Memory Game | Visual Basic 6 Tutorial and Sample Code

Introduction to the Memory Game

The Memory Game is a classic children's game where players need to find matching pairs of images hidden under tiles. This Visual Basic 6 implementation demonstrates how to create an engaging matching game with core programming concepts:

How It Works

Players click on rectangles to reveal hidden images. If two consecutive clicks reveal matching images, the pair disappears. The game is won when all image pairs have been matched.

Educational Value

This project teaches important programming concepts including:

Arrays of controls
Event handling
Conditional logic
Timer usage
Game state management

Game Interface

The game interface consists of a grid of tiles that hide images. Players click tiles to reveal the images underneath and try to find matching pairs.

Visual Basic Memory Game Interface

Interactive Demo

Try to find all matching pairs in this simplified preview:

?

4

Pairs Found

12

Moves

1:25

Time

Video Demonstration

Watch how the memory game works in this video demonstration:

Note: The video shows the complete gameplay and winning sequence of the memory game implemented in Visual Basic 6.

Implementation Details

1

Control Setup

Create an array of 12 Image controls to hold the pictures and 12 PictureBox controls to cover them. Insert 6 pairs of images (each pair should have the same Tag property).

2

Tagging System

Assign the same Tag value to each image in a matching pair. This allows the program to identify matches by comparing tags rather than image content.

3

Game Logic

When a PictureBox is clicked, it becomes invisible, revealing the underlying image. The program then checks if the revealed image matches any other currently visible image.

4

Matching Process

If two images with matching tags are revealed, both Image controls and their covering PictureBoxes are made invisible. If they don't match, the PictureBoxes are restored after a short delay.

VB6 Code Sample

The core game logic is implemented in these procedures. The check() subroutine verifies matches, while the event handlers manage user interactions.

Memory Game Code

' Check whether the revealed pictures match
Sub check()
    For i = 0 To 11
        If Picture1(i).Visible = False Then
            For j = 0 To 11
                If Picture1(j).Visible = False Then
                    ' Check if we have a matching pair
                    If i <> j And Image1(i).Tag = Image1(j).Tag Then
                        ' Hide matched images and their covers
                        Image1(j).Visible = False
                        Image1(i).Visible = False
                        Picture1(j).Visible = False
                        Picture1(i).Visible = False
                    End If
                    
                    ' Handle non-matching pair
                    If i <> j And Image1(i).Tag <> Image1(j).Tag And Image1(i).Visible = True And Image1(j).Visible = True Then
                        ' Restore the covers for non-matches
                        Picture1(j).Visible = True
                        Picture1(i).Visible = True
                    End If
                End If
            Next j
        End If
    Next i
End Sub

' Handle picture box click event
Private Sub picture1_Click(Index As Integer)
    ' Hide the clicked picture box to reveal image
    Picture1(Index).Visible = False
    ' Enable timer to check for matches
    Timer1.Enabled = True
End Sub

' Timer event to check for matches
Private Sub Timer1_Timer()
    ' Call the matching check routine
    check
End Sub

Tip: The timer introduces a slight delay that allows players to see both images before they're either removed (if matched) or covered again (if not matched).

Learning Resources

Extend your knowledge with these related topics:

VB6 Game Programming

Learn the fundamentals of game development with Visual Basic 6, including graphics handling and event-driven programming.

Control Arrays

Master the use of control arrays in VB6 to efficiently manage multiple similar UI elements like game tiles.

Timer Control

Explore advanced uses of the Timer control for game mechanics, animations, and delayed actions.