Snake Game Project Report
Submitted by: [Your Name]
Date: November 2024
Abstract
The Snake Game is a popular arcade game where the player controls a snake to eat apples.
Each apple eaten increases the length of the snake. The goal is to eat as many apples as
possible while avoiding collisions with the snake's own body and screen borders. This
project demonstrates the basic mechanics of the game using Java and provides a foundation
for understanding game development concepts.
Introduction
The Snake Game is a simple yet engaging game in which players guide a snake to consume
randomly appearing apples. As the snake consumes apples, it grows longer, making it more
challenging to avoid colliding with itself or the borders of the game screen.
Technologies used in this project include:
• Programming Language: Java
• Libraries: javax.swing, java.awt
• IDE: Visual Studio Code
System Requirements
• Hardware: Standard PC or laptop
• Software:
- Java JDK
- Visual Studio Code or other Java-compatible IDE
Game Architecture and Components
This game consists of the following main components:
• Game Screen: The game screen is a 900x700 pixel window where all game elements are
displayed.
• Snake: The snake grows in length each time it consumes an apple.
• Apple: The apple appears at random positions on the screen for the snake to eat.
Game Mechanics
The primary mechanics of the game include:
• Snake movement controlled by arrow keys.
• Apple collision detection, allowing the snake to grow when it eats an apple.
• Border and self-collision detection, which ends the game.
Implementation Details
Key methods in the `SnakeGame` class include:
• startGame(): Initializes the game by spawning the first apple and starting the timer.
• move(): Controls the snake’s movement based on the current direction.
• spawnApple(): Randomly generates the position of an apple within the screen boundaries.
• checkApple(): Checks if the snake's head has reached the apple's position.
• checkCollisions(): Ends the game if the snake collides with the screen boundary or itself.
Graphics and User Interface
The `paintComponent` method is responsible for drawing the game elements on the screen.
It uses different colors for the snake, apple, and background to distinguish each component.
Challenges and Solutions
This project presented challenges such as collision detection and smooth movement. These
were addressed through careful planning and by utilizing Java's event handling
mechanisms.
Conclusion and Future Enhancements
The Snake Game project demonstrates fundamental game mechanics using Java. Potential
future improvements include adding levels of increasing difficulty, sound effects, and
enhanced graphics.
Appendix
Sample Code Snippet: Main Movement Logic
public void move() {
for (int i = bodyParts; i > 0; i--) {
x[i] = x[i - 1];
y[i] = y[i - 1];
}
switch (direction) {
case 'U' -> y[0] = y[0] - UNIT_SIZE;
case 'D' -> y[0] = y[0] + UNIT_SIZE;
case 'L' -> x[0] = x[0] - UNIT_SIZE;
case 'R' -> x[0] = x[0] + UNIT_SIZE;
}
}
Game Screenshot
Below is a screenshot of the game in action:
