Get Your Computer Ready

Three things to install before your first lesson: Python, VS Code, and the pygame library. Takes about 10 minutes total.

1. Install Python 2. Install VS Code 3. Install pygame Common Problems & Fixes Still Stuck?

1Install Python

Go to python.org/downloads and download the installer for your operating system.

Windows users: during install, check the box that says "Add Python to PATH" before clicking Install. If you miss this, Python won't work from the terminal, and you'll need to reinstall.

Faster alternative for Windows (skip the browser entirely): open a terminal and run:

winget install Python.Python.3.13

This installs Python and adds it to PATH automatically -- no checkbox to remember. Important: close and reopen VS Code completely after this finishes.

Which version? Use Python 3.13, not the newest 3.14. As of now, the pygame library (used in Ocean Rescue) doesn't fully support Python 3.14 yet -- installing 3.13 avoids this problem entirely. If you already have 3.14 installed, that's fine -- just also install 3.13 alongside it (see the troubleshooting section below for how to select it in VS Code).

2Install VS Code

Go to code.visualstudio.com, download, and install. This is the text editor where you'll write and run all your code.

Then install the Python extension: open VS Code, click the Extensions icon (four squares) in the left sidebar, search "Python," and install the one published by Microsoft.

3Install pygame

Open a terminal inside VS Code: Terminal → New Terminal (or press Ctrl + `). Then run:

python -m pip install --user pygame

You should see a progress bar and "Successfully installed pygame." That's it -- import pygame will now work in your Python files.

To confirm it worked: run a file containing just import pygame then print(pygame.ver) -- if it prints a version number, you're ready for Module 1.

Common Problems & Fixes

"Failed to build pygame" / "error building wheel"

This means pip couldn't find a ready-made pygame for your Python version -- almost always because you're on Python 3.14, which pygame doesn't fully support yet. Two fixes:

Install Python 3.13 instead (see Step 1), and select it in VS Code (bottom-right corner → click the Python version → choose 3.13.x) -- then open a new terminal and try again.
Or, stay on 3.14 and install the community-maintained fork instead: python -m pip install --user pygame-ce -- it works as a drop-in replacement, import pygame still works exactly the same.

"python is not recognized" / "command not found"

Python isn't on your system PATH. Reinstall using the winget command in Step 1 (adds PATH automatically), or reinstall from python.org and make sure to check "Add Python to PATH."

"No module named pygame" (even after installing)

VS Code is likely using a different Python than the one you installed pygame into. Click the Python version shown in the bottom-right corner of VS Code, and make sure the one you select matches what python --version shows in your terminal. Then open a new terminal and try running your file again.

Permission denied when installing

Add --user to the install command so it installs to your personal folder instead of a protected system folder:

python -m pip install --user pygame

Still Stuck?

If none of the fixes above work, book a quick setup call with your instructor -- we'll get your computer ready together before your first lesson.

Book a Setup Call