Published May 7, 2017 © CC BY

Whack-a-Button

It's like Whack-a-Mole. Just try to stop playing - we dare you!

BeginnerFull instructions provided4 hours974

Things used in this project

Hardware components

SparkFun Pushbutton switch 12mm

SparkFun RedBoard

Breadboard (generic)

Jumper wires (generic)

Resistor 10k ohm

Resistor 330 ohm

LED (generic)

Adafruit Standard LCD - 16x2 White on Blue

Single Turn Potentiometer- 10k ohms

Software apps and online services

Arduino IDE

Hand tools and fabrication machines

Soldering iron (generic)

Story

The Concept

Simplistic and fun, that is the aim for our game, Whack-a-Button. Lucas and I’s project is a perfect combination of simple yet interesting. This is how we wanted it from the start, on Hackster we saw that all of the best projects were simple and relatively easy to make, but exciting to use and play with. We also knew we wanted to make a game, it seemed like the most intriguing thing to make. With all these things in mind we created a remake of an original game, Whack-a-Mole, and turned it into Whack-a-Button.

Whack-a-Button works like this; when the light that is next to its corresponding button lights up you must press the correct button as quick as you can. Every time you hit the correct button you gain a point boost randomized between 100-300, points are displayed on an LCD. To make this game a little more difficult the yellow LED in our game does not light up, so if there are no LEDs lit the blue button must be pressed. You have no time limit because it is up to you when you want to stop, you can also time yourself.

Step-by-step Instructions

Wire up your LCD just like the SIK Guide Book has it, this is a crucial part of this game and is intricate and complicated, make sure this is right.

Use a soldering iron and solder together 3 LEDs and 3 buttons with a around 6 inch piece of wire. This makes it possible to put you Arduino in a box and make your piece not crowded with a ton of wires.

Wire your LEDs and buttons according to the Fritzing document so they are wired to the correct pins.

Copy the code provided and run the program. Don’t be surprised if it doesn’t work at first. The problem is most likely the wiring, this is the harder part of the game.

Code

Code

long randNumber;

float num;
#include <LiquidCrystal.h>


LiquidCrystal lcd(12, 11, 5, 4, 3, 2);

void setup() {
  
  lcd.begin(16, 2);
  lcd.print("hello, world!");
   pinMode(13, OUTPUT);
  //red led
  pinMode(7, OUTPUT);
  //green led
  pinMode(9, OUTPUT);
  //yellow led
  pinMode(8, INPUT);
  //RED button
  pinMode(0, INPUT);
  //blue button
  pinMode(6, INPUT);
  //green button
  randomSeed(analogRead(0));
  
}

void loop() {
  randNumber = random(3);

  if(randNumber == 1)
  {
    digitalWrite(7, HIGH);
    while(digitalRead(6) == HIGH)
    {
     
    }
    
    digitalWrite(7, LOW);
    num = num + 100;
    
  }

  if(randNumber == 0)
  {
    digitalWrite(13, HIGH);
    while(digitalRead(8) == HIGH)
    {
     
    }
  
    digitalWrite(13, LOW);
    num = num + 100;
    
  }

  if(randNumber == 2)
  {
    digitalWrite(9, HIGH);
    while(digitalRead(0 == HIGH))
    {
     
    }
   
    digitalWrite(7, LOW);
    num = num + 100;
    
  }
  lcd.setCursor(0, 1);
  lcd.print(num);
}

Credits

Dawn Dupriest

4 projects • 5 followers

Middle School Computer Science teacher, Feminist, Maker. 2012 Poudre School District Teacher of the Year. 2016 Allen Distinguished Educator.

Brayden Vos

0 projects • 1 follower

Thanks to Lucas Snyder.

Whack-a-Button

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Software apps and online services

Hand tools and fabrication machines

Story

The Concept

Step-by-step Instructions

Schematics

Wiring Diagram

Code

Code

Credits

Dawn Dupriest

Brayden Vos

Comments

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Whack-a-Button

Whack-a-Button

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Software apps and online services

Hand tools and fabrication machines

Story

The Concept

Step-by-step Instructions

Schematics

Wiring Diagram

Code

Code

Credits

Dawn Dupriest

Brayden Vos

Comments

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