Project: Brick Breaker Breakout Game (HTML, JS)

In this lesson (Breakout Game Setup), you will set up the full project foundation for your Brick Breaker game so everything is ready for gameplay coding. You will create the HTML structure, add the canvas element, set the correct canvas size, and apply basic CSS to center and style the game area. Then we will connect the JavaScript file, test that the canvas is drawing correctly, and build the main game loop structure that will run the game smoothly. By the end of this lesson, you will have a clean project setup with a working canvas and a ready-to-use framework to start adding the paddle, ball, and bricks.

In this lesson (Setup Player Paddle), you will create the player paddle and make it work like a real Breakout game. We will draw the paddle on the canvas, set its size and starting position, and then add controls so the player can move it left and right. You will learn how to handle keyboard input, keep movement smooth, and stop the paddle from going outside the canvas boundaries. By the end of this lesson, you will have a fully controllable paddle that is ready to interact with the ball and bricks in the next steps.

In this lesson (Move Player Paddle), you will make paddle movement feel smooth, responsive, and game-ready. We will set up reliable input handling (key press and key release), apply a consistent movement speed, and update the paddle position inside the game loop so it moves smoothly every frame. You will also add boundary checks to ensure the paddle never goes off-screen, and optionally support mouse movement for more flexible controls. By the end of this lesson, your paddle will move cleanly left and right with proper control and polished gameplay feel.

In this lesson (Mouse Movement Player), you will add mouse controls so the player can move the paddle by simply moving the cursor. We will listen for mouse movement events, convert the mouse position to canvas coordinates, and update the paddle position smoothly inside the game loop. You will also add boundary limits so the paddle stays inside the canvas and does not jump outside the play area. By the end of this lesson, your Breakout game will support clean mouse-based paddle control, making gameplay faster and more fun.

In this lesson (Add Bouncing Ball), you will create the game ball and bring your Breakout game to life with real movement and bounce physics. We will draw the ball on the canvas, set its starting position and speed, and update its movement on every frame. Then you will add basic wall collision so the ball bounces off the left, right, and top edges smoothly, without glitching or passing through. By the end of this lesson, you will have a ball that moves continuously and bounces correctly, ready for paddle and brick collisions next.

In this lesson (Collision Detection), you will make the game feel real by detecting when the ball hits the paddle, walls, and bricks. We will cover the core collision checks used in canvas games, including circle vs rectangle detection (ball vs paddle and bricks), plus how to handle edge cases so the ball does not clip through or get stuck. Then you will program the correct response, bounce the ball by reversing direction, and remove bricks when they are hit. By the end of this lesson, your ball will bounce correctly off the paddle and walls, break bricks on contact, and you will be ready to add scoring and win or lose logic next.

In this lesson (Add Bricks to Screen), you will create the brick layout and display it on the canvas like a real Breakout game. We will build a brick grid using rows and columns, store brick data (position, size, and active status), and draw each brick on the screen every frame. You will learn how to calculate brick spacing and offsets so the layout looks clean and centered, and how to manage multiple bricks efficiently. By the end of this lesson, your game will show a full brick wall on the canvas, ready for collision detection and brick breaking gameplay.

In this lesson (Update Bricks), you will make your bricks react to gameplay and update dynamically during the game. We will connect brick data with collision detection so bricks disappear (or change state) when the ball hits them. You will learn how to track each brick’s active status, update the brick grid in real time, and redraw only the bricks that are still in play. We will also set up the logic needed to count remaining bricks, which helps later for win conditions and level progression. By the end of this lesson, your bricks will update correctly on hits, and your game will start feeling like a complete Breakout experience.

In this lesson (Scoring and Win), you will add a scoring system and the logic to detect when the player wins the game. We will create a score variable, increase it every time a brick is broken, and display the score clearly on the canvas. Then you will add win detection by checking when all bricks are cleared, show a “You Win” message, and reset or restart the game smoothly. By the end of this lesson, your Breakout game will reward the player with points and properly end the game with a win condition when the brick wall is cleared.

In this lesson (Final Game Tweaks), you will polish your Brick Breaker game so it feels smooth, complete, and fun to play. We will fine-tune ball speed and paddle movement, improve collision response to reduce glitches, and add small UX upgrades like a start screen, restart button or key, and clearer win or game over messages. You will also clean up the code structure, improve readability, and add optional extras like sound effects, brick colors, lives, and simple difficulty settings. By the end of this lesson, your game will look more professional, play better, and be ready to share as a finished browser game project.

In this lesson (Bug Fixes and Tweaks), you will learn how to spot, fix, and prevent the most common Breakout game bugs while making gameplay feel more stable. We will debug issues like the ball clipping through the paddle or bricks, getting stuck at edges, bouncing in weird angles, and speed getting out of control. You will also improve collision accuracy, tighten boundary checks, and add small tweaks for smoother movement and cleaner rendering. Along the way, you will use DevTools and simple logging to understand what is happening frame by frame. By the end of this lesson, your game will run more reliably, feel more polished, and your code will be easier to maintain and improve.

In this lesson (Ball Speed Update), you will control and improve how fast the ball moves so the game feels balanced and more fun. We will update the ball’s speed in a clean way, increase or decrease it based on gameplay events (like hitting bricks, clearing a row, or scoring milestones), and make sure it never becomes too slow or too fast. You will also learn how to keep speed changes smooth and predictable so the ball does not glitch, teleport, or break collision detection. By the end of this lesson, you will have a stable ball speed system that can scale difficulty and make your Breakout game feel more polished.

In this lesson (Final Game Code Review), you will review the complete Breakout game code and understand how every part fits together. We will walk through the final project structure, explain the main game loop, and review how the paddle, ball, bricks, collision detection, scoring, and win or lose logic work as one system. You will also learn simple refactoring tips to make the code cleaner, easier to read, and easier to expand with new features like levels, lives, power-ups, and sound. By the end of this lesson, you will feel confident reading the full codebase, debugging it, and customizing the game into your own unique version.