Home > Articles > Mobile Application Development & Programming

Basic Game Framework in ActionScript 3: A Matching Game

This chapter details the creation of a simple matching game (finding matching images on face-down cards) with ActionScript 3.0.
This chapter is from the book
  • Placing Interactive Elements
  • Game Play
  • Encapsulating the Game
  • Adding Scoring and a Clock
  • Adding Game Effects
  • Modifying the Game

To build our first game, I've chosen one of the most popular games you can find on the Web and in interactive and educational software: a matching game.

Matching games are simple memory games played in the physical world using a simple deck of cards with pictures on them. The idea is to place pairs of cards face down in a random arrangement. Then, try to find matches by turning over two cards at a time. When the two cards match, they are removed. If they don't match, they are turned face down again.

A good player is one who remembers what cards he or she sees when a match is not made and can determine where pairs are located after several failed tries.

Computer versions of matching games have advantages over physical versions: You don't need to collect, shuffle, and place the cards to start each game. The computer does that for you. It is also easier and less expensive for the game developer to create different pictures for the cards with virtual cards rather than physical ones.

To create a matching game, we first work on placing the cards on the screen. To do this, we need to shuffle the deck to place the cards in a random order each time the game is played.

Then, we take the player's input and use that to reveal the pictures on a pair of cards, and we compare the cards and remove them if they match.

We also need to turn cards back to their face-down positions when a match is not found and check to see when all the pairs have been found so the game can end.

Placing Interactive Elements

Creating a matching game first requires that you create a set of cards. Because the cards need to be in pairs, we need to figure out how many cards are displayed on the screen and make half that many pictures.

For instance, if we want to show 36 cards in the game, there are 18 pictures, each appearing on 2 cards.

Methods for Creating Game Pieces

There are two schools of thought when it comes to making game pieces, like the cards in the matching game.

Multiple-Symbol Method

The first method is to create each card as its own movie clip. In this case, there are 18 symbols. Each symbol represents a card.

One problem with this method is you are likely duplicating graphics inside of each symbol. For instance, each card would have the same border and background. So, you would have 18 copies of the border and background.

Of course, you can get around this by creating a background symbol that is then used in each of the 18 card symbols.

The multiple-symbol method still has problems when it comes to making changes. For instance, suppose you want to resize the pictures slightly. You'd need to do that 18 times for 18 different symbols.

Also, if you are a programmer teaming up with an artist, it is inconvenient to have the artist update 18 or more symbols. If the artist is a contractor, it could run up the budget as well.

Single-Symbol Method

The second method for working with a set of playing pieces, such as cards, is a single-symbol method. You would have one symbol, a movie clip, with multiple frames. Each frame contains the graphics for a different card. Shared graphics, such as a border or background, can be on a layer in the movie clip that stretches across all the frames.

This method has major advantages when it comes to updates and changes to the playing pieces. You can quickly move between and edit all the frames in the movie clip. You can also easily grab an updated movie clip from an artist with whom you are working.

Setting Up the Flash Movie

Using the single-symbol method, we need to have at least one movie clip in the library. This movie clip contains all the cards and even a frame that represents the back of the card that we must show when the card is face down.

Create a new movie that contains a single movie clip called Card. To create a new movie in Flash CS5, choose File, New, and then you are presented with a list of file types. You must choose Flash File (ActionScript 3.0) to create a movie file that works with the ActionScript 3.0 class file we are about to create.

Put at least 19 frames in that movie clip, representing the card back and 18 card fronts with different pictures on them. You can open the MatchingGame1.fla file for this exercise if you don't have your own symbol file to use.

Figure 3.1 shows a timeline for the Card movie clip we are using in this game. The first frame is the "back" of the card. It is what the player sees when the card is supposed to be face down. Then, each of the other frames shows a different picture for the front of a card.

Figure 3.1

Figure 3.1 The Card movie clip is a symbol with 19 frames. Each frame after the first represents a different card.

After we have a symbol in the library, we need to set it up so that we can use it with our ActionScript code. To do this, we need to set its linkage name in the library (see Figure 3.2).

Figure 3.2

Figure 3.2 The library shows the linkage name for the Card object.

