Fun Projects: Game Minda (Memory Game)

Project Name: Game Minda (Memory Game)

Category: Gaming, Hardware Control, LED/Sound Effects

Difficulty: Intermediate

This project transforms your Myduino AIoT Education Kit into a standalone memory game, similar to the classic Simon game. Players must observe a sequence of lights and sounds and repeat it correctly. The sequence grows with each successful attempt, and a NeoPixel strip acts as a visual “streak” bar.

Learning Objectives (What You Will Learn)

By building this project, you will learn to:

Make a Screen Work: Use a small LCD screen (I2C) to show the game level and score.
Control Lights: Turn four simple LEDs on and off to show the memory sequence.
Control Buttons: Read the four press-buttons to know which color the player chose.
Make Sounds: Use a buzzer to play the different tones for the sequence.
Make a Light Show: Use a cool, multi-color NeoPixel strip to show how many levels you’ve passed (your “streak”).

Circuit Connections

Components	ESP32 Dev Module	Function
LCD I2C SDA	IO21	How the screen sends data to the ESP32 (Part of the communication pair)
LCD I2C SCL	IO22	The timing signal for the screen (Part of the communication pair)
RED LED	IO14	Flashes to show the Red part of the memory sequence
YELLOW LED	IO27	Flashes to show the Yellow part of the memory sequence
GREEN LED	IO26	Flashes to show the Green part of the memory sequence
BLUE LED	IO25	Flashes to show the Blue part of the memory sequence
RED BUTTON	IO15	Press this to repeat the Red part of the sequence
YELLOW BUTTON	IO2	Press this to repeat the Yellow part of the sequence
GREEN BUTTON	IO4	Press this to repeat the Green part of the sequence
BLUE BUTTON	IO5	Press this to repeat the Blue part of the sequence
BUZZER	IO13	Makes the sounds for the sequence tones, countdown, and Game Over alarm
WS2812 (RGB LED)	IO12	The multi-color “Streak Bar” that lights up as you pass more levels

Code Lab

Step 1: Install Libraries

Before upload the code, you need to install these libraries in Library Manager Arduino IDE:

LiquidCrystal_I2C.h by Frank de Brabander (for LCD)
Adafruit_Neopixel.h by Adafruit (for WS2812)
Wire.h (already built-in in ESP32)

Step 2: Code

Copy and paste this code into Arduino IDE

#include <Wire.h>
#include <LiquidCrystal_I2C.h>
#include <Adafruit_NeoPixel.h>

// ===== LCD Setup =====
LiquidCrystal_I2C lcd(0x27, 16, 2);

// ===== Pins =====
int leds[] = {14, 27, 26, 25};       // LEDs: Red, Yellow, Green, Blue
int buttons[] = {15, 2, 4, 5};        // Push buttons
int tones[] = {262, 294, 330, 349};   // Sound for each button
int buzzer = 13;

// ===== NeoPixel Setup =====
#define NEOPIXEL_PIN 12
#define NUMPIXELS 6
Adafruit_NeoPixel pixels(NUMPIXELS, NEOPIXEL_PIN, NEO_GRB + NEO_KHZ800);

// ===== Game Variables =====
int sequence[100];
int level = 1;

void setup() {
  // Initialize LCD
  lcd.init();
  lcd.backlight();
  lcd.setCursor(0, 0);
  lcd.print("Memory Game");

  // Initialize IO
  for (int i = 0; i < 4; i++) {
    pinMode(leds[i], OUTPUT);
    pinMode(buttons[i], INPUT_PULLUP);
  }
  pinMode(buzzer, OUTPUT);

  // Initialize NeoPixel
  pixels.begin();
  pixels.show();

  // Seed randomness
  randomSeed(analogRead(0));

  delay(2000);
  lcd.clear();
}

void loop() {
  waitForStart();  // Wait for button press before starting
  level = 1;

  while (true) {
    lcd.clear();
    lcd.setCursor(0, 0);
    lcd.print("Level: ");
    lcd.print(level);
    delay(1000);

    // Add new step
    sequence[level - 1] = random(0, 4);

    // Show sequence
    for (int i = 0; i < level; i++) {
      int idx = sequence[i];
      digitalWrite(leds[idx], HIGH);
      tone(buzzer, tones[idx], 300);
      delay(400);
      digitalWrite(leds[idx], LOW);
      delay(200);
    }

    // User input
    for (int i = 0; i < level; i++) {
      bool correct = false;
      unsigned long start = millis();

      while (millis() - start < 3000) {
        for (int j = 0; j < 4; j++) {
          if (digitalRead(buttons[j]) == LOW) {
            digitalWrite(leds[j], HIGH);
            tone(buzzer, tones[j], 200);
            delay(300);
            digitalWrite(leds[j], LOW);

            while (digitalRead(buttons[j]) == LOW); // Wait for release

            if (j == sequence[i]) {
              correct = true;
            }
            goto check;
          }
        }
      }

      check:
      if (!correct) {
        lcd.clear();
        lcd.setCursor(0, 0);
        lcd.print("Wrong!");
        lcd.setCursor(0, 1);
        lcd.print("Score: ");
        lcd.print(level - 1);
        tone(buzzer, 100, 500);
        delay(3000);
        pixels.clear();
        pixels.show();
        return;  // Restart
      }
    }

