The earliest computer role-playing games were quite humble when it came to rendering graphics, but even with their limitations they managed to stimulate the player's imagination to the fullest. A recent project by user Stolistic proves that just an 8x8 RGB matrix controlled via Arduino is enough to create a random dungeon crawler filled with monsters, doors, keys, potions, and chests.
Titles like FTL, RimWorld, and Prison Architect remind us that graphics aren't the only thing that defines a video game. More extreme examples take us to the territory of Dwarf Fortress, which presents a true soup of characters as its interface, and if we go back to the era of the first consoles, all we could see was a bunch of giant blocks. This simplicity also existed in early handheld games, among which the Mattel Auto Race stands out, with the car and obstacles represented by red dots.
A Minimalist Dungeon Crawler
Now, if you want something a bit more modern and prefer to build it yourself, this fabulous dungeon crawler is what you're looking for:
This is a project developed by the GitHub user Stolistic, and it uses a simple 8x8 pixel matrix with RGB capability. The game itself is run by an Arduino Uno, while the LED matrix is controlled with 74HC595 shift registers. Each level's structure is randomly generated, and the character has four attributes (Health, Attack, Defense, and Level) that can be optimized by obtaining items stored in chests or by defeating monsters. No dungeon crawler would be complete without a locked exit, and the only way to open it is by obtaining a special key. The character, enemies, chests, and exit are each identified with their own color.
Judging by the game's code and the schematic available on GitHub, this project might not be the most convenient for beginner users, but the matrix isn't very expensive (especially considering generic options on eBay), and an Arduino Uno clone costs less than seven dollars. What do you think?
