Make a zombie game with a live tutor

Every good game has four things: a goal to go for, a danger that can stop you, a challenge that makes the goal hard to reach, and a reward when you get there. In this game they are a star to grab, a zombie that comes after you, a bounce pad up onto a roof, and a golden star on the roof that wins it. You build it yourself in Jabbertoon's 🎮 Game, free, in your browser, on a Chromebook too, with nothing to install and no account.

▶ Build it with the live tutor

The live tutor opens beside the game maker and walks you through it, one step at a time:

• it says what to do next, and why that step matters to the game;
• it lights the button or box to use, and moves on by itself when you have done it (a number counts as soon as you have typed the right one);
• Do it for me does any step for you, and Close stops it; your game is yours either way, to change and play.

The four things, and why each one matters

• A goal gives the player something to do. Here, touching the star scores a point.
• A danger makes it exciting: the zombie walks after you, slowly, and if it catches you, you start again.
• A challenge makes the goal worth reaching: the golden star is up on a roof, and only a bounce pad gets you there.
• A reward tells the player they did it: touch the golden star and the level is done.

Take any one away and the game gets worse: no danger and it is a walk, no challenge and it is over in a second.

Every step, written out

These are the same steps the live tutor shows. Each one is a button, a list or a box in the Game tab's 🗺 Level tab.

Start a place to play

1. Press Game, at the top. It is where games are played and made.
2. Press Build: here you start a game of your own.
3. Every game needs a place to play. Press Start a place to walk: open ground under the sky, and you in it.
4. Give it a name: click The game's name and type Zombie Dash.
5. Lay a path to run along: in Lay ground, pick A path.

1. A goal: a star to grab

6. Every game needs something to go for. In Add a thing, pick New: a star.
7. This is what makes it a goal: in When it touches you, pick you take it (it scores). Touching it scores a point.
8. Press Put a Star in the level. There it is, just ahead of you.

2. A danger: a zombie that comes after you

9. Something that can stop you makes a game exciting. In Add a thing, pick New: Lee, one of the cast.
10. Call it Zombie: click Its name and type Zombie.
11. Now make Lee a zombie. Press Its skin: zombie green,
12. in Its face, pick scowls,
13. and in How it walks, pick arms out in front: a zombie.
14. A danger comes after you: in It moves, pick follows you on foot.
15. Zombies are slow, so you can get away: type 1.5 in How fast.
16. So it can reach you, type 0 in How near you it stops.
17. This is what makes it a danger: in When it touches you, pick it catches you: the level again.
18. Press Put Zombie in the level.
19. Move it beside the path, a little ahead: type 2006 in Along the level.
20. And type 1995.5 in Across.

3. A challenge: a bounce pad up onto a roof

21. A goal is more fun when it is hard to reach: the golden star will be on a roof, and a pad throws you up. Press A box for the pad.
22. Put it on the path: type 1999.25 in Across: from.
23. Then type 1.5 in Across: wide.
24. Then type 0.1 in Up and down: tall, a thin pad.
25. Then type 2008.5 in Along: from.
26. And type 1.5 in Along: long.
27. This makes it the challenge: type 3.5 in It throws you up.
28. Make it orange, so players see it: press Colour #f39c32.
29. Now the shed to land on: press A box again.
30. Type 1998.5 in Across: from.
31. Then type 3 in Across: wide.
32. Then type 2.5 in Up and down: tall.
33. Then type 2010.5 in Along: from.
34. And type 3 in Along: long.
35. Make it grey, so the golden star shows on it: press Colour #b0b7c3.

4. A reward: the golden star

36. Every game needs a payoff. In Add a thing, pick New: a star again.
37. Call it Gold: click Its name and type Gold.
38. This is what makes it the reward: in When it touches you, pick you found it: the level done. Reach it and you win.
39. Make it big: type 2 in Its size.
40. Press Put a Gold in the level.
41. Put it on the shed's roof: type 2012 in Along the level.
42. Then type 2000 in Across.
43. And type 3 in Up from the ground: up on the roof.

You, and play

44. Last, you: press You,
45. and in You are, pick Ria, or anyone you like.
46. Your game is made. Press Play, beside Rules,
47. and the big Play. Hold the up arrow: grab the star, get past the zombie, bounce onto the roof and touch the golden star.

When it plays, hold the up arrow: grab the star, get past the zombie, bounce onto the roof and touch the golden star.

Make it yours

Change any of the four and play again: a faster zombie (How fast), more stars, a higher roof (the shed's Up and down: tall), or more than one zombie. Every game you make can also be made by an AI helper through the same steps: see Use with AI. For more about the Game tab, read Make a game without code.