6.02 Your idea

Plan your virtual pet, character, or nature simulation. The user will have to create the right conditions to support the main sprite’s needs. Your main sprite might get bigger, gain experience, increase health, or something else.

You can plan by just thinking, tinkering, drawing or writing, or however you like!

Why are you making your project?

Think about the purpose of your project.

It could be:

• To teach a new skill, such as looking after an animal or keeping a plant alive
• To share a message, such as look after your mental health or improve your neighbourhood
• To entertain users, by giving them something they wouldn’t usually get the chance to interact with

Who is it for?

Think about who you will make your project for (your audience).

Knowing your audience will help you design a project they will want to play again and again.

Get started

Open a new Scratch project. Scratch will open in another browser tab.

Use your new Scratch project, a pen and paper, or both to plan your ideas.

What will your main sprite be?

• A character such as a pet or wild animal, or a person
• A plant or crop that needs sunlight, water, and nutrients
• A feature from science or nature, such as a rainbow or a fire
• A machine, such as a submarine or a recycling machine
• Or something else

Think about your main sprite and decide:

• What objects and variables might be needed?
• Will the variables change over time, for example hunger or tiredness increasing every few seconds?
• How will the user interact with the main sprite? This could be clicking on food to feed an animal, or chatting with a character to reduce their boredom.

Give your project a title that tells the user what to expect, and makes them want to try it out.

The example projects were: Bat simulator, Make a rainbow, Watermelon farmer, and Music Machine.

You can always update the title later if you think of a better one.