Scratch Alternative for iPad: Make Real Mobile Games With hyperPad
If you've made games in Scratch and want the next step on iPad, try hyperPad. You'll use the same logic you already know, events, conditions, and variables, in an iPad app built for making real 2D games. You get physics, your own art, touch controls, and a path to the App Store.
This post covers what to look for in a Scratch alternative, how Scratch ideas map to hyperPad, and how to rebuild your first game.
What to look for in a Scratch alternative on iPad
| What you want | How hyperPad does it |
|---|---|
| A real iPad app | hyperPad is a native app designed for touch and Apple Pencil. It also runs on Macs with an M1 chip or later. |
| Logic you can see | You connect Behaviors, a flowchart of events and actions, with no typed code. |
| Real game tools | Physics, multiple Scenes, animation, particles, audio, and UI are built in. |
| Your own art | Draw in Art Studio inside hyperPad, or import PNGs from any drawing app. |
| A community | Publish to the hyperPad Hub, and Branch Open Source Projects to learn from them. |
| A way to release | The paid app exports an Xcode project for the App Store, and you keep 100% of your revenue. |
| A fair price | hyperPad Starter is free with one Project. The paid app is a one-time purchase, with no subscription. |
Your Scratch skills already work here
Most of what you learned in Scratch has a name in hyperPad:
| In Scratch | In hyperPad |
|---|---|
| Sprite | Object |
| Costume | Graphic |
| Stage | Scene |
| Variable | Attribute |
| Code blocks | Behaviors |
| Remix | Branch |
| Share | Publish to the Hub |
The biggest new thing is physics. In hyperPad, gravity, bouncing, and collisions are built in, so a jump can be a single Behavior like Jump With Button.
Rebuild a Scratch game in hyperPad
Pick a game you've already made, like a catch game, and rebuild it:
- Add a player Object and a falling item to one Scene.
- Make the player follow your finger with touch controls.
- Let gravity pull the items down.
- When the player touches an item, add to a Score Attribute.
- Play a sound you made in the Sound Effects Editor.
- Show a win message when the score reaches 10.
The Behavior Interface Overview explains the Behavior Editor, and the Interface Overview covers the rest of the editor. Bring your Scratch art along by exporting it as PNG files.
Learn from other creators
If you liked remixing projects in Scratch, the hyperPad Hub works in a similar way. Open Source Projects can be branched, so you can open them in the Behavior Editor and see how each mechanic is built. The sample projects are another good place to look, with games like Tappy Plane and Bridge Hero you can take apart.
When you have a question, ask on the Discord or the Forum.
Other apps you might see
In Scratch alternative lists, you'll also see apps like Hopscotch, which teaches coding with blocks, and Swift Playground, which teaches Apple's Swift language with typed code. If your goal is making complete 2D games on iPad without typing code, hyperPad is the one built for that. For a deeper look at the two, read Scratch vs hyperPad.
Common questions
Is hyperPad harder than Scratch?
hyperPad has more tools, so there's more to explore. The ideas are the same, though. If you can make a Scratch game, you can make a hyperPad game.
Can I import my Scratch projects?
You rebuild the game in hyperPad, but your art comes with you as PNG files. Rebuilding is a good way to learn the new tools.
Is hyperPad free?
hyperPad Starter is free and includes one Project. The paid app adds more Projects, Hub publishing, and App Store Export, as a one-time purchase.
What age is hyperPad for?
Both hyperPad apps are rated 13+ on the App Store. Publishing to the Hub is for creators 13 and older, with parent permission for ages 13 to 17. Schools use hyperPad from grade 4 through post-secondary, with Private Login.
After your first rebuild
The first game you rebuild is the slowest, because you're learning where everything lives. The second one goes faster. When your catch game works, pick a next step that matches what you want to learn:
- Timers and restart buttons. Build the five-coin challenge.
- Levels and enemies. Follow the complete platform game guide.
- Your own characters. Draw and animate them in Art Studio.
Teaching a class that's moving up from Scratch? The education page has lesson plans, presentations, and an educator kit.
