pygame-videogame-maker 1.0.10

A simple videogame maker using Pygame.

Pygame Videogame Maker

A 2D platformer game creator with a built-in visual editor, built with Pygame.

This project lets you design and build levels using an integrated editor and then play them immediately.

[SCREENSHOT: Gameplay showing the player character, platforms, and background.]

Features

• Visual Editor: Create and modify levels in real time. Place platforms, enemies, and other game elements visually.
• Entity–Environment Interaction Model (EEI): A flexible architecture for defining game objects and their interactions.
• Controller Support: Configurable controller profiles for a plug-and-play gaming experience.
• Deployment-Ready: Includes scripts to package and deploy the game to compatible retro consoles.

Getting Started

1. Installation

To install the project dependencies, run:

uv sync

2. Run the Editor

The project includes a visual editor that runs by default. To launch it, use:

uv run pygame-editor

This will open the main window, loading the editor scene.

3. Play the Game

Inside the application, you can switch between different scenes (Editor, Game, Input Test) using the following keys:

• F2 / Tab: Switch to the next scene.
• F1 / Shift+Tab: Switch to the previous scene.

The main game scene (MainScene) is typically the first in the cycle, allowing you to play the levels you’ve created.

The Visual Editor

The editor is the core tool for building your game. It allows you to:

• Compose Scenes: Add, select, and move entities directly in the game space.
• Configure Properties: Adjust each entity’s properties, such as its sprite, behavior, and physical attributes.
• Export Levels: Save your creations to a composition file (.eei.json) that the game can load.

[SCREENSHOT: The visual editor interface, showing entity placement and the properties editor.]

The Entity–Environment Interaction Model (EEI)

The project uses a design model where the game is built from two main components:

• Environments (Environment): Represent spaces or zones that apply rules to the objects inside them. For example, a “gravity” environment applies a downward force to all contained entities. Environments can be nested, and their effects are combined.
• Entities (Entity): Interactive game objects such as the player, enemies, platforms, or items. Entities live inside environments and are affected by their rules.

This model enables a flexible and composable way to build complex game logic.

You can adjust screen resolution, FPS, and other general settings in game/configs/settings.toml.

title = "Pygame Videogame Maker"
width = 1280
height = 720
fps = 60

Controls and Controllers

Controller mappings are defined in game/configs/controllers/generic.toml. You can edit this file to adapt the game to different gamepads without changing the code.

# Example button mapping
a = { type = "button", index = 0, label = "A" }

Console Deployment

If you’re working with a retro console or a similar device, you can use the deployment script to package and transfer your game:

bash deploy_to_console.sh

The script handles packaging dependencies and required assets.

Utility Scripts

Optimize PNG Images

The project includes a script to trim excess transparent space from your sprites, optimizing their memory footprint.

# Trim all images in the platforms folder
uv run python scripts/prune_pngs.py game/assets/images/platforms/grass_platforms