There is nothing else needed in the Flash movie. The main timeline is completely empty. The library has only one movie clip in it, the Card movie clip. All we need now is some ActionScript.

Creating the Basic ActionScript Class

To create an ActionScript class file, choose File, New, and then select ActionScript File from the list of file types; by doing so you create an untitled ActionScript document that you can type into.

We start an ActionScript 3.0 file by defining it as a package. This is done in the first line, as you can see in the following code sample:

package {
       import flash.display.*;

Right after the package declaration, we need to tell the Flash playback engine what classes we need to accomplish our tasks. In this case, we tell it we need access to the entire flash.display class and all its immediate subclasses. This gives us the ability to create and manipulate movie clips like the cards.

The class declaration is next. The name of the class must match the name of the file exactly. In this case, we call it MatchingGame1. We also need to define what this class affects. In this case, it affects the main Flash movie, which is a movie clip:

public class MatchingGame1 extends MovieClip {

Next is the declaration of any variables that are used throughout the class. However, our first task of creating the 36 cards on the screen is so simple that we don't need to use any variables—at least not yet.

Therefore, we can move right on to the initialization function, also called the constructor function. This function runs as soon as the class is created when the movie is played. It must have exactly the same name as the class and the ActionScript file:

public function MatchingGame1():void {

This function does not need to return any value, so we can put :void after it to tell Flash that nothing is returned from this function. We can also leave the :void off, and it is assumed by the Flash compiler.

Inside the constructor function, we can perform the task of creating the 36 cards on the screen. We make it a grid of 6 cards across by 6 cards down.

To do this, we use two nested for loops. The first moves the variable x from 0 to 5. The x represents the column in our 6x6 grid. Then, the second loop moves y from 0 to 5, which represents the row:

for(var x:uint=0;x<6;x++) {
        for(var y:uint=0;y<6;y++) {

Each of these two variables is declared as a uint, an unsigned integer, right inside the for statement. Each starts with the value 0, and then continues while the value is less than 6. And, they increase by one each time through the loop.

So, this is basically a quick way to loop and get the chance to create 36 different Card movie clips. Creating the movie clips is just a matter of using new, plus addChild. We also want to make sure that as each new movie clip is created, it is stopped on its first frame and is positioned on the screen correctly:

var thisCard:Card = new Card();
                      thisCard.stop();
                      thisCard.x = x*52+120;
                      thisCard.y = y*52+45;
                      addChild(thisCard);
                 }
             }
         }

    }
}

The positioning is based on the width and height of the cards we created. In the example movie MatchingGame1.fla, the cards are 50 by 50 with 2 pixels in between. So, by multiplying the x and y values by 52, we space the cards with a little extra space between each one. We also add 120 horizontally and 45 vertically, which happens to place the card about in the center of a 550x400 standard Flash movie.

Before we can test this code, we need to link the Flash movie to the ActionScript file. The ActionScript file should be saved as MatchingGame1.as, and located in the same directory as the MatchingGame1.fla movie.

However, that is not all you need to do to link the two. You also need to set the Flash movie's Document class property in the Property Inspector. Just select the Property Inspector while the Flash movie MatchingGame1.fla is the current document. Figure 3.3 shows the Property Inspector, and you can see the Document class field at the bottom right.

Figure 3.3

Figure 3.3 You need to set the Document class of a Flash movie to the name of the AS file that contains your main script.

Figure 3.4 shows the screen after we have tested the movie. The easiest way to test is to go to the menu and choose Control, Test Movie.

Figure 3.4

Figure 3.4 The screen shows 36 cards, spaced and in the center of the stage.

Using Constants for Better Coding

Before we go any further with developing this game, let's look at how we can make what we have better. We copy the existing movie to MatchingGame2.fla and the code to MatchingGame2.as. Remember to change the document class of MatchingGame2.fla to MatchingGame2 and the class declaration and constructor function to MatchingGame2.

Suppose you don't want a 6x6 grid of cards; maybe you want a simpler 4x4 grid or even a rectangular 6x5 grid. To do that, you need to find the for loops in the previous code and change the loops so they loop with different amounts.

