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Microsoft Makecode Arcade: Everything You Need to Know about This Free Online Code Editor
It’s free and it can teach coding and game design at the same time.
6 min. read
Published onSeptember 26, 2024
published onSeptember 26, 2024
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Microsoft Makecode Arcade is a free online code editor designed to help students (but not limited to them) learn coding skills while enjoying a fun, creative experience. With Makecode Arcade, users can create, customize, and share their retro arcade games for the web or handheld consoles, online and for free.
The platform is heavily visually centered, and it has many interactive elements that make it easy to remember where to put code and where to put other aspects. Speaking of interaction, with Microsoft Makecode Arcade, you can develop your own video game, even if you don’t have any experience with coding or game design,
Microsoft Makecode Arcade: Who is it for?
Generally speaking, Microsoft Makecode Arcade is a suitable platform for everyone, from beginners to those with coding experience. But it’s also ideal for:
And indeed, the list can go on.
Microsoft Makecode Arcade: What can you do with it?
If you’re curious about coding, Microsoft Makecode Arcade is the place to go. The platform now allows users to code in JavaScript and Python, two of the most popular and widely used programming languages.
Microsoft Makecode Arcade currently only supports Blocks, JavaScript, and Python,soyou might want to look elsewhereto learn a back-end programming language, such as C+.
While coding games is the primary focus of Makecode Arcade, the platform also provides lessons on creating DIY hardware, such as building custom controllers and arcade cabinets.
For those with hardware such as micro: bits or Meowbits, Makecode Arcade offers resources to integrate these devices into the coding experience. To further inspire creativity, Makecode Arcade offers non-tech projects, such as creating a LEGO brick mural.
Ultimately, Microsoft Makecode Arcade is a valuable resource for anyone looking to develop coding skills in a fun and engaging way. With a rich source of projects and tutorials, it’s an excellent environment to grow your coding knowledge. It’s also a fantastic platform for novice game developers to learn the ropes of coding.
That said, learning to use Microsoft Makecode Arcade is not hard. The platform’s focus on vivid colors, highly interactive elements, and assisted learning through tutorials makes the whole experience easier, even for those who haven’t coded their entire life.
How to use it?
To start coding/building your game on MakeCode Arcade, navigate tothe arcade.makecode.comsite.
You can choose to log in or not. But if you’re not logged in, you won’t be able to save and share your projects. To log in, go to the top-right corner and choose your preferred method (you can log in using your Microsoft, Google, or Facebook account, among others).
On the platform, as a beginner, it’s highly recommended you should try the tutorials and skill maps, and Microsoft MakeCode Arcade has dozens of them, such as:
Each section contains between 3 and 20 examples of games, puzzles, lessons, and tutorials, so you have more than enough to learn everything about coding and making games. Take your time to go through each of them, as they will all teach step-by-step how to use every element in Microsoft MakeCode Arcade to build a video game.
You can also create a new project by clicking theNew Projectbutton.
Once you decide to create a new project, you can give it a name by typing up your preferred name in theGive your project a namebox; you’ll need to select your preferred code options – you have three options:
When everything is done, hit theCreatebutton.
And while we’re here, we’ll show you everything you need to know about creating your first video game in Microsoft MakeCode Arcade.
Now that you have an excellent introduction to what Microsoft MakeCode Arcade is capable of, you can easily build your own arcade game in no time while also learning to code in JavaScript and Python.
If you’re looking for more advanced engines, you’ll findthe best list here, but if you have no experience in game design or coding, it’s probably best to start with this platform first.
What do you think about it? Did you know about this platform?
More about the topics:microsoft,Technology
Flavius Floare
Tech Journalist
Flavius is a writer and a media content producer with a particular interest in technology, gaming, media, film and storytelling.
He’s always curious and ready to take on everything new in the tech world, covering Microsoft’s products on a daily basis. The passion for gaming and hardware feeds his journalistic approach, making him a great researcher and news writer that’s always ready to bring you the bleeding edge!
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Flavius Floare
Tech Journalist
Flavius is a writer and a media content producer with a particular interest in technology, gaming, media, film and storytelling.
