Console Game

A 2D physics-based console game built with C++, SDL2, and Box2D.

Features

• SDL2 Graphics: 2D rendering with SDL2
• Box2D Physics: Realistic physics simulation
• Dynamic Objects: Interactive physics objects that respond to gravity and collisions
• Real-time Physics: Fixed timestep physics simulation for stable gameplay

Requirements

• C++17 compatible compiler
• SDL2 development libraries
• SDL2_image development libraries
• Box2D development libraries
• CMake 3.16 or higher

Windows Dependencies

Option 1: Using vcpkg (Recommended)

# Clone vcpkg (if not already installed)
git clone https://github.com/Microsoft/vcpkg.git
cd vcpkg
.\bootstrap-vcpkg.bat

# Install dependencies
.\vcpkg install sdl2:x64-windows sdl2-image:x64-windows sdl2-ttf:x64-windows box2d:x64-windows

# Integrate vcpkg with Visual Studio
.\vcpkg integrate install

Option 2: Manual Installation

1. Install Visual Studio Community with C++ development tools
2. Download SDL2 development libraries from https://github.com/libsdl-org/SDL/releases
3. Download SDL2_image from https://github.com/libsdl-org/SDL_image/releases
4. Download Box2D from https://github.com/erincatto/box2d/releases
5. Extract to a known location and set environment variables or update CMakeLists.txt with include/lib paths

Ubuntu/Debian Dependencies

sudo apt update
sudo apt install build-essential cmake
sudo apt install libsdl2-dev libsdl2-image-dev libsdl2-ttf-dev
sudo apt install libbox2d-dev

Building

Windows

Step 1: Install vcpkg packages

vcpkg install sdl2:x64-windows sdl2-image:x64-windows sdl2-ttf:x64-windows box2d:x64-windows

Step 2: Find your vcpkg installation path

Run this to find where vcpkg is installed:

(Get-Command vcpkg).Source | Split-Path -Parent

This will output something like C:\Users\YourName\vcpkg or C:\vcpkg.

Step 3: Configure and build (replace VCPKG_PATH with your actual path from Step 2)

mkdir build
cd build
cmake -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE="VCPKG_PATH\scripts\buildsystems\vcpkg.cmake" -DVCPKG_TARGET_TRIPLET=x64-windows -G "Visual Studio 16 2019" -A x64 ..
cmake --build . --config Release

Example (if vcpkg is at C:\vcpkg):

cmake -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE="C:\vcpkg\scripts\buildsystems\vcpkg.cmake" -DVCPKG_TARGET_TRIPLET=x64-windows -G "Visual Studio 16 2019" -A x64 ..

Linux/macOS

mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
make

Running

Windows

# From build directory
.\bin\Release\ConsoleGame.exe

# Or if built with Visual Studio directly
.\Release\ConsoleGame.exe

Linux/macOS

./bin/ConsoleGame

Controls

• ESC: Toggle pause menu
• ENTER: Select menu option / Confirm action
• SPACE: Jump (when playing) / Add a new random physics object (in debug mode)
• Arrow Keys: Move player character
• Window Close: Exit the game

Troubleshooting

Windows Issues

CMake Error: Could not find toolchain file

• You used a placeholder path instead of your actual vcpkg location
• Solution:
  1. Find your vcpkg installation directory:

     (Get-Command vcpkg).Source | Split-Path -Parent

  2. Replace VCPKG_PATH in the cmake command with the actual path
  3. Example if your vcpkg is at C:\vcpkg:

     cmake -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE="C:\vcpkg\scripts\buildsystems\vcpkg.cmake" -DVCPKG_TARGET_TRIPLET=x64-windows -G "Visual Studio 16 2019" -A x64 ..

CMake can't find SDL2, SDL2_ttf, or Box2D

• Ensure all packages are installed: vcpkg install sdl2:x64-windows sdl2-image:x64-windows sdl2-ttf:x64-windows box2d:x64-windows
• Verify the toolchain file path is correct
• Clear build cache: Remove-Item build -Recurse and reconfigure

DLL not found errors at runtime

• Add the vcpkg bin directory to PATH: C:\path\to\vcpkg\installed\x64-windows\bin
• Or copy DLLs to the same directory as the executable

Visual Studio build fails with "missing dependencies"

• Reinstall vcpkg libraries: vcpkg remove sdl2:x64-windows sdl2-image:x64-windows box2d:x64-windows
• Then reinstall: vcpkg install sdl2:x64-windows sdl2-image:x64-windows box2d:x64-windows --recurse

CMake configuration fails

• Clear cmake cache: rm -r build (PowerShell: Remove-Item build -Recurse)
• Ensure Visual Studio build tools are installed
• Try using Ninja if Visual Studio generator fails

Game Features

• Ground Platform: Static green platform at the bottom
• Falling Boxes: Dynamic physics objects that fall and bounce
• Realistic Physics: Gravity, friction, and collision detection
• Colorful Objects: Each new object has a random color

Project Structure

console_game/
├── CMakeLists.txt      # Build configuration
├── assets/             # Game assets
│   └── fonts/          # Font files
├── include/            # Core header files
│   ├── Game.hpp
│   ├── PhysicsWorld.hpp
│   └── GameObject.hpp
├── src/                # Source files
│   ├── Bird.cpp/hpp    # Bird game object implementation
│   ├── Common.hpp      # Common definitions and includes
│   ├── Game.cpp        # Main game logic
│   ├── GameObject.cpp  # Base game object class
│   ├── PhysicsWorld.cpp # Physics simulation
│   ├── Platform.cpp/hpp # Platform game object
│   ├── Player.cpp/hpp  # Player character implementation
│   ├── Stair.cpp/hpp   # Stair game object
│   └── main.cpp        # Entry point
└── README.md           # This file

Architecture

The game follows a component-based architecture with these key components:

1. Game (Game.cpp/hpp)

   • Manages the main game loop and timing
   • Handles SDL initialization and window management
   • Processes input events and updates game state
   • Manages the rendering pipeline
   • Coordinates between different game systems

2. PhysicsWorld (PhysicsWorld.cpp/hpp)

   • Wraps Box2D physics simulation
   • Manages physics bodies and their interactions
   • Handles collision detection and response
   • Provides an interface for creating and managing physics objects

3. GameObject (GameObject.cpp/hpp)

   • Base class for all game entities
   • Implements common functionality like position, rotation, and scale
   • Provides virtual methods for updating and rendering
   • Manages object lifetime and cleanup

4. Game Objects

   • Player (Player.cpp/hpp): Represents the player character with movement and interaction logic
   • Bird (Bird.cpp/hpp): Implements bird behavior and AI
   • Platform (Platform.cpp/hpp): Static or moving platforms in the game world
   • Stair (Stair.cpp/hpp): Stair objects for level navigation

5. Common (Common.hpp)

   • Shared constants and type definitions
   • Common includes and utility functions
   • Global configuration parameters

The game runs at 60 FPS with a fixed physics timestep for stable simulation. The architecture is designed to be extensible, making it easy to add new game objects and features.