This project utilizes an Arduino Micro to build a virtual reality headset for under $100. It includes a 3-axis gyroscope and accelerometer, specifically the MPU6050. Also in the build is a 5-inch LCD screen (the Raspberry Pi models work well), pushbuttons, a toggle flick switch, and some LEDs. You’ll also need a headset to assemble all this inside, but Google cardboard-compatible headsets are easy to come by and not too expensive.

• Who designed it: jamesvdberg
• Core components: Arduino Micro, Google cardboard-compatible VR headset, , 5-inch LCD screen
• Difficulty: Easy
• Where to find it: Instructables

Snake is a classic game that many people will remember playing on early mobile phones. The premise is simple: Players use four buttons to move a line that represents a snake. The more you “eat”, the more your snake grows in length, until your own tail becomes an obstacle to avoid in the game.

This nostalgic and surprisingly challenging game can be resurrected with an Arduino Nano. While there are many ways to recreate the game, many builds run on Javascript in a web browser. This project focuses on a hardware-based version of Snake instead. There’s a helpful video that shows the whole process, and the code for the game is available from Viral Science.

• Who designed it: evgeniy-lebedev
• Core components: Arduino Nano, breadboard, LED matrix, joystick, rotary potentiometer
• Difficulty: Easy
• Where to find it: Hackernoon

This is a smart chess board built with an Arduino Nano. It lets you play matches with other people both locally and online! The maker notes that if two sets of these chess boards were to be created, then you and your friend could play it with real chess pieces.

The 3D models provided can be printed using either resin or FDM printing. No supports are required although adding some for the knight model may be useful.

There’s also a handy video that takes you through how to build this impressive game.

• Who designed it: DIY Machines
• Core components: Arduino Nano, Raspberry Pi Zero (or bigger), Neopixel strip, logic level shifter, 0.96-inch OLED screen, 3D printed parts
• Difficulty: Hard
• Where to find it: Instructables

Checkmate

The 50 Best 3D Printed Chess Sets & Boards in 2024

This is a homemade pinball machine controlled with an Arduino Mega. The maker used an old arcade machine for this project, but you could easily build a wooden enclosure to fully design your own!

As part of the build, sensors, LED lights, a display, and a power supply are required. It’s fully equipped with flippers, pop bumpers, and slingshots. The Arduino determines the activation of switches and lights as well as score tracking.

• Who designed it: Frogger1108
• Core components: Arduino Mega, MP3 player shield, 1602 LCD module, retired pinball machine or MDF casing and pinball flippers
• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Where to find it: Arduino Project Hub

Simon Says is an electronic memory game where players have to follow instructions correctly. In this build, the LEDs will light up in a certain sequence and the player needs to press the corresponding buttons in the right order.

It’s a simple build that requires an Arduino Uno, LEDs of various colors, pushbuttons, a perfboard, a speaker, and a few other components. You’ll also need something to contain it all. The plastic tub pictured above works well, but we think a custom 3D printed enclosure could take this to the next level!

• Who designed it: faziefazie
• Core components: Arduino Uno, LEDs, perfboard, 8-Ω speaker, resistors, battery, battery box with on/off switch, project enclosure
• Difficulty: Easy
• Where to find it: Instructables

It’s a new take on the classic game of Tetris. This build uses an Arduino and addressable LED strips to recreate the falling tetrominoes. Other electronics include a seven-segment module, pushbuttons, a buzzer and joystick, an MP3 module and speaker, and a power supply.

The source code for this game is taken from a simpler project from Marginally Clever, so if you’re not up to the complex construction of this one, you can build the same game using an LED matrix!

• Who designed it: Electronoobs
• Core components: Arduino Mega, WS2812 LED strips, seven-segment display module, MP3 player module, 8-Ω speaker
• Difficulty: Hard
• Where to find it: Electronoobs

Playing on claw machines at the arcade can be fun, but most of us are pretty terrible and may need a lot of coins to finally grab something! For a fraction of the cost, you could build your very own claw machine.

This homemade claw machine was made with an Arduino Mega, motors, relays, and an MP3 module. The maker notes that the Mega was chosen as it has the required number of inputs/outputs for all the motors in the build.

• Who designed it: -MMM-
• Core components: Arduino Mega, MP3 player module, relay shield, arcade joystick
• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Where to find it: Arduino Project Hub

Another classic game is Pong, an arcade game inspired by table tennis. It’s a two-dimensional version of a table tennis game where players are in control of the paddles.

This build is super simple and only requires the use of an Arduino Uno, an OLED display, pushbuttons, jumper wires, and a breadboard, making it an ideal beginner’s project. The maker has also provided the full code for Pong on GitHub.

• Who designed it: Utsource
• Core components: Arduino Uno, 0.96-inch OLED screen, breadboard
• Difficulty: Easy
• Where to find it: Instructables

This is a Poké Ball that you can throw in real life to catch ’em all in the mobile game Pokémon Go! What it essentially does is monitor for motion with an accelerometer, then simulates the perfect swipe on your mobile phone.

Specifically, the accelerometer in the Arduino senses when it’s been thrown, and information is sent via Bluetooth to your phone via the Tasker app, which then simulates the swipe motion in the Pokémon Go app.

Unfortunately, the Arduino 101 – the microcontroller used by the maker – has been discontinued, but if you’ve got one lying around, this is a cool project to try! Otherwise, you might need a shield and a bit of experimentation to get this going with a different board.

• Who designed it: MarJoh
• Core components: Arduino 101, 9-V battery, 9-V to barrel jack connector, rooted Android device, 3D printed casing
• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Where to find it: Arduino Project Hub