Aunty Betty's Lair - Charlie Cullen

Project Overview

An engaging browser-based adventure game built entirely with vanilla JavaScript. Players navigate through Aunty Betty's mysterious lair, facing AI opponents, managing inventory, and solving puzzles. The game features complex mechanics including pathfinding AI, multiplayer support, and a rich storyline.

Key Features

AI opponents with pathfinding algorithms
Dynamic inventory management system
Multiplayer support with turn-based mechanics
Interactive puzzle-solving elements
Save/load game state functionality
Responsive design for mobile and desktop

Technical Implementation

Game Architecture

Game Loop: Efficient rendering loop with requestAnimationFrame
State Management: Custom state machine for game phases
Event System: Pub/sub pattern for loose coupling
AI System: A* pathfinding with behavior trees

Technologies

Vanilla JavaScript: No frameworks, pure ES6+
Canvas API: For game rendering
LocalStorage: Game state persistence
CSS Grid: Responsive UI layout

Challenges & Solutions

Challenge: AI Pathfinding Performance

Solution: Implemented A* with heuristic optimization and path caching to reduce computation.

Challenge: Managing Complex Game State

Solution: Created a centralized state management system with immutable updates and state history.

Challenge: Multiplayer Synchronization

Solution: Implemented turn-based system with state validation to ensure consistency.

What I Learned

Game development patterns and architecture
Implementing AI pathfinding algorithms
Event-driven programming in JavaScript
Performance optimization for browser games
State management in complex applications

Project Links

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