A better way to do it is to remove the specific numbers from the code all together. Instead, have them at the top of your code and clearly labeled, so you can easily find and change them later.

We've got several other hard-coded values in our programs. Let's make a list:

  • Horizontal Rows = 6
  • Vertical Rows = 6
  • Horizontal Spacing = 52
  • Vertical Spacing = 52
  • Horizontal Screen Offset = 120
  • Vertical Screen Offset = 45

Instead of placing these values in the code, let's put them in some constant variables up in our class to make them easy to find and modify:

public class MatchingGame2 extends MovieClip {
    // game constants
    private static const boardWidth:uint = 6;
    private static const boardHeight:uint = 6;
    private static const cardHorizontalSpacing:Number = 52;
    private static const cardVerticalSpacing:Number = 52;
    private static const boardOffsetX:Number = 120;
    private static const boardOffsetY:Number = 45;

Now that we have constants, we can replace the code in the constructor function to use them rather than the hard-coded numbers:

public function MatchingGame2():void {
    for(var x:uint=0;x<boardWidth;x++) {
        for(var y:uint=0;y<boardHeight;y++) {
            var thisCard:Card = new Card();
            thisCard.stop();
            thisCard.x = x*cardHorizontalSpacing+boardOffsetX;
            thisCard.y = y*cardVerticalSpacing+boardOffsetY;
            addChild(thisCard);
        }
    }
}

I also changed the name of the class and function to MatchingGame2. You can find these in the sample files MatchingGame2.fla and MatchingGame2.as.

In fact, open those two files. Test them one time. Then, test them again after you change some of the constants. Make the boardHeight only five cards, for instance. Scoot the cards down by 20 pixels by changing boardOffsetY. The fact that you can make these changes quickly and painlessly drives home the point of using constants.

Shuffling and Assigning Cards

Now that we can add cards to the screen, we want to assign the pictures randomly to each card. If there are 36 cards in the screen, there should be 18 pairs of pictures in random positions.

Chapter 2, "ActionScript Game Elements," discussed how to use random numbers. However, we can't just pick a random picture for each card. We need to make sure there are exactly two of each type of card on the screen. No more, no less; otherwise, there are no matching pairs.

To do this, we need to create an array that lists each card, and then pick a random card from this array. Arrays are variables that hold a series of values. We look more closely at them at the start of Chapter 4, "Brain Games: Memory and Deduction."

The array is 36 items in length, containing 2 of each of the 18 cards. Then, as we create the 6x6 board, we are removing cards from the array and placing them on the board. When we have finished, the array is empty, and all 18 pairs of cards are accounted for on the game board.

Here is the code to do this. A variable i is declared in the for statement. It goes from zero to the number of cards needed. This is the board width times the board height, divided by two (because there are two of each card). So, for a 6x6 board, there will be 36 cards. We must loop 18 times to add 18 pairs of cards. This new code goes at the start of the constructor function:

// make a list of card numbers
var cardlist:Array = new Array();
for(var i:uint=0;i<boardWidth*boardHeight/2;i++) {
    cardlist.push(i);
    cardlist.push(i);
}

The push command is used to place a number in the array twice. Here is what the array looks like:

0,0,1,1,2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,9,9,10,10,11,11,12,12,13,13,14,14,15,15,16,16,17,17

Now as we loop to create the 36 movie clips, we pull a random number from this list to determine which picture displays on each card:

for(var x:uint=0;x<boardWidth;x++) { // horizontal
    for(var y:uint=0;y<boardHeight;y++) { // vertical
        var c:Card = new Card(); // copy the movie clip
        c.stop(); // stop on first frame
        c.x = x*cardHorizontalSpacing+boardOffsetX; // set position
        c.y = y*cardVerticalSpacing+boardOffsetY;
        var r:uint = Math.floor(Math.random()*cardlist.length); // get a random face
        c.cardface = cardlist[r]; // assign face to card
        cardlist.splice(r,1); // remove face from list
        c.gotoAndStop(c.cardface+2);
        addChild(c); // show the card
    }
}

The new lines are in the middle of the code. First, we use this line to get a random number between zero and the number of items remaining in the list:

var r:uint = Math.floor(Math.random()*cardlist.length);

The Math.random() function returns a number from 0.0 up to just before 1.0. Multiply this by cardlist.length to get a random number from 0.0 up to 35.9999. Then, use Math.floor() to round that number down so that it is a whole number from 0 to 35—that is, of course, when there are 36 items in the cardlist array at the start of the loops.

