Workshop › Flappy-style Bird › Step 10 of 30

Wait for the first flap

What we are doing

Right now the bird falls the moment the page loads. A game has phases: 'ready' (waiting), 'playing' and later 'over'. One variable, state, says which one we are in; nothing moves until the first flap.

```js
let state = 'ready' // 'ready', 'playing' or 'over'

function flap() {
  state = 'playing'
  bird.vy = FLAP
}

function update() {
  if (state !== 'playing') return
```

What it means

• state starts as 'ready'.
• A flap sets the state to 'playing'.
• update returns at once unless we are playing: !== means "is not equal to", return leaves the function.

Your turn

1. Under the bird line, write the state line.
2. In flap, add state = 'playing' above bird.vy = FLAP.
3. In update, add the if line at the very top.

Skills: Game states

← Space, Up arrow or a tap The ground and the sky →

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