Introducing the Simplest Game Engine Ever: Fun in a Few Lines of Code!

The Simplest Game Engine: A Text-Based Adventure

Introduction

In the vast world of game development, there’s a myriad of complex engines and tools available. But what if we strip it all back to the basics? With the goal of simplicity in mind, I developed a game engine in just 24 lines of code. The result is a text-based grid, where each character represents a pixel. You can move a game character, denoted by an “X”, around this grid using the WASD keys.

The Concept

The engine is designed to render a game character on a text grid. Each cell in the grid is either empty (represented by a “.”) or occupied by the game character (represented by an “X”). The game only re-renders the screen when there’s a change in the game state, such as the character’s movement.

How It Works

The game engine determines the character’s position by comparing the position being rendered to the character’s current position. If they match, it displays an “X”; otherwise, it shows a “.”.

Here’s a breakdown of the code:

1. Initialization: The character’s initial position is set to the top-left corner of the screen.
2. Rendering: The render_screen() function loops through each cell in the grid, checking if the character occupies that cell.
3. User Input: The game captures user input to determine the direction to move the character.
4. Movement: Based on the input, the character’s position is updated. The screen is then re-rendered to reflect this change.
5. Exiting the Game: Pressing the “q” key breaks the game loop, allowing the player to exit.

Expanding the Engine

While the engine is minimalistic, it’s versatile. You could potentially develop games like Snake or other 2D adventures using this foundation. The screen’s size is adjustable, so you can create larger or smaller play areas as needed.

In the future, I’m considering taking this concept further with a 3D version, adding another layer of depth while still keeping it straightforward and educational.

Conclusion

This game engine serves as a foundational tool for those new to game development. It introduces essential concepts in an easily understandable format, allowing newcomers to grasp the basics before diving into more intricate engines and tools.

For those interested in further exploring game development, I recommend checking out the article Becoming a Game Developer: From Zero to Working Concepts. It offers valuable insights and resources to kickstart your game development journey.

Try It Out!

This is working python code that illustrates the bare minimum of a game engine. Ready to embark on your game development journey? Get started with the simplest possible game engine today! Let your imagination run wild, and who knows – and it might be a fun learning experience. Happy coding! Try it online on Trinket

character_x = 0  # Initialize character's X position
character_y = 0  # Initialize character's Y position
screen_size_x = 10  # Define screen width
screen_size_y = 10  # Define screen height

# Function to render the game screen
def render_screen():
    for y in range(screen_size_y): #loop over the number of lines
        for x in range(screen_size_x): #loop over the number of pixels in that line
            if character_y == y and character_x == x:
                print("X", end="")  # Highlight character's position with "X"
            else:
                print(".", end="")  # Display empty cells with "."
        print("")  # Move to the next row

# Main game loop
while True:
    render_screen()  # Render the game screen
    key = input("Direction to move: ")  # Capture user input for movement

    # Update character's position based on user input
    if key == "w":
        character_y -= 1  # Move character up
    elif key == "a":
        character_x -= 1  # Move character left
    elif key == "s":
        character_y += 1  # Move character down
    elif key == "d":
        character_x += 1  # Move character right
    elif key == "q":
        break  # Exit the game if 'q' is pressed