Create Your Own Snake Game in React!

🌱 How to start this project

Don't clone this repository because we will use a different template.

We recommend opening the React template using a provisioning tool like Codespaces (recommended) or Gitpod. Alternatively, you can clone the GitHub repository on your local computer using the git clone command.

This is the repository you need to open or clone:

https://github.com/4GeeksAcademy/react-hello

⚠ You will need to have Node.js installed if you do it locally, but all of that is already installed on Codespaces or Gitpod!

📝 Instructions

Step 1: Set Up the Project

• Set up the boilerplate project from the provided React template.
• Follow the instructions in the README of the repository to set up your development environment.

Step 2: Plan the Game Structure

• Create a sketch or diagram of how your Snake game will look.

Step 3: Implement the Game Board

• Create a Board component that will represent the area where the snake moves.
• Define the size of the board (e.g., a 20x20 grid).
• Use CSS to style the board and the cells.

Step 4: Manage State with useState

• Use the useState hook to manage:

1const [snake, setSnake] = useState([[10, 10]]);
2const [direction, setDirection] = useState('RIGHT');
3const [food, setFood] = useState([15, 15]);
4const [gameOver, setGameOver] = useState(false);

Step 5: Handle Snake Movement

• Use the useEffect hook to create a game loop that updates the snake's position at regular intervals.
• Calculate the new head of the snake based on the current direction.
• Check for collisions with walls or with the snake itself.

1useEffect(() => {
2  const moveSnake = () => {
3    // Logic to move the snake
4  };
5
6  if (!gameOver) {
7    const interval = setInterval(moveSnake, 200);
8    return () => clearInterval(interval);
9  }
10}, [snake, direction, gameOver]);

Step 6: Key Controls to Change Direction

• Add an event listener for arrow keys and update the snake's direction accordingly.

1useEffect(() => {
2  const handleKeyDown = (event) => {
3    switch(event.key) {
4      case 'ArrowUp':
5        setDirection('UP');
6        break;
7      case 'ArrowDown':
8        setDirection('DOWN');
9        break;
10      case 'ArrowLeft':
11        setDirection('LEFT');
12        break;
13      case 'ArrowRight':
14        setDirection('RIGHT');
15        break;
16      default:
17        break;
18    }
19  };
20
21  window.addEventListener('keydown', handleKeyDown);
22  return () => window.removeEventListener('keydown', handleKeyDown);
23}, []);

Step 7: Implement Food Logic

• When the snake eats the food:
• Ensure that the food does not appear on a position occupied by the snake.

Step 8: Handle Game Over

• Determine when the game is over (collision with walls or itself).
• Display a "Game Over!" message and offer an option to restart the game.

1if (checkCollision(newHead)) {
2  setGameOver(true);
3}

Step 9: Improve the User Interface

• Add visual elements such as:
• Ensure the game is responsive and looks good on different devices.

Bonus Section

Additional Features to Practice and Improve the Project

1. Speed Adjustment: Increase the snake's speed as the player progresses.

2. Difficulty Levels: Offer different difficulty levels with varying speeds or board sizes.

3. Obstacles: Add obstacles to the board that the snake must avoid.

4. Sounds and Effects: Add sound effects when eating food or when the game ends!

5. High Scores: Implement a system to save and display high scores using local storage.

6. Customizable Themes: Allow the player to choose between different visual themes for the game.

7. Multiplayer Game: Implement a mode where two snakes compete on the same board.

Explore different enhancements to make your Snake game more interesting and challenging!