Case Study in Practice: Building a Maze Explorer Game | 案例分析实战：构建迷宫探索者游戏

📚 Case Study in Practice: Building a Maze Explorer Game | 案例分析实战：构建迷宫探索者游戏

This article walks you through a complete case study from the KS3 Cambridge Computing curriculum. You will see how computational thinking transforms a real-world idea into a working digital solution. Our example is a simple text-based maze game, which brings together decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, algorithm design, coding, testing and evaluation.

本文将通过一个完整的剑桥 KS3 计算机课程案例研究，带你了解计算思维如何将一个真实想法转化为可运行的数字方案。我们以一款简单的文字迷宫游戏为例，你会看到如何把问题分解、模式识别、抽象化、算法设计、编程、测试与评估结合起来。

1. Understanding the Case Study Approach | 理解案例研究方法

A case study is not just a story; it is a structured investigation of a problem from start to finish. In Cambridge KS3 Computing, you use case studies to practise the six stages of computational thinking: define the problem, decompose, recognise patterns, abstract, design algorithms, and implement a solution.

案例分析不只是一个故事，而是对一个问题从头到尾的结构化探究。在剑桥 KS3 计算机课程中，你通过案例研究来练习计算思维的六个阶段：定义问题、分解、模式识别、抽象、算法设计以及实现解决方案。

The goal is to build your confidence in approaching unfamiliar scenarios and to help you see how every computing project, whether a mobile app or a school database, follows the same logical steps.

其目标是帮助你在面对陌生情境时建立信心，并让你看到每一个计算项目——无论是手机应用还是学校数据库——都遵循相同的逻辑步骤。

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2. Defining the Problem: The Maze Challenge | 定义问题：迷宫挑战

We start with a clear problem statement: ‘Create a game where a player navigates through a simple maze from a starting position to a goal, using keyboard input, and receive feedback on each move. The maze has walls that block movement, and the game ends when the goal is reached.’

我们从明确的问题陈述开始：“创建一个游戏，玩家通过键盘输入从一个起点穿过简单迷宫到达目标，每次移动都会得到反馈。迷宫中有墙壁阻挡移动，到达目标时游戏结束。”

Without a precise definition, you risk building something vague or incomplete. In computing, the problem statement acts as your contract with the client – even if the client is your own teacher or yourself.

如果没有精确的定义，你可能会做出模糊或不完整的作品。在计算机中，问题陈述就像你与客户的合同——即便客户是你自己的老师或你自己。

We also identify the key requirements: a 5×5 grid, one player, one exit, walls between some cells, and input using ‘N’, ‘S’, ‘E’, ‘W’ for directions. This list will guide all later decisions.

我们还需要确定关键需求：一个 5×5 网格，一个玩家，一个出口，部分格子之间有墙壁，使用 N、S、E、W 表示方向进行输入。这份列表将指导后续所有决策。

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3. Decomposition: Breaking Down the Maze | 分解：拆解迷宫问题

Decomposition means breaking a complex task into smaller, manageable parts. For our maze game, we can split the overall problem into sub-problems: represent the maze grid, display the game state, read player input, check movement rules, update the player’s position, and detect win condition.

分解是指将一个复杂任务拆分成更小、易于管理的部分。对我们的迷宫游戏来说，可以把整体问题拆分成这些子问题：表示迷宫网格、显示游戏状态、读取玩家输入、检查移动规则、更新玩家位置以及检测胜利条件。

Each sub-problem can be solved almost independently. For example, the way you represent the grid does not affect how you read keyboard input. This makes coding easier and debugging much faster because you can test each part one by one.

每个子问题几乎可以独立解决。例如，你如何表示网格不会影响如何读取键盘输入。这让编程更简单，调试也更快，因为你可以逐部分测试。

In a team project, decomposition also helps divide work: one person can write the display function while another writes the movement logic. Even when working alone, keeping sub-tasks separate in your mind reduces confusion.

在团队项目中，分解还有助于分工：一个人编写显示函数，另一个人编写移动逻辑。即使独自工作，在思想上把子任务分开也能减少混乱。

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4. Pattern Recognition: Spotting Similarities | 模式识别：发现相似之处

Pattern recognition involves finding similarities between the current problem and problems you have solved before. A maze on a grid shares patterns with board games, spreadsheet cells, and even pixels on a screen. All use row and column coordinates to locate items.

模式识别是指找出当前问题与你之前解决过的问题之间的相似之处。网格上的迷宫与棋盘游戏、电子表格单元格甚至屏幕上的像素都有共同模式——它们都使用行列坐标来定位项目。

We can reuse the idea of a two‑dimensional index: the player’s position can be stored as (row, column). Moving up means decreasing the row index; moving down increases it. This is exactly the same pattern used when navigating a spreadsheet with arrow keys.

