in all_sprites:
            entity.kill()
            time.sleep(1)
            displaysurface.fill((255,0,0))
            pygame.display.update()
            time.sleep(1)
            pygame.quit()
            sys.exit()

The code is actually very simple. Once the top part of the Player has gone below the screen, a for loop activates which immediately kills each Sprite individually and then fills the screen with red, representing a game over screen. After a second of waiting, the game turns off.

You can make this system better obviously, this just shows you how to activate the “Game over” signal, giving the game an actual end. Previously the player would keep falling once he fell.

Be sure to import the time library!

High Score

A simple addition, but a much needed one. Without a scoring system, there’s no sense of progression or achievement that the player feels while playing.

The code for this is going to be rather long due to the various number of small changes that must be made in several places. In order for you to keep track of the changes, we have marked any new lines/changes with a double hash (##).

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class Player(pygame.sprite.Sprite):
    def __init__(self):
        super().__init__()
        ...
        ...
        self.jumping = False
        self.score = 0       ##
    ...
    ...
 
    def update(self):
        hits = pygame.sprite.spritecollide(self ,platforms, False)
        if self.vel.y > 0:       
            if hits:
                if self.pos.y < hits[0].rect.bottom:
                    if hits[0].point == True:   ##
                        hits[0].point = False   ##
                        self.score += 1         ##
                    self.pos.y = hits[0].rect.top +1
                    self.vel.y = 0
                    self.jumping = False
 
class platform(pygame.sprite.Sprite):
    def __init__(self):
        super().__init__()
        ...
        ...
        self.moving = True
        self.point = True   ##
...
...
PT1.moving = False
PT1.point = False   ##
...
...
 
while True:
    ...
    ...
    ...
    displaysurface.fill((0,0,0))
    f = pygame.font.SysFont("Verdana", 20)     ##
    g  = f.render(str(P1.score), True, (123,255,0))   ##
    displaysurface.blit(g, (WIDTH/2, 10))   ##
 
    for entity in all_sprites:
    ...

We’ll discuss the changes below in the sequence that they were made.

  1. First we added a new attribute “score” to our Player. This is to keep track of the high score. We also initialize this from zero.
  2. (Read Change 3 first, then read this) We check the point attribute of the platform we just landed on. If it’s set to True we plus one into our score and turn the point value to False. This prevents the player from gaining points from jumping onto the same platform over and over.
  3. We create the “point” attribute for the Platform which determines whether the platform will give the player a point if he lands on it or not. If True, then yes, If False, then no.
  4. We disable the point feature on the Base platform.
  5. We create a font for our High Score display in pygame and then render it. If you don’t know how to handle fonts in pygame, read our fonts with pygame tutorial.

Moving Platforms in Pygame

Our game isn’t very challenging in it’s current state. As a final boost to the game’s difficulty, we’re going to introduce the concept of the platforms moving around randomly. This will make it harder for the player to land on one.

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class platform(pygame.sprite.Sprite):
    def __init__(self):
        ...
        ...
        self.speed = random.randint(-1, 1)
        self.moving = True
 
    def move(self):
        if self.moving == True: 
            self.rect.move_ip(self.speed,0)
            if self.speed > 0 and self.rect.left > WIDTH:
                self.rect.right = 0
            if self.speed < 0 and self.rect.right < 0:
                self.rect.left = WIDTH
 
...
...
...
PT1.moving = False

The self.moving line is there purely for the PT1 platform that forms the floor of the level. It’s not supposed to be able to move, hence we introduced the concept only platforms with moving set to True will be able move.

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self.speed = random.randint(-1, 1)

The above line is the mastermind behind making the platforms move in such a unique way. The above line creates three possibilities value for the speed, -1, 0 and 1. Because of this there is a 33% chance that the platform will move left, a 33% chance it will move right and 33% chance it won’t move at all. That’s a fairly unique distribution for just a single line in my opinion.

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def move(self):
    if self.moving == True: 
        self.rect.move_ip(self.speed,0)
        if self.speed > 0 and self.rect.left > WIDTH:
            self.rect.right = 0
        if self.speed < 0 and self.rect.right < 0:
            self.rect.left = WIDTH

The move function has two parts to it. The first is the move_ip function which moves the platform using the self.speed parameter. The second is a warping feature. What this does is that when a platform goes out of the screen from the right or the left, it will appear from the other side. Without this part, the platforms would fly off the screen.

Below is a small video displaying the random movement in our Platformer game. (Forgive that little glitch in the video, it’s a problem with the video recording software).

