Games are a great way to get started using App Inventor, as they’ll require you to use several different components; as a result, you’ll familiarize yourself with the tools you’ll need to make more complicated applications.
Though MIT’s Scratch is more often used to make games, App Inventor is just as capable of creating fun and engaging experiences using a similarly simple block-based interface.
You’re not limited to traditional games, either. You can make anything from simple quiz games to much more advanced RPGs, and everything in between.
But let’s try to crawl before we walk, shall we? Let’s start with some entry-level, beginner-friendly games that you can make today without too much trouble. These will help you become more comfortable with App Inventor and the way it works, and will give you a taste of what you can create down the road.
Just a heads up: We’ve given each game a difficulty rating ranging from 1-4: 1 being the easiest and 4 being the hardest.
15 Easy App Inventor Game Ideas for Beginners
1. Tic-Tac-Toe
This classic two-player game can be easily implemented with a grid of buttons and a simple set of rules for determining a winner.
Difficulty rating: 3
2. Hangman
Players try to guess a word by guessing individual letters. Each incorrect guess results in a part of a stick figure being drawn. The player loses if they are unable to guess the word before the stick figure is fully drawn.
Difficulty rating: 3
3. Memory Match
Players try to match pairs of cards by clicking on them. If the cards match, they stay flipped up; if not, they flip back over. The player wins when all pairs are matched.
Difficulty rating: 2
4. Maze Game
Players navigate through a maze by using arrow buttons to move their characters. The goal is to reach the end of the maze without hitting any walls.
Difficulty rating: 3
5. Whack-a-mole
An ever-changing grid of buttons appears at random onscreen. The player must click them all before the timer runs out.
Difficulty rating: 3
6. Space Invaders
Players control a spaceship at the bottom of the screen and use it to shoot at rows of alien invaders moving across the top of the screen. The game is won when all of the invaders are destroyed.
Difficulty rating: 4
7. Snake
Players control a snake as it moves around a grid, collecting food and growing in size. The game is over when the snake runs into a wall or itself.
Difficulty rating: 3
8. Simon Says
Players watch a sequence of colors and then try to replicate it by pressing buttons in the correct order. The game can be made more challenging by increasing the length of the sequence.
Difficulty rating: 2
9. Rock-paper-scissors
Players can play the classic game of rock-paper-scissors against the computer or against another player. The winner is determined by which hand symbol beats out the other in a best two out of three match.
Difficulty rating: 1
10. Math Quiz
Players answer simple math questions and their answers are checked against the correct answer. Each correct answer earns points, while incorrect answers deduct points from the player’s score.
Difficulty rating: 2
11. Guess the Number
Players try to guess a secret number that is chosen at random. The game can be made more difficult by increasing the range of possible numbers or by limiting the number of guesses allowed.
Difficulty rating: 2
12. Word Unscramble
Players try to unscramble a set of jumbled letters to form valid words. The game can be made more challenging by increasing the length of the words or by adding time limits for each word.
Difficulty rating: 2
13. Music Maker
Make tunes by pressing on colored buttons. Each button plays a different musical note, creating a unique and fun experience. Or, to make things more visually appealing, use images of different instruments instead of colored buttons.
Difficulty rating: 1
14. Quiz Game
Players answer multiple-choice questions and are granted points based on how many they get right. The game can be made more interesting by adding visuals, sound effects, and rewards for getting the most points.
Difficulty rating: 3
15. Catch Game
Players control a character and must catch falling objects before they reach the bottom of the screen. To make things more challenging, you could increase the speed or number of objects that are falling, or add objects that must be avoided.
Difficulty rating: 4
So, that’s it! 15 games that you can make today with App Inventor and have a blast while learning the basics of coding. Okay, so they’re not the most exciting games in the world, but they’re a great way to get started.
Once you’ve made a couple of these, we promise you’ll feel much more confident about tackling larger and more complex games and apps in the future.
Have fun!