Introduction with 3 Practical Examples 🎮

As a web developer, we often focus on concepts like APIs, databases, or performance optimization. But there’s one aspect that’s often underestimated and can significantly improve your understanding of algorithms and problem-solving abilities: mathematics. 🧠

And what better way to make it fun than through games? 🎉

Here are 3 classic games that you can code yourself to sharpen your math skills. They’re simple projects but hide interesting mathematical challenges.

1️⃣ Pong: Working with Angles and Vectors 🏓

Good old Pong! This legendary game is an excellent way to manipulate vectors and understand the concept of rebound angles. The ball bounces off the walls and paddles, but not randomly. Everything is based on precise calculations that consider the angle of incidence and the direction of movement.

What you’ll learn:

• Manipulation of angles 🔄
• Vectors to manage the ball’s movement 📐
• Basic collision detection 🚀

By coding Pong, you dive into simple yet essential math concepts for any 2D simulation.

2️⃣ Snake: Managing Coordinates and Collisions 🐍

Snake is another classic that, aside from being addictive, helps you work with coordinates in a 2D space. You’ll need to manage the movement of the snake’s head and track the evolution of its body in real-time. This game is perfect for practicing object manipulation and collision detection.

What you’ll learn:

• Using coordinates in a 2D space 📊
• Detecting and handling collisions ⚡
• Spatial logic 🎯

By playing with the snake’s movements, you enhance your understanding of coordinates, a key concept in any type of animation or game.

3️⃣ Tetris: Matrices and Grid Management 🧩

The last game on this list is Tetris. Here, things get a bit more complex as you’ll need to understand and manipulate matrices. Each piece in the game is a matrix, which you’ll rotate and place correctly on the grid to form lines.

What you’ll learn:

• Matrix rotation 🔄
• Grid management to track block positions 📦
• Calculating full lines to clear 🧮

Manipulating matrices, an important concept in mathematics, is crucial in this game to calculate rotations and manage block positions on the grid.

By coding these games, not only will you have fun 😎, but you’ll also develop math skills that will be useful for many other projects. So why not jump in and start coding Pong, Snake, or Tetris? At the end of it, you’ll have a better grasp of the mathematical concepts that underlie many of your future development challenges! 🚀