Code Download

The code for the completed Pygame Platformer Game, available by clicking the download button below.

Download Code

Update: We released some new Bonus Content that really enhances the Look of the game, and makes it more enjoyable to Play. Check it out now!

Pygame Platformer (Bonus)

This marks the end of the Python Pygame Platformer Game series. Any suggestions or contributions for CodersLegacy are more than welcome. Questions regarding the article content can be asked in the comments section below.

15 thoughts on “Pygame Platformer – Completing the Game”

  2. Really good tutorial but I am having problems with the game over screen.
    i get a time.sleep error. any help would be kindly accepted.

    Reply

      • time.sleep(1)
        NameError: name ‘time’ is not defined

        while True:
          P1.update()
          for event in pygame.event.get():
            if event.type == QUIT:
              pygame.quit()
              sys.exit()
            if event.type == pygame.KEYDOWN:   
              if event.key == pygame.K_SPACE:
                P1.jump()
            if event.type == pygame.KEYUP:   
              if event.key == pygame.K_SPACE:
                P1.cancel_jump()
                 
          if P1.rect.top <= HEIGHT / 3:
            P1.pos.y += abs(P1.vel.y)
            for plat in platforms:
              plat.rect.y += abs(P1.vel.y)
              if plat.rect.top >= HEIGHT:
                plat.kill()
                 
          plat_gen()
          displaysurface.fill((0,0,0))
          f = pygame.font.SysFont(“Verdana”, 20)   
          g = f.render(str(P1.score), True, (123,255,0))  
          displaysurface.blit(g, (WIDTH/2, 10))
           
          for entity in all_sprites:
            displaysurface.blit(entity.surf, entity.rect)
            entity.move()
             
          if P1.rect.top > HEIGHT:
            for entity in all_sprites:
              entity.kill()
              time.sleep(1) ##
              displaysurface.fill((255,0,0))
              pygame.display.update()
              time.sleep(1)
              pygame.quit()
              sys.exit()

        ## = where I get the error

        Reply

  4. Hi, I was wondering if you would have any suggestions on how to implement the player moving with the moving platforms?
    I have previously tried this (below) in the platform class, it doesn’t cause any errors but also doesn’t work.
       def move(self):
           hits = pygame.sprite.spritecollide(P1, platforms, False)
           if self.moving == True:
               self.rect.move_ip(self.speed,0)
               if hits:
                   P1.rect.move_ip(self.speed, 0)
               if self.speed > 0 and self.rect.left > WIDTH:
                   self.rect.right = 0
               if self.speed < 0 and self.rect.right < 0:
                   self.rect.left = WIDTH

    Reply

    • The reason why it doesn’t work is because of the self.pos variable in the player. Which keeps resetting the self.rect value. In short, you need to change the values of the pos variable, like so : P1.pos += (self.speed, 0)

      Reply

      • Thanks. I tried this using the hits condition, and had a few issues. Firstly, it appears to apply the movement randomly rather than relating to the platform being collided with. Also, despite putting this inside moving == True, the player is moving at the start of the game. I also tried changing it to check which direction the platforms were going after checking hits and this did not fix the issue either.

        Reply

    • Have you tried adding the player- and platform- speed? Like that:

      # Assuming you have a Player class and a Platform class
# ...


class Platform:
    def __init__(self, x, y, width, height):
        self.x = x
        self.y = y
        self.width = width
        self.height = height
        self.velocity_x = 0  # Add this line to store the platform's velocity


    def move(self):
        # Update the platform's position based on its velocity
        self.x += self.velocity_x


# In your game loop:
# ...
for platform in platforms:
    platform.move()  # Move the platforms
    if player.rect.colliderect(platform.rect):
        # Adjust player's position if colliding with the platform
        player.rect.bottom = platform.rect.top
        player.rect.left += platform.velocity_x
# ...
      Reply

  5. I appreciate the tutorial, though there are a lot of gaps where code was added but not included in the tutorial. Wouldn’t be the easiest for a complete beginner. Also, keeping everything in one file is a lot, even for a small game like this.

    I did SOME refactoring as I went through, mainly separate files for classes. I still have the random freezing issue someone noted before. My code is linked below and I included a copy of the original.

    https://github.com/emanual4real/pygame-platformer.git

    Reply

  6. i’m getting this error:

    No module named ‘pygame.locals’; ‘pygame’ is not a package.

    what should i do, i’ve already installed pygame

    Reply

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