Activities/Text dungeon

Text dungeon

A text dungeon game for literacy and numeracy. The file describing the dungeon is plain text, it can be edited with an editor such as Write. It is purposefully unencrypted and easily edited. 'Cheating' by reading or altering the dungeon is encouraged.

File:Textdungeon1.xo install bundle, works on Sugar 0.88 - 0.92

File:Textdungeon2.xo Sugar compliant icon, do not load sample file if resuming, backspace supported, journal entry saves progress)

The intention is that children would both play and create dungeons to develop math, literacy and problem solving skills:

Playing the game

• visualise 2D spaces (could extend to 3D or even 4D)
• navigate compass directions N E S W and relationship to right, left
• text literacy
• can include subject related content
• problem solving

Making/editing/reading a dungeon file

• all the above plus
• Cartesian coordinates
• variables
• word processing skills
• programming like skills
• create in any language

Dungeon file format

[l,room x,room y] your location

[i, item, item ....] your inventory

[u,room x, room y, item, room x, .....] location of items

[d,room x, room y, direction, locked, room x, .....] status of wall/door segments, unlisted segments are locked, doors can be asymmetric

[r,room x,room y,direction,item which unlocks,open text,closed text,text when opening] one entry for each unlockable door

For example, the Sampledungeon represented above is described by these strings (the comments # are not required)

[u,0,0,lamp,0,1,key,1,1,sword,1,0,princess] #key in room 0,1 , sword in room 1,1 ,princess room 1,0

[d,0,0,0,0, 0,1,2,0, 0,1,1,1, 1,1,2,1, 1,1,3,0, 1,0,0,0] #room 0,0 north door open, room 0,1 south open, room 0,1 east door locked etc

Keyboard commands

h - help

f - forward

r - right

l - left

b - list backpack contents

p item - pick up item

d item - drop item

u item - use item