Published December 5, 2022 © LGPL

Hard-Dino LCD Game !!

This is a small game on a 2 lines LCD screen. Help the Dino to jump over the cactus while avoiding the bats. Just push the pushbutton

IntermediateFull instructions provided288

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Arduino UNO

RGB LCD Shield Kit, 16x2 Character Display

The standard one from the Arduino Starter Kit

Pushbutton Switch, Momentary

The standard one from the Arduino Starter Kit, 1 or 2 according to the option you select

Breadboard (generic)

The standard one from the Arduino Starter Kit, but 2 for more room

Single Turn Potentiometer- 10k ohms

The standard one from the Arduino Starter Kit,

Resistor 10k ohm

The standard one from the Arduino Starter Kit,

Buzzer

The standard one from the Arduino Starter Kit

Story

When we received the Arduino Starter Kit at home, my 12 years old son saw the LCDS screen. He asked: “Can we do video game on this screen ? “. I said: just very basic one. He wanted to do a game where a dinosaur jumping over obstacles. I said “Cool, let’s go for the Hard Dino Game. As he was motivated, we make the encoding together and these were his first encoding lessons.

Just push a button to make the dinosaur jump over the obstacles. There is a buzzer to make funny sound like in the old video game, a potentiometer to setthe sound level and one to set the screen light. There are 3 live for each game.

There is not much to connect, except the screen, the coding is little bit longer.

There is a sketch for the cabling. But the Arduino project book can also help. The push button is connected as lesson 2 of the Arduino project book. The screen is connected as in lesson 11. The buzzer is connected as Lesson 6, but with an additional potentiometer to set the sound level.

Characteristic of thegame

Just push a button to make the dinosaur jump over the obstacles. There are 3 lives for each game. There is a buzzer to make funny sound like in the old video game, a potentiometer to set the sound level and one to set the screen light.

During the game, the speed of the obstacles increases every 20 seconds and the distance between each obstacle reduces. This makes the game more and more difficult.

The score and the best score are displayed at the end of the game

At each collision the number of live is displayed and the buzzer make a disappointment sound.

Cabling

There is a sketch for the cabling. But the Arduino project book can also help. The push button is connected as lesson 2 of the Arduino project book. The screen is connected as in lesson 11. Buzzer is connected as lesson 6, but withan additional potentiometer10k Ohms to set the sound level.

All the parts are the standard one from the Arduino Starter Kit.

Explanation on the code

The standard Arduino loop void loop() make the game restart after each“game over”. There is another loop inside with a while to keep planning as long as the game is not over. When a life is lost, it’s just a break in the game to reduce the number of life (it’s not a loop).

Inside this while loop, each parameter of the game is checked one by one in the following order.

1- Manage and display obstacles

2- Check if button is push down, start a jump if it is the case and start the jump timer

3- Check if the jump timer is over to end the jump

4- Write the dino character on the line defined above

5- Check if player release the button.This is to avoid the player to cheat by keeping the button push down for a longtime to jump over several obstacle.

6- Check if there is one collision on top or lower line

7- Check if is it time to increase the speed of the game

The speed of the game is controlled by the variable “Fix“. Fix is the duration in millisecond when obstacles are frozen, they do not move during this time. 0.5 second at the beginning of game.

The distance between 2obstacles is set with the function: random(3, 8). So the next distance between 2obstacles will be between 3 and 8 characters at the beginning of the game. It’s store in EspaceAl. Each time the obstacles move to the left, Espace increase by one. When Espace = EspaceAl a new obstacle is added on the right, column 15.Then a second random function decide if the obstacle is put on the top or lowerline. I wanted mor obstacle on the lower line, so the instruction is ‘if(random(1, 10) >2)’

The obstacles are stored in a 2 x 16 table. This is because there is no LCD screen function to check what there is on the screen.

When all the obstacles are defined, they are print on the screen using the 2 “For” loop with the variable II and LL. II for the 15 columns, LL for the 2 lines.

There is a check “if (II!= ColBonh )” to avoid erasing the dino when we want to erase an obstacle.

When the button is pushed and when the dino is on the bottom line, then the dino jump and the jump timer start. And the dino line become 1. We erase the dino on the lowerline by writing a space.

We do the opposite at the end of the jump when the timer is over 3 time the fix time. This number 3 is the number of characters the dino jump, the length of one jump. It must be synchronized with the speed of the game.

To check if there is a collision, 2 things are checked:

Is there an obstacle on column 1, lower line and is the dino on line 0

Is there an obstacle on column 1, upper line and is the dino on line 1

If one of the 2 is true, then we reduce the number of life, display the heart and play the sound.

