Challenging MIT Scratch Programs to Try

These Scratch project ideas are designed for students who are ready for a challenge. Each program includes a main goal, important Scratch skills, and extra challenge ideas for students who want to go further.

Scratch Project Challenge List

1. Maze Escape Game

Goal: Create a character that moves through a maze and reaches an exit.

Challenge Skills:

Required Challenge:

  • Add enemies that patrol the maze.
  • Add keys that unlock doors.
  • Add a countdown timer.

2. Space Shooter Game

Goal: Control a spaceship that shoots lasers at falling enemies.

Challenge Skills:

Extra Challenge:

  • Add boss enemies.
  • Add power-ups.
  • Increase difficulty over time.

3. Platformer Game

Goal: Create a player that can run, jump, and land on platforms.

Challenge Skills:

Extra Challenge:

  • Add moving platforms.
  • Add enemies.
  • Add checkpoints.

4. Tower Defense Game

Goal: Create enemies that follow a path while towers shoot at them.

Challenge Skills:

Extra Challenge:

  • Add tower upgrades.
  • Add different enemy types.
  • Add waves of increasing difficulty.

5. Pong with Power-Ups

Goal: Create a two-player Pong game with special power-ups.

Challenge Skills:

Extra Challenge:

  • Add shrinking paddles.
  • Add speed boosts.
  • Add multi-ball mode.

6. Flappy Bird Clone

Goal: Make a bird fly through gaps between pipes.

Challenge Skills:

Extra Challenge:

  • Add medals based on score.
  • Add increasing pipe speed.
  • Add background scrolling.

7. Top-Down RPG Adventure

Goal: Create a character who explores a map, talks to NPCs, and completes quests.

Challenge Skills:

Extra Challenge:

  • Add battles.
  • Add shops.
  • Add locked areas that require items.

8. Fishing Game

Goal: Catch fish by timing a hook or net.

Challenge Skills:

Extra Challenge:

  • Add rare fish.
  • Add trash items that reduce points.
  • Add upgrades for the fishing rod.

9. Scratch Calculator

Goal: Build a calculator that performs basic math operations.

Challenge Skills:

Extra Challenge:

  • Add decimals.
  • Add negative numbers.
  • Add order of operations.

10. Trivia Quiz Game

Goal: Ask the player questions and keep score.

Challenge Skills:

Extra Challenge:

  • Add categories.
  • Add a timer for each question.
  • Prevent repeated questions.

11. Racing Game

Goal: Drive a car around a track without hitting walls.

Challenge Skills:

Extra Challenge:

  • Add AI racers.
  • Add oil slicks or speed boosts.
  • Add best lap time tracking.

12. Memory Matching Game

Goal: Flip cards and find matching pairs.

Challenge Skills:

Extra Challenge:

  • Add difficulty levels.
  • Add a move counter.
  • Add a countdown timer.

13. Boss Battle Game

Goal: Fight a boss enemy with attacks and health bars.

Challenge Skills:

Extra Challenge:

  • Add boss phase changes at certain health levels.
  • Add player special attacks.
  • Add warning indicators before attacks.

14. Rhythm Game

Goal: Press keys in time with falling notes.

Challenge Skills:

Extra Challenge:

  • Add combo scoring.
  • Add “Perfect,” “Good,” and “Miss” ratings.
  • Add multiple lanes.

15. Survival Game

Goal: Survive as long as possible while avoiding enemies or hazards.

Challenge Skills:

Extra Challenge:

  • Add health pickups.
  • Add different enemy behaviors.
  • Add a high score system.

16. Snake Game

Goal: Control a snake that grows when it eats food.

Challenge Skills:

Extra Challenge:

  • Add obstacles.
  • Add speed increase.
  • Add different food types.

17. Virtual Pet Simulator

Goal: Take care of a pet by feeding, playing, and resting.

Challenge Skills:

Extra Challenge:

  • Add mood levels.
  • Add aging over time.
  • Add mini-games.

18. Weather Simulator

Goal: Create an interactive scene with rain, snow, lightning, or wind.

Challenge Skills:

Extra Challenge:

  • Add temperature controls.
  • Add storm intensity.
  • Add day/night cycle.

19. Escape Room Game

Goal: Solve puzzles to escape a room.

Challenge Skills:

Extra Challenge:

  • Add password locks.
  • Add hidden clues.
  • Add multiple rooms.

20. Basketball Shooting Game

Goal: Aim and shoot a basketball into a hoop.

Challenge Skills:

Extra Challenge:

  • Add a moving hoop.
  • Add a shot clock.
  • Add increasing distance.

MIT Scratch Programming Challenge Ideas