Getting Started with Kodu Game Lab Brendan Routledge brendan@suffolkeducationconsultants.net
What is Kodu Game Lab? A game creation tool which employs a simple visual user interface Works on any Windows PC (XP, Vista, 7 and 8) and on Xbox Requires no coding skills Available as a free download for PC Costs $5 if installed on Xbox
How does it work? Kodu Game Lab uses an easy to use simple visual programming interface Users can build their own worlds and populate them with programmable characters
Where can you get it? Go to www.kodugamelab.com and select ‘Download’ Kodu Game Lab is a free for PC
What can you create? Kodu Game Lab allows users to create complex and exciting games You can create multi-player and multi-level games Kodu provides easy tools to create elaborate 3D landscapes, and control the lighting and camera Students can learn about cooperation, logic and creativity, not just about programming Kodu is a rich tool for narrative creation and storytelling pulling users into creating stories
Let’s make a world Open Kodu Game Lab Select ‘New world’ Select the ‘Object’ tool and click on an area of landscape From the wheel, choose the Cycle character Right-click on the cycle and select ‘Programme’ Add a line of code to make it move randomly WHEN - DO ‘Move’ ‘Wander’ Click ‘Esc’ and then run the programme
Making a simple game Add an apple to the world Copy it and paste a few more around the landscape Now add more to Cycle’s programme Press ‘Esc’ and run programme again. What happens?
Where can I get more help? www.kodugamelab.com – ‘Worlds’ – see what other users have made www.kodugamelab.com/hour-of-code/ - four part tutorial www.quepublishing.com/articles/article.aspx?p=2163341&seqNum=2 – Skyscraper Panic game www.educatornetwork.com/Resources/Tools/Details/ca1b56f2-9382-4d0e-bc9c-ffa54632ba6f - Kodu Classroom Kit
Getting Started with Kodu Game Lab Brendan Routledge brendan@suffolkeducationconsultants.net