Scanline: AI-Powered Retro-Vibe Adventure game engine [WIP]

SHALL WE MAKE A GAME? Scanline is a 2D third-person adventure game engine inspired by 80s classics (like early Sierra and LukasArt games) with a modern twist. It combines traditional Point-n-Click mechanics for movement and inspection with a text parser for interactions.

Key Features

• Hybrid Controls: Point-n-Click for navigation + Text Parser for actions. No more "scroll and click everything" pixel hunting.
• AI Game Master: An AI (LLM) acts as the bridge between the player and the game engine. It parses natural language commands, generates descriptions, and drives dynamic conversations with NPCs.
• Retro Aesthetics: Pixel art style, CRT shader effects, and a command-line interface.
• Integrated Editor: Built-in tools for editing scenes, defining sprites and game logic (polygonal walkboxes, triggers).

Installation and Run (Windows)

Prerequisites

• Node.js: You need to have Node.js installed. You can download it from nodejs.org.

Quick Start (Windows)

1. Clone this repository.
2. Open the project folder.
3. Run setup.cmd. This will install dependencies and start the game in your default browser at http://localhost:5173.

Hosting on a Web Server (Linux)

To run the game on a Linux web server (e.g., Nginx or Apache):

1. Build the project for production:

   npm run build

2. This will create a dist directory containing the static files.
3. Upload the contents of the dist directory to your web server's public folder.

Note: The integrated Scene Editor and Sprite Editor features rely on a local backend to save files directly to local disk. These features will not work when hosted as a static site. The game itself can be played if all necessary assets are pre-built.

Desktop Build (Tauri)

You can build and run the game as a native desktop application using Tauri.

Prerequisites

1. Install Rust and Cargo.
2. Install the Tauri CLI (if not already installed):

   npm install -D @tauri-apps/cli

Development

To run the desktop application in development mode:

npm run tauri:dev

Production Build

To build a standalone desktop package:

npm run tauri:build

Project Structure

• src/ - Source code (React, TypeScript).
• public/ - Static assets (sprites, sounds, scenes).
• GDD.md - Game Design Document (Russian). ---> Also see Git Wiki (English) for this project.

License

Dual-licensed under GPL-3.0 or a commercial license; commercial terms: see COMMERCIAL.md