Python Game Launcher - Release Notes

Version 4.0

🎮 Overview

Python Game Launcher is a standalone application bundle containing 15 complete games and utilities written in Python. No Python installation required - everything is included!

✨ What's New in v4.0

Major Improvements Over v3.0

Console Window Hidden 🖥️

v3.0: Console window appeared on startup (noted as "normal for some games")
v4.0: Application now runs cleanly without any console window
Technical: Changed PyInstaller build from console=True to console=False

Digital Clock Fixed ⏰

v3.0: Digital Clock failed to launch with import error
v4.0: Import error resolved - Digital Clock now launches successfully
Fix: Removed unused colorchooser import from tkinter

Dinosaur Asset Loading Enhanced 🦖

v3.0: Mentioned "improved asset loading" but path issues persisted
v4.0: Complete fix for double "Assets" directory path issue
Fix: Corrected get_base_dir() function to return proper base directory

Launcher Code Quality Improved 🛠️

v3.0: No mention of launcher code issues
v4.0: Fixed duplicate error handling blocks and undefined variables
Fix: Removed unreachable code and undefined tk variable references

Additional Features

+1 New Game: Memory Game added (now 15 total games vs 14 in v3.0)
Enhanced frozen executable path detection
Improved error handling and user feedback messages
Code cleanup across all game files

Technical Changes

Fixed Issues:
✅ DigitalClock: Cannot import 'colorchooser' from 'tkinter'
✅ Launcher: Duplicate error handling causing unreachable code
✅ Launcher: Undefined 'tk' variable reference
✅ Dinosaur: Double "Assets" directory in path (Assets/Assets/...)
✅ All Games: Console window appearing on startup

📦 Contents

The PythonGameLauncher folder contains:

PythonGameLauncher.exe - Main launcher application (console-less)
RELEASE_NOTES.md - This file
_internal/ - All dependencies and game files (required)

🎯 Included Games & Apps

Icon	Name	Type	Controls
🧩	Tetris	Game	Arrow keys + Space
🌐	Language Translator	Utility	Text input
🐍	Snake	Game	Arrow keys to move
🦖	Dinosaur	Game	↑ Jump, ↓ Duck, P Pause
🎯	2048	Puzzle	Arrow keys / WASD
🔄	Converter	Utility	On-screen input
🧠	Memory Game	Game	Mouse to click
🧮	Calculator	Utility	On-screen buttons + keyboard
⭕	Tic Tac Toe	Game	Mouse to click
📐	Triangle	Utility	Math solver
⏰	Digital Clock	Utility	Display only
🕐	Analog Clock	Utility	Display only
🌤️	Weather	Utility	City input
❓	Word Guess	Game	Keyboard to guess
🔢	Sudoku	Puzzle	Mouse to play

🚀 Installation & Usage

Step 1: Extract

Download PythonGameLauncher.zip
Extract to any folder (e.g., C:\Games\PythonGameLauncher\)
Important: Keep _internal folder in same location as exe

Step 2: Run

Double-click PythonGameLauncher.exe
No console window will appear (clean GUI experience)

Step 3: Play

Launcher displays list of all available games with icons
Click on any game card
Confirm "Launch Game" dialog
Game opens in new window
Launcher stays open - launch multiple games!

🎮 Game Features

High Score System

High scores automatically saved to your user home directory
Persists between game sessions
Supported in: Dinosaur, Snake, 2048

Pause Functionality

Games with pause feature: Dinosaur (P key), Snake (P key)
Pause menu overlay during gameplay
Resume anytime with same key

Multiple Levels/Progress

Snake: Speed increases as score grows
Dinosaur: Game speed increases over time
2048: Continue after reaching 2048 tile

💾 Data Storage

Game data saved to:

C:\Users\[YourUsername]\dinosaur_highscore.json
C:\Users\[YourUsername]\snake_highscore.json
C:\Users\[YourUsername]\2048_highscore.json

⚠️ System Requirements

Minimum

Windows 10 (64-bit)
100 MB free disk space
Screen resolution: 1024x768

🔧 Troubleshooting

Issue: Game won't start

Solution:

Verify _internal folder is in same location as exe
Right-click PythonGameLauncher.exe → Run as Administrator
Check Windows Defender is not blocking the exe

Issue: Console window appears

Solution (Fixed in v4.0): This should no longer happen. v4.0 runs completely without a console window.

Issue: Digital Clock shows import error

Solution (Fixed in v4.0): The colorchooser import issue has been resolved. Digital Clock should launch normally now.

Issue: Missing images in Dinosaur game

Solution (Fixed in v4.0): Asset path resolution has been fixed. Dinosaur images should load correctly now.

📋 Changelog

v4.0 (Current) - January 8, 2026

✅ DigitalClock: Fixed import error - removed unused colorchooser
✅ Console: Hidden terminal window (console=False build)
✅ Dinosaur: Fixed asset path resolution - no more double Assets
✅ Launcher: Cleaned up duplicate error handling
✅ Launcher: Fixed undefined tk variable reference
✅ New Game: Added Memory Game (15 total)
✅ UX: Clean GUI launch without console popup
✅ Code: Improved code quality across all games

v3.0 - December 26, 2025

✅ Fixed all games closing immediately
✅ Games now run in separate processes
✅ Improved launcher UI responsiveness
⚠️ Console window appeared (noted as "normal")
⚠️ Digital Clock had import errors
⚠️ Dinosaur asset path issues persisted
14 games total

v2.0 - Earlier

Initial attempt with threading
Had game execution issues

v1.0 - Initial

Basic launcher concept
Single-file exe build

🛠️ Technical Details

Built With

Python: 3.13.11
PyInstaller: 6.17.0
Build Mode: Single-file exe (console-less)
Main Libraries: tkinter, pygame, turtle

Architecture

Launcher runs as main process
Each game spawns as child process
No conflicts between multiple games
Clean termination when launcher closes

File Structure

PythonGameLauncher/
├── PythonGameLauncher.exe    (main launcher - no console)
├── RELEASE_NOTES.md         (this file)
└── _internal/                (bundled files)
    ├── Source/                (15 game .py files)
    │   ├── Assets/            (images for Dinosaur)
    │   ├── 2048.py
    │   ├── AnalogClock.py
    │   ├── Calculator.py
    │   ├── Converter.py
    │   ├── DigitalClock.py    (✅ Fixed)
    │   ├── Dinosaur.py       (✅ Fixed)
    │   ├── LanguageTrans.py
    │   ├── MemGame.py         (✅ New)
    │   ├── Snake.py
    │   ├── Sudoku.py
    │   ├── Tetris.py
    │   ├── TicTacToe.py
    │   ├── Triangle.py
    │   ├── Weather.py
    │   └── WordGuess.py
    ├── pygame/                 (game engine)
    ├── PIL/                   (image library)
    ├── numpy/                 (math library)
    └── [other dependencies]

📝 Future Improvements

Potential enhancements for future releases:

📄 License

All games are open-source Python projects.
Bundle is free to use and distribute.
No commercial restrictions.

🙏 Credits

Launcher built by: Linh Dinh
Games: Python educational projects
Libraries: Python, pygame, tkinter, turtle communities

📧 Support

For issues or questions:

Review Troubleshooting section above
Ensure system meets requirements
Check that _internal folder is present

Enjoy the games! 🎮🎯

Python Game Launcher - v4.0