Software

To develop games using Pygame Zero, you have two main options:

  1. use Mu
  2. use another editor

Mu is set up to be very helpful for beginners. It has some keyboard shortcuts, good help text, nice shortcut buttons, and is generaly very friendly to use and has a lot of features to help beginners get started.

After you have been writing code for a while, you may find that a standard Python environment and a “full” text editor like Visual Studio Code allows you a lot more power and flexibility, at the cost of doing some more basic things yourself.

An example of this is that Mu will automatically add the necessary first and last lines to your Pygame Zero file.

The very top line, line 1, must read:

import pgzrun

And the very last line must read:

pgzrun.go()

If you are using Mu, it will automatically add these lines if you forget. With VS Code or another editor, you will need to do this yourself.

Using Mu

Install Mu, using the Company Portal (on a school computer), or from the website. You’re done!

There is a beginner’s guide to Mu, if you want more help on how to use Mu.

To make games in Pygame Zero, make sure you select the mode Pygame Zero.

Using Visual Studio Code

From the Company Portal (on a school computer), or using the links below, install: