Game paused but the paddles in game still moving

Question

Recently I made a Pong game with the turtle module and I'm using this method to pause the game:

# Pause function
game_pause = False
def pause_game():
    global game_pause
    if game_pause:
        game_pause = False
    else:
        game_pause = True
window.listen()
window.onkeypress(pause_game, "p")

But the paddles, via onkeypress() command, still move when I pause the game. Is this method correct for this situation? Or am I just using it wrong? Here's the main game loop if you need more context:

# Main game loop
while True:
    if game_pause:
        window.update()
    else:
        # Ball mover
        ball.setx(ball.xcor() + ball.dx / 5)
        ball.sety(ball.ycor() + ball.dy / 5)

        # Setup keybinding
        window.listen()
        window.onkeypress(paddle_a.move_up, "w")
        window.onkeypress(paddle_a.move_down, "s")
        window.onkeypress(paddle_b.move_up, "Up")
        window.onkeypress(paddle_b.move_down, "Down")

        # Border checking
        if ball.ycor() > 290:
            ball.sety(290)
            ball.dy *= -1

        if ball.ycor() < -290:
            ball.sety(-290)
            ball.dy *= -1

        if ball.xcor() > 390:
            ball.goto(0, 0)
            ball.dx *= -1
            score_a += 1
            pen.clear()
            pen.write(f"Player A: {score_a}  Player B: {score_b}", align="center", font=("Terminal", 22, "normal"))

        if ball.xcor() < -390:
            ball.goto(0, 0)
            ball.dx *= -1
            score_b += 1
            pen.clear()
            pen.write(f"Player A: {score_a}  Player B: {score_b}", align="center", font=("Terminal", 22, "normal"))

        # Paddles collision
        if 350 > ball.xcor() > 340 and paddle_b.ycor() + 50 > ball.ycor() > paddle_b.ycor() - 50:
            ball.setx(340)
            ball.dx *= -1

        if -340 > ball.xcor() > -350 and paddle_a.ycor() + 50 > ball.ycor() > paddle_a.ycor() - 50:
            ball.setx(-340)
            ball.dx *= -1

Answer 1

Your program is structured incorrectly, so I would avoid any quick fix suggestions. Even if they work, you're going to have further problems. Below is my attempt to restructure your code as a proper turtle program. I had to reconstruct missing pieces, so it's not going to look identical:

from turtle import Screen, Turtle

WIDTH, HEIGHT = 800, 600

FONT = ('Terminal', 22, 'normal')

game_pause = False

class Paddle(Turtle):
    def __init__(self, x):
        super().__init__(shape='square', visible=False)

        self.shapesize(stretch_len=2.5, stretch_wid=0.5)
        self.setheading(90)
        self.penup()
        self.setx(x)

        self.score = 0

        self.showturtle()

    def move_up(self):
        if not game_pause:
            self.forward(20)
            screen.update()

    def move_down(self):
        if not game_pause:
            self.backward(20)
            screen.update()

class Ball(Turtle):
    def __init__(self):
        super().__init__(shape='circle', visible=False)

        self.dx = 3
        self.dy = 2

        self.penup()
        self.showturtle()

def pause_game():
    global game_pause

    game_pause = not game_pause

# Main game loop

def play():
    if not game_pause:
        # Ball mover
        ball.sety(ball.ycor() + ball.dy)

        if ball.ycor() > 290:
            ball.sety(290)
            ball.dy *= -1
        elif ball.ycor() < -290:
            ball.sety(-290)
            ball.dy *= -1

        ball.setx(ball.xcor() + ball.dx)

        if ball.xcor() > 390:
            ball.goto(0, 0)
            ball.dx *= -1
            paddle_a.score += 1
        elif ball.xcor() < -390:
            ball.goto(0, 0)
            ball.dx *= -1
            paddle_b.score += 1

        pen.clear()
        pen.write(f"Player A: {paddle_a.score}  Player B: {paddle_b.score}", align='center', font=FONT)

        # Paddles collision
        if 350 > ball.xcor() > 340 and paddle_b.ycor() + 50 > ball.ycor() > paddle_b.ycor() - 50:
            ball.setx(340)
            ball.dx *= -1
        elif -340 > ball.xcor() > -350 and paddle_a.ycor() + 50 > ball.ycor() > paddle_a.ycor() - 50:
            ball.setx(-340)
            ball.dx *= -1

        screen.update()

    screen.ontimer(play)  # will call play() again after function returns via event loop

screen = Screen()
screen.setup(WIDTH, HEIGHT)
screen.tracer(False)

paddle_a = Paddle(-345)
paddle_b = Paddle(345)

ball = Ball()

pen = Turtle()
pen.hideturtle()
pen.sety(270)
pen.write(f"Player A: {paddle_a.score}  Player B: {paddle_b.score}", align='center', font=FONT)

# Setup keybinding
screen.onkeypress(pause_game, 'p')
screen.onkeypress(paddle_a.move_up, 'w')
screen.onkeypress(paddle_a.move_down, 's')
screen.onkeypress(paddle_b.move_up, 'Up')
screen.onkeypress(paddle_b.move_down, 'Down')
screen.listen()

screen.update()

play()

screen.mainloop()

See if that gives you the pause functionality you desire as well as simplifies your code and leaves room for more features.

Answer 2

Try This

if game_pause == False:    
   window.listen()
   window.onkeypress(paddle_a.move_up, "w")
   window.onkeypress(paddle_a.move_down, "s")
   window.onkeypress(paddle_b.move_up, "Up")
   window.onkeypress(paddle_b.move_down, "Down")