Then, the number at the location in cardlist is assigned to a property of u named cardface. Then, we use the splice command to remove that number from the array so it isn't used again.

In addition, the MatchingGame3.as script includes this line to test that everything is working so far:

c.gotoAndStop(c.cardface+2);

This syntax makes the Card movie clip show its picture. So, all 36 cards are face up rather than face down. It takes the value of the property cardface, which is a number from 0 to 17, and then adds 2 to get a number from 2 to 19. This corresponds to the frames in the Card movie clip, where frame 1 is the back of the card, and frame 2 and so on are the picture faces of the cards.

Obviously, we don't want to have this line of code in our final game, but it is useful at this point to illustrate what we have accomplished. Figure 3.5 shows what the screen might look like after we run the program with this testing line in place.

Figure 3.5

Figure 3.5 The third version of our program includes code that reveals each of the cards. This is useful to get visual confirmation that your code is working so far.

InformIT Promotional Mailings & Special Offers

I would like to receive exclusive offers and hear about products from InformIT and its family of brands. I can unsubscribe at any time.

Overview


Pearson Education, Inc., 221 River Street, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, (Pearson) presents this site to provide information about products and services that can be purchased through this site.

This privacy notice provides an overview of our commitment to privacy and describes how we collect, protect, use and share personal information collected through this site. Please note that other Pearson websites and online products and services have their own separate privacy policies.

Collection and Use of Information


To conduct business and deliver products and services, Pearson collects and uses personal information in several ways in connection with this site, including:

Questions and Inquiries

For inquiries and questions, we collect the inquiry or question, together with name, contact details (email address, phone number and mailing address) and any other additional information voluntarily submitted to us through a Contact Us form or an email. We use this information to address the inquiry and respond to the question.

Online Store

For orders and purchases placed through our online store on this site, we collect order details, name, institution name and address (if applicable), email address, phone number, shipping and billing addresses, credit/debit card information, shipping options and any instructions. We use this information to complete transactions, fulfill orders, communicate with individuals placing orders or visiting the online store, and for related purposes.

Surveys

Pearson may offer opportunities to provide feedback or participate in surveys, including surveys evaluating Pearson products, services or sites. Participation is voluntary. Pearson collects information requested in the survey questions and uses the information to evaluate, support, maintain and improve products, services or sites, develop new products and services, conduct educational research and for other purposes specified in the survey.

Contests and Drawings

Occasionally, we may sponsor a contest or drawing. Participation is optional. Pearson collects name, contact information and other information specified on the entry form for the contest or drawing to conduct the contest or drawing. Pearson may collect additional personal information from the winners of a contest or drawing in order to award the prize and for tax reporting purposes, as required by law.

Newsletters

If you have elected to receive email newsletters or promotional mailings and special offers but want to unsubscribe, simply email information@informit.com.

Service Announcements

On rare occasions it is necessary to send out a strictly service related announcement. For instance, if our service is temporarily suspended for maintenance we might send users an email. Generally, users may not opt-out of these communications, though they can deactivate their account information. However, these communications are not promotional in nature.

Customer Service

We communicate with users on a regular basis to provide requested services and in regard to issues relating to their account we reply via email or phone in accordance with the users' wishes when a user submits their information through our Contact Us form.

Other Collection and Use of Information


Application and System Logs

Pearson automatically collects log data to help ensure the delivery, availability and security of this site. Log data may include technical information about how a user or visitor connected to this site, such as browser type, type of computer/device, operating system, internet service provider and IP address. We use this information for support purposes and to monitor the health of the site, identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents and appropriately scale computing resources.

