Tutorial 4: Create a Matching Game

In this tutorial, you build a matching game, where the player must match pairs of hidden icons. You learn how to:

• Hold objects using a List object.

• Use a foreach loop in Visual C# or a For Each loop in Visual Basic.

• Keep track of a form's state using reference variables.

• Build an event handler that you can use with multiple objects.

• Make a timer fire exactly once when started.

When you finish, your program will look like the following picture.

Game that you create in this tutorial

Note

In this tutorial, both Visual C# and Visual Basic are covered, so focus on information specific to the programming language that you're using.

Related Topics

Title	Description
Step 1: Create a Project and Add a Table to Your Form	Begin by creating the project and adding a TableLayoutPanel control.
Step 2: Add a Random Object and a List of Icons	Add a Random object and a List object, to create a list of icons.
Step 3: Assign a Random Icon to Each Label	Assign the icons randomly to the Label controls.
Step 4: Add a Click Event Handler to Each Label	Add a Click event handler that changes the color of the label that is clicked.
Step 5: Add Label References	Add reference variables to keep track of which labels are clicked.
Step 6: Add a Timer	Add a timer to the form.
Step 7: Keep Pairs Visible	Keep pairs of icons visible, if a matching pair is selected.
Step 8: Add a Method to Verify Whether the Player Won	Add a CheckForWinner() method to verify whether the player won.
Step 9: Try Other Features	Try other features, such as changing icons and colors, adding a grid, and adding sounds. Try making the board bigger and adjusting the timer.