我们可以重用二维索引的思想：玩家的位置可以存储为（行，列）。向上移动意味着行索引减小，向下移动意味着行索引增加。这与用方向键在电子表格中导航的模式完全相同。

Another pattern is the ‘repeat until’ loop: many games keep running while a condition is false – in our case, while the player has not yet reached the goal. Recognising this pattern means you do not have to invent a new structure from scratch.

另一个模式是“重复直到”循环：许多游戏在条件为假时持续运行——在我们的案例中，只要玩家尚未到达目标就继续循环。识别出这一模式意味着你不需要从零开始发明新结构。

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5. Abstraction: Removing Unnecessary Details | 抽象：去除不必要的细节

Abstraction is about focusing on the essential information and ignoring what is not needed. In the maze game, we do not need to model the colour of the walls, the texture of the floor, or the sound of footsteps. We only need to know whether a passage between two cells is open or blocked.

抽象是关于关注关键信息并忽略不需要的内容。在迷宫游戏中，我们不需要模拟墙壁的颜色、地板纹理或脚步声。我们只需要知道两个格子之间的通道是开放还是阻塞的。

We can represent the maze as a simple list of lists (a 2D array) where each cell contains a number or a string. For example, ‘W’ for wall, ‘P’ for path, ‘S’ for start, and ‘E’ for exit. This strips the problem down to its logical core.

我们可以将迷宫表示为一个简单的列表嵌套列表（二维数组），每个单元格包含一个数字或字符串。例如，用“W”表示墙，“P”表示路径，“S”表示起点，“E”表示终点。这样就把问题缩减到了其逻辑核心。

Abstraction also helps when designing the player input. We can abstract the idea of a ‘move’ into three steps: validate direction, check destination cell, update coordinates. We do not need to worry about animation or graphics at this stage.

抽象在设计玩家输入时也有帮助。我们可以将“移动”抽象为三个步骤：验证方向，检查目标格子，更新坐标。在这个阶段我们不需要担心动画或图形。

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6. Algorithm Design: Step‑by‑Step Logic | 算法设计：逐步逻辑

An algorithm is a precise sequence of instructions to solve a problem. For the maze game, the main game loop can be expressed in pseudocode:

算法是解决问题的精确指令序列。对于迷宫游戏，主游戏循环可以用伪代码表达：

SET player_position to start
WHILE player_position != exit_position
  DISPLAY current state
  GET input direction
  IF move is valid THEN
    UPDATE player_position
  ELSE
    DISPLAY ‘Cannot move there’
  END IF
END WHILE
DISPLAY ‘Congratulations!’

We can also draw a flowchart to visualise this logic. A diamond shape represents the decision ‘Is move valid?’, arrows show the flow, and rectangles represent actions. Flowcharts make algorithms easy to explain to non-programmers.

我们还可以绘制流程图使这一逻辑可视化。菱形代表“移动是否有效？”的判断，箭头表示流程，矩形表示动作。流程图让算法易于向非编程人员解释。

Designing the algorithm before coding prevents many mistakes. If you jump straight into code, you might forget to handle invalid input. With a planned algorithm, you can test the logic in your head long before you open a code editor.

在编程之前设计算法可以防止许多错误。如果你直接跳入代码，可能会忘记处理无效输入。有了预先规划的算法，你可以在打开代码编辑器之前就能在脑海中测试逻辑。

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7. From Algorithm to Code: Implementation Choices | 从算法到代码：实现选择

In a KS3 context, you might implement the maze game in Scratch, Python, or another block‑based environment. If using Python, the maze could be a list of lists, and the game loop can use a while statement. A simplified version looks like this:

在 KS3 情境中，你可能会用 Scratch、Python 或其他基于模块的环境来实现迷宫游戏。如果使用 Python，迷宫可以是一个列表嵌套列表，游戏循环可以使用 while 语句。简化版如下：

maze = [[‘S’,’W’,’P’],[‘P’,’P’,’W’],[‘W’,’P’,’E’]]
row, col = 0, 0
while (row, col) != (2, 2):
  move = input(‘Direction (N/S/E/W): ‘)
  if move == ‘S’ and row + 1 < 3 and maze[row+1][col] != 'W':
    row += 1
  else:
    print(‘Blocked!’)
print(‘You escaped!’)

Notice how the code mirrors the algorithm exactly. The condition for winning, input handling, and wall checking are all present. Whether you use text or blocks, the computational thinking remains the same.

