Building a Simple Game in C++: Beginner’s Guide to Object Oriented Programming and Graphic Design

[Tutorial] · 2026-01-13 23:20 UTC

Building a Simple Game in C++: Beginner’s Guide to Object Oriented Programming and Graphic Design

💡 TL;DR

Learn how to create basic games using C++ by exploring object-oriented programming and drawing on the screen!

📚 Learning Objectives

This tutorial will introduce beginners to game development using C++, covering basic programming concepts like Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) and graphical display. We’ll walk through creating a simple game with graphics, focusing on core functionalities.

🎯 Key Concepts

• OOP basics (classes & objects)
• Drawing shapes and lines in C++ using libraries
• Game loop for continuous execution

Concept Explanation

This tutorial will guide you through building a simple “Guess the Number” game, a classic introduction to game development. Through this project, we’ll learn fundamental concepts of object-oriented programming (OOP) and graphical design in C++. We’ll delve into creating classes, objects, drawing shapes on screen using libraries like SDL or SFML, and the core loop for continuous game execution.

Code Example 1: Guess the Number Game

“`c++ #include #include #include
class GuessNumberGame { public: GuessNumberGame(int min, int max) : min_(min), max_(max) {} void Draw() { // Drawing function to be implemented // Placeholder for drawing on screen } void Update() { // Placeholder for updating game logic } private: int min_; int max_; };
int main() { GuessNumberGame game(1, 10); // Initialize the Game with a range of values while (true) { // Looping forever to run the game game.Draw(); game.Update(); } }

### Execution Result
The above code is an example. Upon compiling and running this program, it will not display any visual output on screen due to missing drawing functions and logic in the `Draw()` and `Update()` methods.

## Code Example 2: Guessing The Number Game with UI

c++ #include #include #include
class GuessNumberGame { public: GuessNumberGame(int min, int max) : min_(min), max_(max) {} void Draw() { // Drawing function to be implemented } void Update() { // Placeholder for updating game logic } private: int min_; int max_; };
int main() { GuessNumberGame game(1, 10); // Initialize the Game with a range of values SDL_Window* window = SDL_CreateWindow(“Guess The Number”, SDL_WINDOWPOS_UNDEFINED, SDL_WINDOWPOS_UNDEFINED, 640, 480, SDL_WINDOW_SHOWN); // Create Renderer and Context for drawing the game on screen // …
// Loop to run the game until user closes it while (true) { game.Draw(); // Call the Draw function to render the UI SDL_Event event; if (SDL_PollEvent(&event)) { if (event.type == SDL_QUIT) { break; // Exit game if user closes window } } game.Update(); // Call the Update function to handle game logic } SDL_DestroyWindow(window); SDL_Quit(); }

### Execution Result
This code creates a basic window, and the `Draw()` and `Update()` methods need to be implemented for the program to run.

## Tips & Best Practices
- **OOP:** Understanding OOP is key in creating games. This helps organize your code into logical structures like classes and objects, making development easier.
- **Graphics Libraries:** Use libraries like SDL or SFML for graphics handling (drawing shapes on screen). They provide pre-built functions and simplify the process

- **Game Logic:** Define game rules, player input, and logic to make decisions based on user actions. For example, if the user guesses incorrectly, you might implement a feedback mechanism like showing a message or indicating incorrect attempts.
- **Collision Detection:** To add interactivity and challenge, consider implementing collision detection for objects in your game (e.g., when a player interacts with an object). Libraries can make this easier to do using event handling.
- **Sound & Music:** Adding sound effects and background music enhances the gaming experience. Experiment with libraries like FMOD or OpenAL to integrate sounds into your application.

c++ #include
// … (rest of code)
void Game::Draw() { // This function needs implementation // Clear the screen (e.g., fill it with black) SDL_SetRenderDrawColor(renderer, 0, 0, 0, 255); SDL_RenderClear(renderer); // Draw game elements here (e.g., shapes, text, etc.) // … }
void Game::Update() { // This function needs implementation // Update game logic based on player input and game rules // … } “`
Through this tutorial, you can learn the basic concepts and apply them to real projects.

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