Slayie is an interactive, terminal-based ASCII Dungeon Crawler RPG written in native C++. Players explore a 10x10 map grid using WASD controls, navigate around obstacles, collect loot like gold coins and health potions, encounter enemies, and manage character stats directly within the command line. Just a lil fun game :)
What I made:
I completed the final phase of Slayie, my terminal-based ASCII Dungeon Crawler RPG written in native C++. On top of exploring the 10x10 grid map, dodging solid walls (#), collecting gold coins ($), and drinking potions (H), I added enemy Goblin encounters (E) with combat damage, a game-over screen if your health drops to 0, and a full file save/load system so you can save your progress and resume anytime from local storage.
What was challenging:
Implementing file handling with to save and load the game state. I had to figure out how to save not just the player stats (playerX, playerY, playerHealth, goldCount), but also loop through the entire 2D dungeon array (dungeon[10][10]) row by row into slayie_save.txt. Making sure that picked-up items and defeated enemies didn’t respawn after reloading a save took quite a bit of debugging.
What I am proud of:
I’m really proud of finishing all 4 milestones of the roadmap from a blank file to a fully complete RPG. Having working grid movement, collision barriers, real-time stat tracking, combat encounters, and persistent text-file saving all compiled into a single executable file that anyone can play feels amazing :)
How to test it:
Download the compiled SLAYIE.exe from my GitHub repository’s latest release (v4.0.0).
Double-click SLAYIE.exe to run it directly in your terminal.
Select 1 to start a new run or 2 to load your previous save file.
Use W, A, S, D (followed by Enter) to move your character, press K anytime to save your progress, defeat enemies (E), and reach the exit door (D)!
Hope you enjoy it :)
9h 1m 41s logged
Phase 4 of Slayie is officially complete!
I Added enemy encounters (E) that trigger combat and deal 25 damage to the player, along with a full game-over screen if your health drops to 0.
Also built a file save and load system using so pressing K writes all stats and the current map grid into slayie_save.txt, letting you restore your exact progress from the main menu.
What I made:
I built Slayie, a terminal based ASCII Dungeon Crawler RPG written in native C++. It renders an interactive 10x10 dungeon grid where you control a character (@) using WASD keys, navigate around solid boundary and obstacle walls (#), collect gold coins ($), drink health potions (H) to restore health, and try to reach the exit door (D).
What was challenging:
As a beginner learning C++, working with 2D array coordinates (dungeon[10][10]) was the trickiest part. I initially mixed up rows (Y-axis) and columns (X-axis), which caused movement keys to move in reverse and item pickups to wipe the wrong map tiles. Writing predictive collision checks so the player stops before hitting a wall took a lot of trial, error, and debugging.
What I am proud of:
I’m really proud of turning basic programming fundamentals (nested loops, 2D arrays, and conditional branches) into an actual interactive game with real-time stats. Building a complete game loop from scratch and compiling a working .exe file that runs with one click feels awesome :)
How to test it:
Download the compiled index.exe from my GitHub repository’s latest release.
Double-click index.exe to run it directly in your terminal.
Use W, A, S, D (followed by Enter) to move your character around the map, collect items, and find the D door.
Hope you enjoy it :)
11h 55m 48s logged
Phase 3 of Slayie is complete!
Added collectible Gold coins ($) and Health Potions (H) across the dungeon floor. Stepping on a gold tile grants +10 coins, while potions heal +20 HP up to the 100 HP max limit. After picking up an item, the tile is cleared to floor (.) so items can’t be looted twice.
5h 22m 55s logged
Just completed Phase 2 of Slayie!
Converted the map into a full 2D array matrix (dungeon[10][10]) to store real wall layouts and obstacle data. Added solid boundary walls (#), interior obstacles, and built collision detection so the player @ can’t walk through walls. Also added an exit door (D) at (8, 8) to clear the dungeon, and fixed a movement math bug where pressing S was moving the player in reverse!
1h 53m 37s logged
Slayie’s Phase 1 Complete:
10x10 ASCII Grid & WASD Movement Framework!
Today I kicked off my new project, Slayie (a terminal-based ASCII Dungeon Crawler RPG in C++), and finished Phase 1!
What I built:
Rendered a 10x10 grid map on the terminal using nested loops, with the player represented by the @ icon.
Implemented live coordinate tracking for (playerX, playerY).
Built WASD keyboard controls (W Up, S Down, A Left, D Right) and a Q key to exit.
Added boundary checks so the player can’t move off the map edges.
Added a live stats dashboard showing Health (HP) and Gold coins.
