Hi, in this tutorial we will make a picture matching game. in this game you will match 2 pictures by clicking on the empty picture boxes. The game will load the pictures in random positions in the Grid and when one of them is clicked it will reveal the hidden picture. If two pictures are matched then it will keep both of them on the display. The game will continue until all 6 pictures are matched or if the timer goes to 0. You can restart the game and it will randomize the pictures again in the game so the game is always dynamically changing the locations of the pictures. We will be using picture box tags in the windows form framework to randomly position them across the grid.

There is a older version of this game tutorial available @ super hero memory matching game tutorial. 

Lesson objectives –

• Make a picture matching game with C# and .Net in Visual Studio
• Use .Net Windows Form to make the game
• Load external files to the windows form
• Create a 3×3 grid in Windows form and load the pictures randomly.
• Dynamically add click events to the picture boxes
• Work with buttons, labels and timer in the game
• use Lists, Boolean, Integers, strings and Loops in the game
• Shuffle or randomize a list, use that list to assign pictures to the grid

Video Tutorial –

Download the Images for this tutorial
Download the Picture Matching Memory Game 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 Memory_Matching_Game_in_.Net_MOO_ICT
{
    public partial class Form1 : Form
    {

        List<int> numbers = new List<int> {1,1,2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6};
        string firstChoice;
        string secondChoice;
        int tries;
        List<PictureBox> pictures = new List<PictureBox>();
        PictureBox picA;
        PictureBox picB;
        int totalTime = 30;
        int countDownTime;
        bool gameOver = false;


        public Form1()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
            LoadPictures();
        }

        private void TimerEvent(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            countDownTime--;

            lblTimeLeft.Text = "Time Left: " + countDownTime;

            if (countDownTime < 1)
            {
                GameOver("Times Up, You Lose");

                foreach (PictureBox x in pictures)
                {
                    if (x.Tag != null)
                    {
                        x.Image = Image.FromFile("pics/" + (string)x.Tag + ".png");
                    }
                }
            }

        }

        private void RestartGameEvent(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            RestartGame();
        }

        private void LoadPictures()
        {
            int leftPos = 20;
            int topPos = 20;
            int rows = 0;

            for (int i = 0; i < 12; i++)
            {
                PictureBox newPic = new PictureBox();
                newPic.Height = 50;
                newPic.Width = 50;
                newPic.BackColor = Color.LightGray;
                newPic.SizeMode = PictureBoxSizeMode.StretchImage;
                newPic.Click += NewPic_Click;
                pictures.Add(newPic);

                if (rows < 3)
                {
                    rows++;
                    newPic.Left = leftPos;
                    newPic.Top = topPos;
                    this.Controls.Add(newPic);
                    leftPos = leftPos + 60;
                }

                if (rows == 3)
                {
                    leftPos = 20;
                    topPos += 60;
                    rows = 0;
                }
            }

            RestartGame();
        }

        private void NewPic_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            if (gameOver)
            {
                // dont register a click if the game is over
                return;
            }

            if (firstChoice == null)
            {
                picA = sender as PictureBox;
                if (picA.Tag != null && picA.Image == null)
                {
                    picA.Image = Image.FromFile("pics/" + (string)picA.Tag + ".png");
                    firstChoice = (string)picA.Tag;
                }
            }
            else if(secondChoice == null)
            {
                picB = sender as PictureBox;

                if (picB.Tag != null && picB.Image == null)
                {
                    picB.Image = Image.FromFile("pics/" + (string)picB.Tag + ".png");
                    secondChoice = (string)picB.Tag;
                }
            }
            else
            {
                CheckPictures(picA, picB);
            }
        }

        private void RestartGame()
        {
            // randomise the original list
            var randomList = numbers.OrderBy(x => Guid.NewGuid()).ToList();
            // assign the random list to the original
            numbers = randomList;

            for (int i = 0; i < pictures.Count; i++)
            {
                pictures[i].Image = null;
                pictures[i].Tag = numbers[i].ToString();
            }

            tries = 0;
            lblStatus.Text = "Mismatched: " + tries + " times.";
            lblTimeLeft.Text = "Time Left: " + totalTime;
            gameOver = false;
            GameTimer.Start();
            countDownTime = totalTime;

        }

        private void CheckPictures(PictureBox A, PictureBox B)
        {
            if (firstChoice == secondChoice)
            {
                A.Tag = null;
                B.Tag = null;
            }
            else
            {
                tries++;
                lblStatus.Text = "Mismatched " + tries + " times.";
            }

            firstChoice = null;
            secondChoice = null;

            foreach (PictureBox pics in pictures.ToList())
            {
                if (pics.Tag != null)
                {
                    pics.Image = null;
                }
            }

            // now lets check if all of the items have been solved

            if (pictures.All(o => o.Tag == pictures[0].Tag))
            {
                GameOver("Great Work, You Win!!!!");
            }

        }

        private void GameOver(string msg)
        {
            GameTimer.Stop();
            gameOver = true;
            MessageBox.Show(msg + " Click Restart to Play Again.", "Moo Says: ");
        }
    }
}