Corona SDK: Create an Alphabet Soup Game

In this tutorial series, you will learn how to create a minimalistic Alphabet Soup game. The goal of this game is to allow the player to pick words out from a jumbled set of letters. Read on!


Step 1: Application Overview

Using pre-created graphics, we will code an entertaining game using Lua and the Corona SDK API's.

The player will be able to draw a line across the stage in order to highlight a word. You can modify the parameters in the code to customize the game.


Step 2: Target Device

The first thing we have to do is select the platform we want to run our app within. This way we'll be able to choose the size for the images we will use.

The iOS platform has these characteristics:

  • iPad: 1024x768px, 132 ppi
  • iPhone/iPod Touch: 320x480px, 163 ppi
  • iPhone 4: 960x640px, 326 ppi

Because Android is an open platform, there are many different devices and resolutions. A few of the more common screen characteristics are:

  • Google Nexus One: 480x800px, 254 ppi
  • Motorola Droid X: 854x480px, 228 ppi
  • HTC Evo: 480x800px, 217 ppi

In this tutorial, we'll be focusing on the iOS platform with the graphic design, specifically developing for distribution to an iPhone/iPod touch, but the code presented here should apply to Android development with the Corona SDK as well.


Step 3: Interface

A simple and friendly interface will be used, this involves multiple shapes, buttons, bitmaps and more.

The interface graphic resources necessary for this tutorial can be found in the attached download.


Step 4: Export Graphics

Depending on the device you have selected, you may need to export the graphics in the recommended ppi, you can do that in your favorite image editor.

I used the Adjust Size... function in the Preview app on Mac OS X.

Remember to give the images a descriptive name and save them in your project folder.


Step 5: App Configuration

An external file will be used to make the application go fullscreen across devices, the config.lua file. This file shows the original screen size and the method used to scale that content in case the app is run in a different screen resolution.


Step 6: Main.lua

Let's write the application!

Open your prefered Lua editor (any Text Editor will work, but you won't have syntax highlighting) and prepare to write your awesome app. Remember to save the file as main.lua in your project folder.


Step 7: Code Structure

We'll structure our code as if it were a Class. If you know ActionScript or Java, you should find the structure familiar.


Step 8: Hide Status Bar

This code hides the status bar. The status bar is the bar on top of the device screen that shows the time, signal, and other indicators.


Step 9: Game Background

A simple graphic is used as the background for the application interface, the next line of code stores it.


Step 10: Title View

This is the Title View, it will be the first interactive screen to appear in our game. These variables store its components:


Step 11: About View

This view will show the credits, version, and copyright of the game. This variable will be used to store it:


Step 12: Words List

The list of words to find and the already found will be stored by the next lines.


Step 13: Game View

The game view is composed by the TextFields that store the single letters, the line used to highlight words and the alert used when the game is complete. Add the following lines to your code to handle these elements.


Step 14: Variables

These are the variables we'll use. Read the comments in the code to know more about them. Some of their names are self explaining, so there will be no comment there.


Step 15: Code Review

Here is the full code written in this tutorial alongside with comments to help you identify each part:


Next Time...

In this part of the series you've learned the interface and the basic setup of the game. Stay tuned for part two where we will handle the logic of the application, buttons behavior and more. See you next time!

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