Sinclair BASIC

Games

Sixteen complete games teaching Sinclair BASIC from absolute zero — from a number-guessing game to a Sokoban-style push puzzle. The first eight teach the language; the next eight build turn-based games around arrays, data, and state.

01

Primer Before the games: learn to write, run, edit and debug Sinclair BASIC for real — and meet the screen, colour, sound and motion games are made of.

1 games

0

Meet BASIC

Write, run, edit and debug Sinclair BASIC for real — and meet the screen, colour, sound and motion games are made of.

Keyword entry and the editorPRINT, LET, INPUTIF/THEN, FOR/NEXT, GO TO / GO SUBScreen, colour, sound and motion

15 / 15 units

02

First Programs Learn the language by building eight small games. Each adds one dimension — colour, sound, screen control, strings, data — until your programs look like real Spectrum software.

8 games

1

Story Builder

Your first program — ask questions, build a story

PRINTCLSINPUTString variables

7 / 7 units

2

Lucky Number

Guess the number — the screen responds with colour and sound

ABS / distanceColour feedback (BORDER)Directional sound (BEEP)An offered start (PAUSE)A rating from a guess count

5 / 5 units

3

Oracle Stone

Ask a question — the Oracle pretends to think

Selection (chained IF/THEN on RND)Suspense (PAUSE / BEEP)Colour as a voice (INK)GO SUB subroutinesBlock graphics (CHR$ 143)

6 / 6 units

4

Reflex

Wait for the flash — press any key — see your time

INKEY$PLOT / DRAWLoop-counter timing

6 / 6 units

5

Dice Roller

Roll dice and watch patterns emerge from randomness

Accumulation (tally counters)A live dashboard (PRINT AT in place)Player input sets the run (INPUT)Data visualisation (CHR$ 143 bar charts)

5 / 5 units

6

Bright Spark

Watch the panels flash, repeat the sequence

Strings as growing sequencesSTR$ / VAL / LEN / indexingThe flash (BRIGHT + BEEP)The game loop (show, repeat, check, grow)

6 / 6 units

7

Hi-Lo

Higher or lower — protect your streak

AND + the ok-flag verdictLoop-until-condition (the streak)User-defined graphics (the cards)Best-score tracking

6 / 6 units

8

Touchdown

Land the spacecraft — gravity pulls, fuel burns

The continuous (real-time) game loopGravity / thrust physicsSprite animation (erase-and-redraw)Ambient feedback (BORDER / BEEP)

8 / 8 units

03

Patterns of State Turn-based games built on structured data — arrays as boards and maps, DATA-driven levels, hidden state, and your first AI opponents. From word-guessing to a push puzzle.

8 games

9

Cipher

Guess the word one letter at a time

Slice-assignment into a stringDATA as a content list (RESTORE + counted READ)A tried-set (string membership)Data-driven design

6 / 6 units

10

Quiz Master

Four rounds, climbing score, ratings to chase

DIM arrays (indexed storage)An answer-key arrayRESTORE to a line (DATA sections)A per-category score array

6 / 6 units

11

Locksmith

Crack the code — logic and deduction

Parsing input into an arrayComparing two arrays (bulls)The digit-counting cow algorithmA history log for deduction

6 / 6 units

12

Sonar

Hunt by coordinates on a hidden grid

Two-dimensional arrays (DIM g(8,8))Probing by coordinateManhattan distance with ABSColour-coded clues

6 / 6 units

13

Three in a Row

The computer plays against you

Win detection from a DATA line tableReusable GO SUB board checksGame AI as a priority of rules (win, block, strategy)Why sound play forces a draw

6 / 6 units

14

The Caverns

Fear of the unseen — atmosphere through hidden information

A graph in parallel arrays (DATA-loaded)Navigation by following linksHidden state sensed by adjacencyA moving hazard and indirect clues

6 / 6 units

15

Yearfall

Choices land later — resource management

Persistent multi-variable stateAllocation under constraintsA random harvest you cannot controlDelayed, compounding consequences

6 / 6 units

16

Crates

Push crates to targets — the mechanic is the game

A 2D array as the writable worldDATA-string level layoutsReal-time movement with INKEY$A push built from a two-cell lookahead

6 / 6 units