How do you make a game thumbnail on Scratch?

Creating an effective thumbnail for your Scratch game is essential for attracting players and giving a great first impression. This involves designing a compelling image and then implementing it within your project as a special sprite.

Understanding Scratch Thumbnails

A Scratch thumbnail is the static image that appears on your project page and in search results on the Scratch website. It serves as a visual preview of your game, enticing potential players to click and explore. Unlike a regular game asset, the thumbnail is designed to be prominently displayed when the project page loads, before the game itself begins. It functions as a unique sprite that is strategically shown initially and then hidden once the game starts.

Designing Your Thumbnail Image

Before you implement your thumbnail in Scratch, you'll need to create the image itself. A well-designed thumbnail should be clear, informative, and visually appealing.

Key Design Principles

Clarity and Relevance: The thumbnail should immediately convey what your game is about. Use imagery that directly relates to your game's theme, main characters, or core gameplay.
Readability: If you include text, ensure it's large, clear, and easy to read even at small sizes. Avoid overly complex fonts.
Vibrant and Engaging: Use bright colors and exciting visuals to grab attention. A visually dull thumbnail might get overlooked.
No Clutter: Keep the design simple and focused. Too many elements can make the thumbnail appear messy and confusing.
Call to Action (Subtle): While not explicitly a button, the design can subtly encourage users to click, for example, by showing a dynamic scene or an intriguing character.

Recommended Tools & Dimensions

You can create your thumbnail using various tools, from simple drawing programs like Microsoft Paint or Google Drawings to more advanced software like GIMP or Canva.

Dimensions: While Scratch resizes images, aiming for a square or slightly rectangular image (e.g., 480x360 pixels, which is the default stage size in Scratch, or a larger resolution with the same aspect ratio) will help maintain quality. Ensure the most important elements are centered.
Example: A great thumbnail might feature your game's main character in an action pose, a screenshot of an exciting level, or a title card with your game's name and a catchy tagline.

Implementing Your Thumbnail in Scratch (Step-by-Step)

Once your custom thumbnail image is ready, follow these steps to integrate it into your Scratch project. Remember, in Scratch, your thumbnail is treated as a dedicated sprite.

Open Your Project: First, navigate to the Scratch website and log in. Find the project you wish to add a thumbnail to and click on it.
Access the Project Editor: On your project's page, click the "See Inside" button. This will take you to the project's editing interface where you can modify code, sprites, and backdrops.
Upload Your Thumbnail as a Sprite: In the project editor, locate the "Sprites" pane, usually at the bottom right of the screen. Hover your mouse over the "Choose a Sprite" button (the blue circle with a cat head icon) and click the "Upload Sprite" icon (which looks like a folder with an upward-pointing arrow). This action allows you to select your prepared thumbnail image file from your computer and import it into your project as a new sprite.
Position and Resize the Thumbnail: Once uploaded, your thumbnail image will appear on the stage as a new sprite.
- Position: In the sprite's script area, add a when green flag clicked block (you will change this later, but it's good for initial setup). Then add a go to x:0 y:0 block to center your thumbnail perfectly on the stage.
- Resize: Adjust its size to fit the stage appropriately without distortion. You can do this by using the set size to % block in its script (e.g., set size to 100%) or by adjusting the "Size" input field located above the stage.
Set Layer (Optional but Recommended): To ensure your thumbnail is always visible above any other sprites when the project loads, drag a go to front layer block into its script. You might place this under a when I start as a clone or similar block if your game uses clones heavily, otherwise just directly in the sprite's main script if it's not a clone. For a simple thumbnail sprite, setting go to front layer after the position/size blocks ensures it's on top.
Hide on Game Start: This is a crucial step. To ensure your thumbnail disappears and your actual game content is revealed once a user starts playing, add a when green flag clicked block followed by a hide block to your thumbnail sprite's script. This makes the thumbnail visible only before the green flag is clicked, serving its purpose.
Save Your Changes: After all these modifications, click the "Save Now" button, usually found in the top-right corner of the editor, to apply and save all your changes.

For more detailed information on creating and managing thumbnails, you can refer to the Scratch Wiki page on Thumbnails.

Best Practices for Effective Thumbnails

Keep it Simple: Avoid making your thumbnail too busy or complicated. A clear, singular focus is often best.
Reflect Game Content Accurately: Your thumbnail should give an honest preview of your game. Misleading thumbnails can lead to player disappointment.
Test Visibility: Always view your project page after uploading the thumbnail to see how it looks. Check it on different devices if possible, to ensure it's clear and appealing even at smaller sizes.
Update as Needed: As your game evolves or if you find your current thumbnail isn't performing well, don't hesitate to design and upload a new one.