FPGA Game Design Log.md

1D Game

The Idea

A fast-paced 1v1 number-based game that develops fast arithmetic skills and teaches players the order of arithmetic operations.

Gameplay

1. Select difficulty level via switch (3 levels?) and hit the start button
2. Random sequence of digits is generated (number of digits increases with difficulty)
3. Random (constrained) number of each math operator is assigned to each player (both players get the same number of each operator) and displayed next to each player's buttons.
4. A win condition is generated (min, max, etc.) and displayed after a short countdown (3 seconds?)
5. A clock (row of LEDs? 7-segment?) starts to run down (10 seconds?)
6. Players press operator buttons in the sequence they want to insert them and they appear between the numbers.
7. Net result for each player is calculated and the player with the 'better' result wins.

Buttons

Operator Buttons

Each player has one button for each operation. Next to each button is an indicator of how many of that operation remain.

Buttons themselves are backlit while at least one of that operator is available.

Set Difficulty and Start Buttons

Use 2 switches (2 bits = up to 4 levels) to set difficulty.

Use a single large button to start game.

Display

The display consists of a bunch of 7-segment displays in a row with gaps between them.

In these gaps are little LED-backlit mathematical operator signs.

1 Oct

TODO: Design a space-efficient way to allow the display of one of several operators selected by the 2 players. Something better than the naïve approach of using 2 rows of 4 operators between each number. Perhaps there's some way to overlay them

Logic

TODO: Charlieplex the eight 7-segment displays.

TODO: Charlieplex the operator LEDs

Hardware

Electronic Components

1. 8 7-segments displays
2. 90 LEDs (44 Red, 44 Blue, 2 Green)
3. 9 Arcade style buttons
4. 2 Awesome switch
5. Wires

Non-electronic Components

1. Black Opaque acrylic
2. Clear Translucent acrylic
3. Screw and Nuts