How to control the game? To increase the difficulties of the game you can do several thing :

Increase the speed at the start of the game by reducing the variable fix (500 in this code).

Increase more the speed each time. In the code the time is reduce by 30 milliseconds, this 30 can be increase.

Increase the speed more often, this is done by reducing variable ‘InterAugVitess’ (20 000 in the code)

Reduce the distance between 2obstacles by reducing the 8 in the instruction random(3, 8).

The score is just the duration of the game with the millis function, but it could also be the number of obstacles crossed.

Code

Hard-Dino Game, By JY and Antonin Subiger

/* the Hard Dino Game
by Jean-Yves Subiger and my son Antonin Subiger
France
13 Nov 2022
*/

#include <LiquidCrystal.h>        // Librairie pour ecran LCD

LiquidCrystal ecran(12, 11, 5, 4, 3, 2);
int PosAnt [16] [2];                  // Position des obstacles ( Tableau )
bool BoutonLache = false;         // Vrai si l'interupteur a été laché
int Inter = 0;                    // etat de l'interupteur High ou low
int LigBonh =1;                   // Ligne du bonhomme 0 ou 1
int II = 0;                       // Index du tableau
int LL = 0;
int Fix = 500;                    // Durée en miliseconde où tout est fixé, rien ne bouge =  vitesse du jeu
int ColBonh = 1;                  // Constante, Numero de colonen du bonhomme, toujour 1
int EspaceAl = 8;                 // Ecart initial entre 2 obstacles
int Espace =0;                    // Nombre de décallage depuis l'introduction du dernier obstacle
int Vie =3;                       // Nombre de vie
long InterAugVitess = 20000;
int Reduit =0;
int InterReduit=0;
unsigned long MeilleurScore=0;
unsigned long Score=0;
unsigned long DepartScore =0;
unsigned long DepartSaut =0;      // moment de départ du sut 
unsigned long DecalObs =0;        // Moment du dernier décallage des obstacles

byte oiseau[8] ={
  0b00001,
  0b00010,
  0b01101,
  0b10110,
  0b01111,
  0b00010,
  0b00000,
  0b00000,
};

byte personnage[8] ={
  0b01110,
  0b01011,
  0b01111,
  0b00110,
  0b10110,
  0b11111,
  0b01110,
  0b01010,
} ;

byte cactus1[8] ={
  0b00100,
  0b00101,
  0b10101,
  0b10111,
  0b10100,
  0b11100,
  0b00100,
  0b00100,
};

byte cactus2[8] = {
  0b00100,
  0b00101,
  0b10101,
  0b10111,
  0b11100,
  0b00101,
  0b00111,
  0b00100,
};

byte coeur[8]={
  0b01010,
  0b11111,
  0b11111,
  0b11111,
  0b01110,
  0b00100,
  0b00000,
  0b00000,  
};

byte coeurvide[8]={
  0b01010,
  0b10101,
  0b10001,
  0b10001,
  0b01010,
  0b00100,
  0b00000,
  0b00000,  
};

byte mort[8]={
  0b01000,
  0b01001,
  0b00101,
  0b00110,
  0b00100,
  0b01110,
  0b01011,
  0b11111,
};

void PauseBouton() {
  Inter = digitalRead(7);   
  while (Inter == LOW) {                    // Pour attendre que le joueur appuie sur le bouton
    Inter = digitalRead(7);                 // Detecter appuie sur le bouton
  }
  while (Inter == HIGH) {                   // Pour attendre que le joueur relache le bouton
    Inter = digitalRead(7);                 // Lit la position du bouton
  }
}

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  ecran.createChar(0, personnage);          // définition du personnage
  ecran.createChar(1, cactus1);
  ecran.createChar(2, cactus2);
  ecran.createChar(3, oiseau);
  ecran.createChar(4, coeur);
  ecran.createChar(5, coeurvide);   
  ecran.createChar(7, mort);
  pinMode(7, INPUT);                        // Branchement interupteur pour sauter
  ecran.begin(16,2);
  }  // end of vset up,  Fin de la boucle void

void loop() {
  ecran.clear();                            // to clear the screen, Pour effacer l'écran
  ecran.setCursor(1, 0) ;
  ecran.print("Hard Dinos Game");
  ecran.setCursor(1, 1);
  ecran.print("Push To Start !");
  PauseBouton();

  if (MeilleurScore <1 ) {                 // Display instruction for the first game only   
    ecran.setCursor(0, 1) ;
    ecran.print("Avoid           ");
    ecran.setCursor(7, 1);
    ecran.write(1); 
    ecran.setCursor(9, 1);
    ecran.write(2);
    ecran.setCursor(11, 1);
    ecran.write(3); 
    PauseBouton();
  }

