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MyHighschool
Chapter 2

Emoji Pop

Emoji Pop — catch the emojis

Sign in to download the sprite starter .sb3 for this chapter.

Use the manual below to learn the ideas and build the lab in Scratch — download the sprite starter under the chapter title first. (~27 min)

Build Emoji Pop — a one-screen catch game where falling emojis raise your score and the green flag always starts a fair new round.

What you will learn in this chapter

Green flag & events

Events

when green flag clicked is your play button; every test should reset score and sprite positions.

Motion & placement

Motion

go to x: y: and glide place the catcher and emojis where players expect them on the stage.

Looks feedback

Looks

say, think, and costume changes show score updates and celebrate a catch.

Forever loop

Control

A forever loop keeps emojis falling until you stop the round or hit game over.

Score variable

Variables

A score variable counts catches; show it on the stage so players see progress.

Read the ideas below, then follow the build steps in Scratch to make A one-screen arcade game where you move a basket to catch falling emojis and score points.. When you are ready, continue to the concept check.

How this chapter works

  • Step 1 — Read and build from this manual (learn the ideas, then follow Part B in Scratch).
  • Step 2 — Pass the concept check on the course page.
  • Step 3 — Submit on the course page when your project matches the checklist.
  • Step 4 — Optional bonus: extend your project for two players (unlocks after you submit).

Work in order: learn the ideas first, pass the concept check on the course page, then build the lab below. Save your Scratch project at each save point.

Learn the ideas

By the end of this chapter you will build: A one-screen arcade game where you move a basket to catch falling emojis and score points.

Build Emoji Pop — a one-screen catch game where falling emojis raise your score and the green flag always starts a fair new round.

What you will learn in this chapter

  • Green flag & events (Events) — when green flag clicked is your play button; every test should reset score and sprite positions.
  • Motion & placement (Motion) — go to x: y: and glide place the catcher and emojis where players expect them on the stage.
  • Looks feedback (Looks) — say, think, and costume changes show score updates and celebrate a catch.
  • Forever loop (Control) — A forever loop keeps emojis falling until you stop the round or hit game over.
  • Score variable (Variables) — A score variable counts catches; show it on the stage so players see progress.

After this chapter you can

  • Start Emoji Pop cleanly with the green flag every time
  • Move a catcher sprite and detect when it touches a falling emoji
  • Increase and display score when a catch happens
  • Reset score and positions so replay feels fair

Study the ideas below, then pass the concept check on the course page before you build the lab in Scratch.

Welcome to Scratch Studio! Your first real game is Emoji Pop — emojis rain from the sky and you catch them before they hit the ground. By the end of this lab you will know how to start a project, move a sprite, and keep score like a tiny arcade designer.

Studio Cat: Studio Cat says: if an emoji falls past your basket, do not panic. That is not failure — that is data. Adjust speed and try again.

Sketch first

On paper, draw your game screen: a basket at the bottom, three emoji spawn spots at the top, and a score box in the corner. Label which keys move left and right.

Green flag = game on

Every Scratch game needs a reliable start button. The when green flag clicked hat block from Events resets your stage so each play-through begins fresh.

Key vocabulary

Sprite A character or object on the Stage that runs scripts.
Stage The background area where your game is played.
Script A stack of blocks that tells a sprite what to do.
Variable A named container that stores a number or text, like score.

Build the chapter lab

Follow each part in Scratch while you read — use save points in Part B below. When your project matches the checklist, pass the concept check and submit on the course page.

Your lab for this chapter: A one-screen arcade game where you move a basket to catch falling emojis and score points.

Part A - Build the basket and falling emoji

Studio Cat: Sprite starter file. Before you build in Scratch, open this chapter on MyHighschool and click the green Download sprite starter (.sb3) button under the chapter title (you can also use it again in Step 1 — Read & Build). Open the file in Scratch — sprites and backdrops are already named. The starter has no scripts; add blocks from Part B of this manual.

Your first goal is a working catch scene: a basket you can move and one emoji that falls from the top of the screen.

Build steps

  1. Download the sprite starter with the green button under the chapter title on the MyHighschool page, then open it in Scratch.
  2. Rename the project Emoji Pop if needed — Basket, Emoji, Emoji2, and Emoji3 are already on the stage.
  3. On the Basket sprite, drag when green flag clicked from Events into the Scripts area.
  4. From Motion, snap go to x: (0) y: (-150) under the green-flag hat so the basket always starts at the bottom center.
  5. Still on Basket, add when left arrow key pressed from Events, then change x by (-10) from Motion. Repeat for the right arrow with change x by (10).
  6. On the Emoji sprite, add when green flag clicked, then go to x: (pick random -200 to 200) y: (180) from Motion.
  7. Under that, add forever from Control and inside it put change y by (-5) from Motion so the emoji falls steadily.
  8. Click the green flag and test: the emoji should fall while you move the basket with arrow keys.

Save point

Milestone: emoji falls and basket moves. Green-flag test, then save your project.

Part B - Catch, score, and replay

Turn the falling emoji into a real game: catching adds points, missing resets the emoji, and your score shows on screen.

Touching = collision

Scratch checks overlap with touching Basket? from Sensing. Pair it with Control if blocks inside your forever loop to detect a catch.

Build steps

  1. From Variables, click Make a Variable, name it score, and check For all sprites.
  2. On green flag (Basket script), add set score to 0 from Variables so each game starts at zero.
  3. Drag show variable score onto the Stage if it is hidden — you want the score visible while playing.
  4. On the Emoji sprite, inside the forever loop (after change y by (-5)), add if touching Basket ? from Control + Sensing.
  5. Inside that if, add change score by 1 from Variables.
  6. Still inside the if, add go to x: (pick random -200 to 200) y: (180) so a new emoji spawns at the top after each catch.
  7. After the whole if block (still inside forever), add a second if y position < (-180) using Operators and Motion — if the emoji hits the bottom without a catch, teleport it back to the top (no point).
  8. Play three full rounds: confirm score goes up only when you catch, and the emoji respawns every time.

Save point

Emoji Pop is playable with score. Full green-flag test, then save before submitting.

Check yourself before the quiz

  1. Why do we put when green flag clicked at the top of our scripts?
  2. What does the forever block do inside the emoji script?
  3. How does Scratch know the emoji was caught?
  4. Why is a score variable better than counting catches in your head?
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