    updateStreakBar(level); // Update RGB bar
    level++;
    delay(1000);
  }
}

void waitForStart() {
  lcd.clear();
  lcd.setCursor(0, 0);
  lcd.print("Memory Game");
  lcd.setCursor(0, 1);
  lcd.print("Press Any Button");

  while (true) {
    for (int i = 0; i < 4; i++) {
      if (digitalRead(buttons[i]) == LOW) {
        while (digitalRead(buttons[i]) == LOW); // Wait release
        countdown();
        return;
      }
    }
    delay(10);
  }
}

void countdown() {
  for (int i = 3; i >= 1; i--) {
    lcd.clear();
    lcd.setCursor(5, 0);
    lcd.print("Ready");
    lcd.setCursor(7, 1);
    lcd.print(i);
    tone(buzzer, 1000, 200);
    delay(1000);
  }
  lcd.clear();
  lcd.print("GO!");
  tone(buzzer, 1500, 300);
  delay(1000);
  lcd.clear();
}

void updateStreakBar(int level) {
  int streak = (level + 1) / 2;

  for (int i = 0; i < NUMPIXELS; i++) {
    if (i < streak) {
      // Random color for each success
      uint8_t r, g, b;
      hsvToRgb(i * (255 / NUMPIXELS), 255, 60, r, g, b);  // 60 = dim brightness
      pixels.setPixelColor(i, pixels.Color(r, g, b));
    } else {
      pixels.setPixelColor(i, 0); // Off
    }
  }
  pixels.show();
}

// Converts HSV values (0-255) to RGB (0-255)
void hsvToRgb(uint8_t h, uint8_t s, uint8_t v, uint8_t &r, uint8_t &g, uint8_t &b) {
  uint8_t region, remainder, p, q, t;

  if (s == 0) {
    r = g = b = v;
    return;
  }

  region = h / 43;
  remainder = (h - (region * 43)) * 6;

  p = (v * (255 - s)) >> 8;
  q = (v * (255 - ((s * remainder) >> 8))) >> 8;
  t = (v * (255 - ((s * (255 - remainder)) >> 8))) >> 8;

  switch (region) {
    case 0: r = v; g = t; b = p; break;
    case 1: r = q; g = v; b = p; break;
    case 2: r = p; g = v; b = t; break;
    case 3: r = p; g = q; b = v; break;
    case 4: r = t; g = p; b = v; break;
    default: r = v; g = p; b = q; break;
  }
}

Step 3: Upload and Run

Select the correct board (ESP32 Dev Module) and Port.
Click Upload

How to Play Game Minda

This game is all about testing your memory by having you repeat a sequence of lights and sounds.

Step 1: Start the Game

Turn it On: Plug in your scoreboard. The small screen (LCD) will say: Memory Game.
Ready to Go: The screen will then say: Press Any Button.
Start: Press any one of the four color buttons.
The game will count down from 3 to 1 and then shout “GO!”

Step 2: Watch and Listen to the Sequence

Level Up: The screen shows your current Level.
Watch Closely: The game plays a sequence of lights and sounds. This is the SECRET PATTERN you must remember!
Repeat Perfectly: Press the buttons in the EXACT SAME ORDER you just saw.
- Tip: You get a little light sound every time you press a correct button!
Be Fast! You have a short 3-second time limit for each button press. Don’t hesitate!

Step 3: Victory and Defeat

If you…	Result	What Happens?
Win the Round	EPIC WIN!	Your Streak Bar (NeoPixels) lights up a new color, and the pattern gets even longer!
Press the Wrong Button	DEFEAT!	The buzzer sounds a fail alarm! The screen shows “Wrong!” and your final Score.
Are Too Slow	DEFEAT!	Same as above! You must be quick! Export to Sheets

To restart the mission, just press any button after the Game Over screen!

Troubleshooting Guide (What to Do If It Doesn’t Work)

Problem	What is Happening?	Simple Solution to Try
The screen is dark or shows black boxes.	The LCD isn’t communicating or the brightness/contrast is wrong.	1. Check Wires: Make sure SDA (21) and SCL (22) are tightly connected. 2. Adjust Knob: Turn the small blue/white screw (potentiometer) on the top of the LCD module.
I press a button, but nothing happens.	The ESP32 isn’t detecting the button press.	Check Wiring: Make sure one side of the button goes to the correct GPIO pin (15, 2, 4, or 5)
The four simple colored LEDs (Red/Yellow/etc.) don’t light up.	The LEDs are wired backward	Check Polarity: The GPIO pin connections of the LED must go to the GPIO pin (14, 27, 26, 25)
The buzzer doesn’t make any sounds.	The buzzer pin is not connected correctly.	Check Wiring: Make sure the buzzer is correctly wired to GPIO13
The multi-color “Streak Bar” (NeoPixels) is dark.	The strip might not be getting power or data.	Check Data: Double-check that the GPIO pin is connected to GPIO12
The sequence is the same every time I play.	The game’s “randomness” is using the same starting number.	In the code, you can try changing `analogRead(0)` to `analogRead(39)` or another valid ADC pin to find a better random starter value.

Tips: If you want to find any lines in Arduino IDE, click CTRL+F (CMD + F on Mac) and search the line you want to find (applicable to any platform).

Buy from:

Myduino AIoT Education Kit from myduino.com

Our Tutorial

Fun Projects: Game Minda (Memory Game)

Learning Objectives (What You Will Learn)

Circuit Connections