注意代码是如何与算法精确对应的。胜利条件、输入处理以及墙壁检查都一一呈现。无论你使用文字还是积木块，计算思维始终保持不变。

In Scratch, you would use ‘when key pressed’ events instead of input(), and broadcast messages to update the sprite’s position. The logic of checking the next cell’s costume or colour is equivalent to checking the maze array in Python.

在 Scratch 中，你会使用“当按下键”事件来代替 input()，并通过广播消息更新角色位置。检查下一个格子的造型或颜色的逻辑，与在 Python 中检查迷宫数组是等价的。

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8. Testing: Making Sure It Works | 测试：确保它能正常运行

Testing is not just running the game once and hoping for the best. You need to plan test cases that cover normal, boundary, and erroneous situations. A test plan helps you check that every part of the game behaves as expected.

测试不仅仅是运行一次游戏然后指望它不出错。你需要设计覆盖正常、边界和错误情况的测试用例。测试计划有助于检查游戏的每一部分是否按预期运行。

Test ID	Input	Expected Result	Actual Result
1	Start at (0,0), press S	Move to (1,0)	Moved to (1,0)
2	Press N at top edge	Display ‘Blocked!’	‘Blocked!’ shown
3	Enter ‘X’ instead of direction	Invalid input message	Error message displayed
4	Reach goal cell	Win message and game ends	‘You escaped!’ displayed

When a test fails, debugging begins. You can use print statements to display the player’s coordinates after each move, or in Scratch use ‘say’ blocks to check variable values. Systematic testing turns guesswork into evidence.

当测试失败时，调试就开始了。你可以在每次移动后使用 print 语句显示玩家坐标，或者在 Scratch 中使用“说”积木检查变量值。系统化的测试能将猜测转化为证据。

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9. Evaluation and Reflection | 评估与反思

After building and testing the game, you need to evaluate how well it meets the original requirements. Does it correctly prevent moves into walls? Does it handle unexpected input without crashing? Is the feedback clear for the player?

在构建并测试游戏之后，你需要评估它满足原始需求的程度。它是否能正确阻止向墙壁移动？是否能在不崩溃的情况下处理意外输入？给玩家的反馈是否清晰？

Reflection is equally important. Ask yourself: what would you do differently next time? Perhaps you could use a function to check moves, making the code more reusable. Or you might design a larger maze with different shaped rooms, applying the same patterns.

反思同样重要。问问自己：下次你会做哪些不同的事情？或许你可以用一个函数来检查移动，让代码更具可重用性。或者你可以设计一个更大、带有不同形状房间的迷宫，应用相同的模式。

Evaluation also considers real‑world constraints. In a commercial game, you would care about user interface, speed, and accessibility. In a KS3 project, you might limit yourself to a text interface, but you could later add a graphical front end while keeping the same game engine beneath.

评估还要考虑现实世界的限制。在商业游戏中，你会关心用户界面、速度和可访问性。在 KS3 项目中，你可能仅限于文本界面，但之后可以添加图形前端，同时保持底层游戏引擎不变。

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10. Transferable Skills and Conclusion | 可迁移技能与总结

Every step in this case study – from defining the problem to evaluating the solution – is a transferable skill. Whether you are designing a database for a library, programming a robot, or creating a website, you will decompose complex tasks, recognise patterns, abstract away details, design algorithms, and test thoroughly.

本案例研究中的每一步——从定义问题到评估解决方案——都是可迁移的技能。无论你是在为图书馆设计数据库、给机器人编程还是制作网站，你都会分解复杂任务、识别模式、抽象细节、设计算法并进行全面测试。

The maze game is deliberately simple so that the process, not the product, stays in focus. Once you master this way of thinking, you can tackle increasingly sophisticated projects with confidence. The Cambridge KS3 curriculum uses such case studies to prepare you for IGCSE Computer Science and beyond.

迷宫游戏刻意保持简单，以便把焦点放在过程而非产品上。一旦你掌握了这种思维方式，就能自信地处理越来越复杂的项目。剑桥 KS3 课程通过这类案例研究为你学习 IGCSE 计算机科学及更高阶段做好准备。

Now it is your turn: pick a small problem – a quiz, a calculator, a simple sorting tool – and work through the same six stages. You will be amazed at how quickly your computational thinking grows.

现在轮到你了：选择一个小问题——一个测验、一个计算器、一个简单的排序工具——并按照同样的六个阶段进行。你会惊讶于自己的计算思维成长得多么迅速。

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Published by TutorHao | KS3 Computing Revision Series | aleveler.com

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