Last Updated : 11 Jul, 2025
Pygame is a set of Python modules designed for writing video games. It adds functionality on top of the excellent SDL library, enabling you to create fully-featured games and multimedia programs in the Python language. It's key benefits include:
Pygame requires Python 3.6.1 or later, as newer versions are more beginner-friendly and offer improved performance. If you don’t have Python installed, download it from python.org.
To install Pygame, use the following command:
python3 -m pip install -U pygame --user
After installation, verify if it works by running a built-in example:
python3 -m pygame.examples.aliens
If the game launches successfully, you are ready to start using Pygame!
Creating your first pygame programOnce Pygame is installed, let’s create a simple program that displays four squares on the screen.
Importing Pygame Modules# Import the pygame module
import pygame
# Import constants for easier access to key events
from pygame.locals import *
Before using any Pygame functionality, we need to import its modules.
Understanding key pygame concepts
import pygame
from pygame.locals import *
class Sq(pygame.sprite.Sprite):
def __init__(self):
super().__init__()
self.surf = pygame.Surface((25, 25))
self.surf.fill((0, 200, 255))
pygame.init() # Init Pygame
win = pygame.display.set_mode((800, 600)) # Game window 800x600
# Create 4 squares
s1, s2, s3, s4 = Sq(), Sq(), Sq(), Sq()
# Game loop
run = True
while run:
for e in pygame.event.get():
if e.type == QUIT or (e.type == KEYDOWN and e.key == K_BACKSPACE):
run = False
# Draw squares in corners
win.blit(s1.surf, (40, 40))
win.blit(s2.surf, (40, 530))
win.blit(s3.surf, (730, 40))
win.blit(s4.surf, (730, 530))
pygame.display.flip()
Output
Explanation:
Let’s create a simple, real game where a player-controlled paddle catches falling blocks. Its features include:
import pygame
import random
import sys
pygame.init() # Init pygame
W, H = 600, 600 # Screen setup
screen = pygame.display.set_mode((W, H))
pygame.display.set_caption("Catch the Falling Blocks")
WHT, BLU, RED, BLK = (255, 255, 255), (0, 200, 255), (255, 0, 0), (0, 0, 0) # Colors
# Clock and font
clock = pygame.time.Clock()
font = pygame.font.SysFont(None, 36)
# Paddle and block
paddle = pygame.Rect(W // 2 - 60, H - 20, 120, 10)
block = pygame.Rect(random.randint(0, W - 20), 0, 20, 20)
b_speed = 5
score = 0 # Score
# Game loop
run = True
while run:
screen.fill(BLK)
for e in pygame.event.get():
if e.type == pygame.QUIT:
pygame.quit()
sys.exit()
# Paddle movement
keys = pygame.key.get_pressed()
if keys[pygame.K_LEFT] and paddle.left > 0:
paddle.move_ip(-8, 0)
if keys[pygame.K_RIGHT] and paddle.right < W:
paddle.move_ip(8, 0)
# Move block
block.y += b_speed
# Block caught
if block.colliderect(paddle):
block.y = 0
block.x = random.randint(0, W - 20)
score += 1
b_speed += 0.5 # Speed up
# Block missed
if block.y > H:
game_over = font.render(f"Game Over! Final Score: {score}", True, RED)
screen.blit(game_over, (W // 2 - 150, H // 2))
pygame.display.flip()
pygame.time.wait(2000)
run = False
# Draw objects
pygame.draw.rect(screen, WHT, paddle)
pygame.draw.rect(screen, BLU, block)
# Display score
score_text = font.render(f"Score: {score}", True, WHT)
screen.blit(score_text, (10, 10))
pygame.display.flip()
clock.tick(60)
Output
Catching falling blocks gameExplanation:
The ultimate introduction to Pygame
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