In this tutorial we will learn how to create/develop a fully working breakout game using c# and visual studio.  You will learn how to create multiple picture boxes and use them inside of a loop using c# programming language.  This tutorial is aimed for the beginners who are learning how to program and what better way to learn than to clone an all time classic. In this tutorial we are not using any other libraries such as XNA, MonoGame, DirectX or any other. We are simply going use a windows form application and C# programming to completely create a game from scratch.

Lesson Objectives –

1) Create a simple break out game using button, picture boxes and timer

2) Create a control loop to loop through system components and identify picture boxes

3) Create picture boxes with different tags and identify them using c#

4) Keeping score within the game

5) Execute win or lose scenario for the player

6) Animate paddle and ball to give rewarding game play for the user

Full Video Tutorial

Download Breakout Game Project on GitHub

Full Source Code –

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Data;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using System.Windows.Forms;

namespace Breakout_Game_MOO_ICT
{
    public partial class Form1 : Form
    {

        bool goLeft;
        bool goRight;
        bool isGameOver;
        
        int score;
        int ballx;
        int bally;
        int playerSpeed;

        Random rnd = new Random();

        PictureBox[] blockArray;

        public Form1()
        {
            InitializeComponent();

            PlaceBlocks();
        }

        private void setupGame()
        {
            isGameOver = false;
            score = 0;
            ballx = 5;
            bally = 5;
            playerSpeed = 12;
            txtScore.Text = "Score: " + score;

            ball.Left = 376;
            ball.Top = 328;

            player.Left = 347;


            gameTImer.Start();

            foreach(Control x in this.Controls)
            {
                if(x is PictureBox && (string)x.Tag == "blocks")
                {
                    x.BackColor = Color.FromArgb(rnd.Next(256), rnd.Next(256), rnd.Next(256));
                }
            }
        }


        private void gameOver(string message)
        {
            isGameOver = true;
            gameTImer.Stop();

            txtScore.Text = "Score: " + score + " " + message;
        }

        private void PlaceBlocks()
        
        {
            blockArray = new PictureBox[15];

            int a = 0;

            int top = 50;
            int left = 100;

            for(int i = 0; i < blockArray.Length; i++)
            {
                blockArray[i] = new PictureBox();
                blockArray[i].Height = 32;
                blockArray[i].Width = 100;
                blockArray[i].Tag = "blocks";
                blockArray[i].BackColor = Color.White;


                if(a == 5)
                {
                    top = top + 50;
                    left = 100;
                    a = 0;
                }

                if(a < 5)
                {
                    a++;
                    blockArray[i].Left = left;
                    blockArray[i].Top = top;
                    this.Controls.Add(blockArray[i]);
                    left = left + 130;
                }

            }
            setupGame();
        }

        private void removeBlocks()
        {
            foreach(PictureBox x in blockArray)
            {
                this.Controls.Remove(x);
            }
        }



        private void mainGameTimerEvent(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            txtScore.Text = "Score: " + score;

            if (goLeft == true && player.Left > 0)
            {
                player.Left -= playerSpeed;
            }

            if (goRight == true && player.Left < 700)
            {
                player.Left += playerSpeed;
            }

            ball.Left += ballx;
            ball.Top += bally;

            if (ball.Left < 0 || ball.Left > 775)
            {
                ballx = -ballx;
            }
            if (ball.Top < 0)
            {
                bally = -bally;
            }

            if (ball.Bounds.IntersectsWith(player.Bounds))
            {

                ball.Top = 463;

                bally = rnd.Next(5, 12) * -1;

                if (ballx < 0)
                {
                    ballx = rnd.Next(5, 12) * -1;
                }
                else
                {
                    ballx = rnd.Next(5, 12);
                }
            }

            foreach (Control x in this.Controls)
            {
                if (x is PictureBox && (string)x.Tag == "blocks")
                {
                    if(ball.Bounds.IntersectsWith(x.Bounds))
                    {
                        score += 1;

                        bally = -bally;

                        this.Controls.Remove(x);
                    }
                }

            }


            if(score == 15)
            {
                gameOver("You Win!! Press Enter to Play Again");
            }

            if(ball.Top > 580)
            {
                gameOver("You Lose!! Press Enter to try again");
            }



        }

        private void keyisdown(object sender, KeyEventArgs e)
        {

            if(e.KeyCode == Keys.Left)
            {
                goLeft = true;
            }
            if(e.KeyCode == Keys.Right)
            {
                goRight = true;
            }

        }

        private void keyisup(object sender, KeyEventArgs e)
        {
            if (e.KeyCode == Keys.Left)
            {
                goLeft = false;
            }
            if (e.KeyCode == Keys.Right)
            {
                goRight = false;
            }
            if(e.KeyCode == Keys.Enter && isGameOver == true)
            {
                removeBlocks();
                PlaceBlocks();
            }
        }
    }
}