Workshop › Flappy-style Bird › Step 6 of 30

The game loop

What we are doing

A game loop runs again and again: update, draw, and ask the browser to run it again before the next screen refresh (requestAnimationFrame, about 60 times a second).

```js
function loop() {
  update()
  draw()
  requestAnimationFrame(loop)
}

requestAnimationFrame(loop)
```

What it means

• loop runs one turn: move, then draw.
• requestAnimationFrame(loop) inside it books the next turn, so it keeps going.
• The last line starts the loop. It replaces the old single draw() call.
• loop has no parentheses there: we hand over the function, the browser calls it later.

Your turn

Replace the draw() call at the bottom with the loop function and requestAnimationFrame(loop).

Skills: The game loop

← A function that moves Gravity →

All steps

1. Get the canvas and the pen
2. Paint the sky
3. Draw the bird
4. A function that draws
5. A function that moves
6. The game loop
7. Gravity
8. A flap
9. Space, Up arrow or a tap
10. Wait for the first flap
11. The ground and the sky
12. Tell the player
13. A pipe as data
14. Draw the pipes
15. The world moves, not the bird
16. A new pipe at a random height
17. A pipe every 90 frames
18. Remove the pipes you passed
19. Is the bird level with a pipe?
20. Through the opening
21. Score each pipe once
22. Show the score
23. A function for a fresh start
24. Try again
25. One place where the game ends
26. Remember the best score
27. Show the best score
28. The same speed on every screen
29. No catching up after a pause
30. Build it yourself: a medal