Procedurally-generated escape rooms.

TODO

TODO

Once installed, run escape.

TODO

This might make for a good PICO-8 project...

Start by making it a puzzle game/escape room. Maybe turn it into a procedurally generated adventure game.

Could generate things backward:

1. start by creaating the goal
2. randomly create an obstacle
3. randomly create 1-3 items (1 of which can remove the obstacle)
4. repeat steps 2-3 for a while

But there's no reason that we couldn't go forward:

1. Start by randomly generating 1-3 obstacles
2. Generate 1-3 items, at least 1 of which can take down the obstacle
3. When an obstacle is taken out, it generates either the goal item or 1-3 items/obstacles (if items are generated this way, at least one must be able to interact with an extant obstacle; if obstacles are generated, at least one must be solvable with an extant item)

In order for seed to be meaningful, entire room graph must be generated up-front.

The goal could be an object or an exit, and it will have certain properties governing how it can appear (can it fit in a box? is it a door?).

Make a "solver" that recursively verifies all paths (there is probably only one) and ensures the game is solvable and that there are no dead-ends.

After the puzzle game, create something where items/obstacles are in different "rooms", which must be moved to before objects can be interacted with (also need inventory system).

Show seed for room. If no seed is input generate a random seed.

"Meditative" mode that tracks things and keeps going forever (like Desert Golfing).

Each item has a set of "attributes" (sharp, key, sticky, expensive, etc.).

Each obstacle will have multiple ways past (use something heavy, use something expensive, use something sharp, etc.).

Items that can interact with each other to combine into a new item.

When obstacles are passed, depending on the item used it may yield a new item (e.g., bash door with baseball bat, get a wood plank); the item generated must be taken into account for future obstacles (make sure you don't generate two items, each of which could be used to pass the current obstacle, but only one of which yields the item needed to pass the next obstacle).

Have multiple obstacles active at once (you need to pass one to get at the item to pass another).

Each unique item/obstacle has a location description (table/wall/floor) and a used/unused description (locked/closed/broken/open) that is changed depending on what item was used on it. To describe the room, go through each possible location and list all objects on it. (Also assign random flourishes to a room, like colour, wall paper, Art Deco, columns, old, musty, dark, lit by a single bulb, etc.)

Make the data structures and just take a look at them to make sure they're solvable before proceeding. Look into dependency trees, because you don't know much about them and it seems like they're probably relevant here.

Describe in text, with objects that can be interacted with highlighted in green (objects already interacted with have their text changed appropriately and are no longer highlighted).

"You are trapped in (random name warehouse/emporium)..." Randomly generate a noun, then pick a name that starts with the same letter/sound (sh/th/ch)

• Room class
  • name: the name of the room (e.g., "Wallace's Window Warehouse")
  • decorations: list of descriptive flourishes
  • obstacles: list of obstacle objects
  • items: list of item objects
  • graph: the graph of obstacles and items (obstacles lock away items)
• Graph class
  • ...
• Object class
  • used: boolean
  • attributes: set of attribute objects
• Obstacle class (child of object)
  • ...
• Item class (child of object)
  • ...
• Attribute class
  • ...

Hints ("something heavy can be used to break something wooden"). Track hints used. Track moves made. Know optimal moves.

[use/put/combine] object [preposition] object/obstacle

save/load/exit

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Written by Gem Newman. Website | GitHub | Twitter

This work is licensed under Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0.

Remember: GitHub is not my CV.