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Week 4 Practice Quiz -- Scoring, Polish & Publishing

1. What is a variable in a game?​

  • A. Something that changes the graphics
  • B. A named value the game tracks, like score or lives
  • C. A type of enemy
  • D. A visual effect
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B. A named value the game tracks. Variables store numbers (score = 100) or text (playerName = "Alex") that can change during gameplay.

2. What does HUD stand for?​

  • A. Highly Useful Data
  • B. Heads-Up Display
  • C. Hidden User Design
  • D. High-Up Dashboard
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B. Heads-Up Display. It shows important info (score, lives, health) on screen without being part of the game world.

3. What is "juice" in game design?​

  • A. A health power-up
  • B. Small polish effects that make a game feel satisfying
  • C. The game's difficulty level
  • D. A type of bug
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B. Small polish effects that make a game feel satisfying. Screen shake, particles, sound layering, squash-and-stretch -- these tiny details make a huge difference.

4. What is a particle effect?​

  • A. A physics simulation
  • B. Small animated images spawned in groups, like sparks or dust
  • C. A type of collision
  • D. A background image
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B. Small animated images spawned in groups. Particles are great for dust clouds, sparkles, explosions, and other effects that need lots of small moving pieces.

5. What is the "game loop"?​

  • A. A type of background music
  • B. The cycle from title screen to gameplay to win/lose to retry
  • C. When the game repeats the same level
  • D. A programming error
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B. The cycle from title screen to gameplay to win/lose to retry. Every complete game needs this loop so players can start, play, finish, and play again.

6. What is the difference between a sound effect and ambient audio?​

  • A. Sound effects are louder
  • B. Sound effects give instant feedback for actions; ambient audio creates atmosphere
  • C. Ambient audio plays only on menus
  • D. There is no difference
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B. Sound effects give instant feedback for actions (jump, coin, hit); ambient audio creates atmosphere (wind, rain, machinery hum). Both are important for a polished game.

Bonus: Polish Checklist​

Before you "ship" your 2D game, check off each item:

  • Title screen with game name
  • At least 1 complete level
  • Score or collectible tracking
  • Lives or health system
  • Game over screen with retry option
  • At least 2 sound effects
  • At least 1 particle effect
  • Win condition (how does the player "beat" the level?)