  ecran.clear();
  for (II=1; II<4; II++) {                  // give the start to play
    ecran.setCursor(3*II+1,0);
    ecran.print("Go");
    tone(8, 400 , 300 );
    delay(500);
  }
  ecran.clear();
  tone(8, 600 , 500 );
  ecran.setCursor(13, 0);                   // Affichage des vies, coeurs pleins
  ecran.write(byte(4));
  ecran.setCursor(14, 0);
  ecran.write(byte(4));
  ecran.setCursor(15, 0);
  ecran.write(byte(4));
  
  for (LL=0; LL<2; LL++) {                // reset the table, Initialisation du tableau
    for (II=0; II<16; II++) { 
      PosAnt[II][LL] =0;
    }
  }
  PosAnt[15] [1] = 1;                     // premier obstacle
  DecalObs = millis();                    // Memorisation 
  DepartScore = millis();
 
  while (Vie > 0) {     

    // 1- obstacles review 
    if (millis()-DecalObs > Fix) {          //   Gestion et affichage des obstacles si pause termine
      DecalObs = millis();
      // 1.1 Move the obstacle to the left
      for (LL=0; LL<2; LL++) {            // Décallage des obsacles vers la gauche
        for (II=0; II<15; II++) {    
          PosAnt[II] [LL]= PosAnt[II+1][LL];   // Décallage des obsacles vers la gauche
        }
      }
      PosAnt[15][1]=0;
      PosAnt[15][0]=0;
      Espace++;
      // 1.2 Add a new obstacle on the right
      if (Espace == EspaceAl) {       // 1.1 Pour afficher un nouvel obstacle de façon aleatoire
        // nouvel obstacle en bas
        if (random(1,10) >2) {  
          // Alros on fait apparaitre un obstacle en haut
          if (random(1,10) >5)  {   
            PosAnt[15][1]=1;
          } 
          else {
            PosAnt[15][1]=2;
          }         // fin else
        }
        else {
          // Sinon on fait apparatire un obstacle en bas
          PosAnt[15][0]=3;
        } //fin else   (random(1,10) >2)
        EspaceAl=random(3,8-Reduit);     // Nouvelle Longueur aleatoire entre 2 obstacles
        Espace=0;
      }  // if (Espace == EspaceAl)
    // 1.3 Display the obstacles
    for (LL=0; LL<2; LL++) {                        // 1.2 Affichage de tous les obstacles de la colonne 0 à 15
      for (II=0; II<16; II++) {      
        ecran.setCursor(II, LL);
        if (PosAnt[II][LL] > 0) { ecran.write(PosAnt[II][LL]); }     // si tableau des positions =1 ou 2 alors on affiche un obstacle
        else {                                       // sinon on efface 
          if (II != ColBonh ) {                      // Pour ne pas effacer le bonhomme
            ecran.print(" ");
          }
          else {                                      // Pour effacer quand le bonhomme est en haut
            // on est sur la colonne du bonhomme
            if (LL==1 && LigBonh == 0 ){ecran.print(" ");}  
            if (LL==0 && LigBonh == 1 ){ecran.print(" ");}  
          }
        } 
      } // fin for II
    }   // Fin for LL affiche obstacles
    }   // Fin de la gestion et affichage des obstacles

    // 2- Check if we need to start to jump
    Inter = digitalRead(7);             // Lit l'entrée 7 de la carte, le bouton poussoir
    if (Inter == HIGH && LigBonh == 1 && BoutonLache == true) {   // 2) Debut du saut
      DepartSaut = millis();            // Reset jump time  
      BoutonLache = false;
      LigBonh = 0;                      // le bonhome va sur la ligne du haut (0)
      ecran.setCursor(ColBonh,1);
      ecran.print(" ");                 // Pour effacer le bonhomme sur la ligne du bas
      tone(8,440,20);                   // haut parleur brancher en 8, note LA pendant 20 ms
    }

    // 3- Check if end of jump 
    if (millis()-DepartSaut>3*Fix && LigBonh == 0) { // 3) Verifie la fin du saut
      LigBonh = 1;                      // Le bonhomme va sur la ligne du bas (1)
      ecran.setCursor(ColBonh,0);
      ecran.print(" ");                 // Pour effacer le bonhomme sur la ligne du haut
    }

    // 4- Write the dinosaure on line "LigBonh"
    ecran.setCursor(ColBonh,LigBonh);
    ecran.write(byte(0));               // Ecrit le bonhomme sur la ligne du haut ou du bas

