Learn game fundamentals by building Pong
https://patrickz.ai/learn/pong-fundamentals/

OUTCOME
Finish a small match with deterministic scoring and restart.

STACK
LÖVE (Love2D) · Lua

YOU NEED
A coding agent, LÖVE and Lua installed using their official instructions, and a practice folder.

1. Set your boundary
Start with paddles, a ball, movement, collision, scoring and a serve state. Leave power-ups and particles until a match works.

2. Draw paddles and a ball
Draw two paddles and a ball.

3. Move with delta time
Update positions using delta time.

4. Handle collisions
Handle wall and paddle collisions.

5. Add scoring and a serve
Add scoring and a serve state. Each point counts exactly once.

6. Make restart reset score and ball state
Make restart reset score and ball state, so a new match starts clean.

LATER (NOT TODAY)
- AI opponent: Add one predictable AI opponent.
- Menus and sound: Add menus and sound only after a full match works.
- Power-ups: Add power-ups one at a time with expiration rules.

PROMPT
Help me build Pong in LÖVE and Lua in a new practice folder, without giving me the whole solution at once. First version only: paddles, a ball, movement, collision, scoring and a serve state, until one match works. No AI opponent, menus, sound, power-ups or particles yet. List the setup commands before changing any files. Then work in five checkpoints; at each, explain the math, give a small code target and a manual test before continuing:
1. Two paddles and a ball.
2. Positions updated using delta time.
3. Wall and paddle collisions.
4. Scoring and a serve state, with each point counted exactly once.
5. A restart that resets score and ball state.
Paddle keys: [keys for each player]. Winning score: [a number].

FOLLOW-UP PROMPT
Review this Pong collision logic for tunneling, repeated collisions, frame-rate dependence, incorrect bounce angles and runaway ball speed. Recommend deterministic tests.

EXAMPLE / EXPERIMENT
Test a wall bounce, paddle bounce, missed ball, score increase and reset. Try a slow frame rate to look for tunneling and speed changes.

CHECK YOUR RESULT
[ ] Each point increments exactly once.
[ ] Restart resets score and ball state.
[ ] Movement uses elapsed time rather than assuming a fixed frame rate.

IF IT FAILS
If the ball passes through a paddle, inspect collision timing and step size. More visual effects will not repair the physics.

MY RESULT / NEXT CHANGE