Web Analytics

Pearson may use third party web trend analytical services, including Google Analytics, to collect visitor information, such as IP addresses, browser types, referring pages, pages visited and time spent on a particular site. While these analytical services collect and report information on an anonymous basis, they may use cookies to gather web trend information. The information gathered may enable Pearson (but not the third party web trend services) to link information with application and system log data. Pearson uses this information for system administration and to identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents, appropriately scale computing resources and otherwise support and deliver this site and its services.

Cookies and Related Technologies

This site uses cookies and similar technologies to personalize content, measure traffic patterns, control security, track use and access of information on this site, and provide interest-based messages and advertising. Users can manage and block the use of cookies through their browser. Disabling or blocking certain cookies may limit the functionality of this site.

Do Not Track

This site currently does not respond to Do Not Track signals.

Security


Pearson uses appropriate physical, administrative and technical security measures to protect personal information from unauthorized access, use and disclosure.

Children


This site is not directed to children under the age of 13.

Marketing


Pearson may send or direct marketing communications to users, provided that

  • Pearson will not use personal information collected or processed as a K-12 school service provider for the purpose of directed or targeted advertising.
  • Such marketing is consistent with applicable law and Pearson's legal obligations.
  • Pearson will not knowingly direct or send marketing communications to an individual who has expressed a preference not to receive marketing.
  • Where required by applicable law, express or implied consent to marketing exists and has not been withdrawn.

Pearson may provide personal information to a third party service provider on a restricted basis to provide marketing solely on behalf of Pearson or an affiliate or customer for whom Pearson is a service provider. Marketing preferences may be changed at any time.

Correcting/Updating Personal Information


If a user's personally identifiable information changes (such as your postal address or email address), we provide a way to correct or update that user's personal data provided to us. This can be done on the Account page. If a user no longer desires our service and desires to delete his or her account, please contact us at customer-service@informit.com and we will process the deletion of a user's account.

Choice/Opt-out


Users can always make an informed choice as to whether they should proceed with certain services offered by InformIT. If you choose to remove yourself from our mailing list(s) simply visit the following page and uncheck any communication you no longer want to receive: www.informit.com/u.aspx.

Sale of Personal Information


Pearson does not rent or sell personal information in exchange for any payment of money.

While Pearson does not sell personal information, as defined in Nevada law, Nevada residents may email a request for no sale of their personal information to NevadaDesignatedRequest@pearson.com.

Supplemental Privacy Statement for California Residents


California residents should read our Supplemental privacy statement for California residents in conjunction with this Privacy Notice. The Supplemental privacy statement for California residents explains Pearson's commitment to comply with California law and applies to personal information of California residents collected in connection with this site and the Services.

Sharing and Disclosure


Pearson may disclose personal information, as follows:

  • As required by law.
  • With the consent of the individual (or their parent, if the individual is a minor)
  • In response to a subpoena, court order or legal process, to the extent permitted or required by law
  • To protect the security and safety of individuals, data, assets and systems, consistent with applicable law
  • In connection the sale, joint venture or other transfer of some or all of its company or assets, subject to the provisions of this Privacy Notice
  • To investigate or address actual or suspected fraud or other illegal activities
  • To exercise its legal rights, including enforcement of the Terms of Use for this site or another contract
  • To affiliated Pearson companies and other companies and organizations who perform work for Pearson and are obligated to protect the privacy of personal information consistent with this Privacy Notice
  • To a school, organization, company or government agency, where Pearson collects or processes the personal information in a school setting or on behalf of such organization, company or government agency.

Links


This web site contains links to other sites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every web site that collects Personal Information. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by this web site.

Requests and Contact


Please contact us about this Privacy Notice or if you have any requests or questions relating to the privacy of your personal information.

Changes to this Privacy Notice


We may revise this Privacy Notice through an updated posting. We will identify the effective date of the revision in the posting. Often, updates are made to provide greater clarity or to comply with changes in regulatory requirements. If the updates involve material changes to the collection, protection, use or disclosure of Personal Information, Pearson will provide notice of the change through a conspicuous notice on this site or other appropriate way. Continued use of the site after the effective date of a posted revision evidences acceptance. Please contact us if you have questions or concerns about the Privacy Notice or any objection to any revisions.

Last Update: November 17, 2020