    // 5 
    if (Inter == LOW && LigBonh == 1) { BoutonLache=true; }  // Pour ne pas que le joueur puisse laisser le bouton enfoncé tout le temps

    // 6- Check if one accident on top or bottom line
    if ((PosAnt[ColBonh][1] >0 && LigBonh == 1) || (PosAnt[ColBonh][0] >0 && LigBonh == 0) ) {    // 4) Obstacle sur la meme colone que le bonhome et bonhome en bas : predu
      Vie--;                               // Perdu, une vie en moins
      ecran.setCursor(0, 0);
      ecran.print(" Oups !!");
      for (II=0; II< Vie; II++) {
          ecran.setCursor(15-II, 0);      // Affichage des vies, coeurs pleins
          ecran.write(byte(4));
      }
      ecran.setCursor(15-Vie, 0);
      ecran.write(5);                     // Affiche le coeur vide
      ecran.setCursor(1, 1);
      ecran.write(byte(7));               // Display dead Dino, Affiche le mort
      Fix = 500 ;                         // the speed is reset to the inital value but not the distance betwwen obstacles. La vitesse reprend plus lentement
      for (II=550; II>300; II--) {        // Option pour Bruitage buzer
        tone(8,II,10);                    // Option pour Bruitage buzer
        delay(5);                         // Option pour Bruitage buzer
      }                                   // Option pour Bruitage buzer
      noTone(8);                          // Option pour Bruitage buzer
      delay(500);
      ecran.setCursor(15-Vie, 0);
      ecran.print(" ");
      ecran.setCursor(0, 0);
      ecran.print("             ");
      ecran.setCursor(1, 1);
      ecran.write(byte(0));                // Display normal dino
    }  // Fin perdu

    // 7- Check if speed must be increase 
    if (millis() - DepartScore > InterAugVitess ){      // 5) Pour augmenter la vitesse du jeu regulierement
      Fix -= 30;                        // How much the speed increase    
      InterAugVitess += 20000;          // How often the speed increase
      InterReduit++;
      if (InterReduit>2 && Reduit <4 ) {  // How often and how small the length between each obstacler become
        InterReduit=0;
        Reduit++;                 // EspaceAl=random(3,8-Reduit); 
      }
      tone(8, 800 , 600 );
    }
  }   //  while (Vie > 0) 

  // End of one game
  ecran.clear();
  ecran.setCursor(3, 0);
  ecran.print("GAME OVER");
  ecran.setCursor(0, 1);
  ecran.print("Score: ");
  ecran.setCursor(8, 1);
  Score = millis() - DepartScore;
  ecran.print(Score);
  PauseBouton();

  if ( MeilleurScore > 0) {
    ecran.clear();
    if ( Score > MeilleurScore) {
      ecran.setCursor(3, 1);
      ecran.print(Score);
      MeilleurScore = Score;
      Inter=LOW;
      while (Inter == LOW) {                    
        Inter = digitalRead(7);                 
        ecran.setCursor(0, 0);
        ecran.print("New Best Score !!");
        DepartSaut=millis();
        while (millis()-DepartSaut<300 && Inter == LOW ) {
          Inter = digitalRead(7); 
        }
        ecran.setCursor(0, 0);
        ecran.print("                  ");
        DepartSaut=millis();
        while (millis()-DepartSaut<300 && Inter == LOW ) {
          Inter = digitalRead(7); 
        }
      }
    }
    else {
      ecran.setCursor(0, 1);
      ecran.print("Your: ");
      ecran.setCursor(6, 1);
      ecran.print(Score);
      ecran.setCursor(0, 0);
      ecran.print("Best: ");
      ecran.setCursor(6, 0);
      ecran.print(MeilleurScore);
    }
    PauseBouton();
   }
  else {
    MeilleurScore = Score;
  }
  // Reset the value before to testart the new game
  Vie = 3;
  EspaceAl = 8;
  Espace = 0;  
  Fix = 500;              
  InterAugVitess = 20000;
  Reduit = 0;
  InterReduit=0;
  Score = 0;
  
}// fin void loop

Credits

jysbelfort

0 projects • 1 follower

Hard-Dino LCD Game !!

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Story

Cabling

Explanation on the code

Schematics

Schematics and circuit diagrams

Code

Hard-Dino Game, By JY and Antonin Subiger

Credits

jysbelfort

Comments

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Hard-Dino LCD Game !!

Hard-Dino LCD Game !!

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Story

Cabling

Explanation on the code

Schematics

Schematics and circuit diagrams

Code

Hard-Dino Game, By JY and Antonin Subiger

Credits

jysbelfort

Comments

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