🎮 C-Project: so_long

🧱 My 7th project in the 42 Common Core
(≖_≖ ) good GOD …the horrors I witnessed.

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🧠 What You’ll Learn

• 💡 MiniLibX: Basic graphics in C (rendering, input, events)
• 🗺️ Map parsing: Read & validate .ber maps
• 🧍 Game logic: Move the player, collect items, reach the exit
• 🧭 Pathfinding: Use DFS/BFS to validate solvability
• 🧼 Memory management: Avoiding leaks like your life depends on it
• 💀 Bonus: Enemies, animations, on-screen counters (for the brave)

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🎯 Project Goal

Create a 2D tile-based game where a player:

• Navigates a map using WASD
• Collects all C (collectibles)
• Reaches the E (exit) only when all C are collected
• Avoids walking into 1 (walls)

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🛠 Project Structure

so\_long/
├── src/
├── include/
│   ├── so\_long.h
│   ├── libft.h
│   └── ft\_printf.h
├── lib/
│   ├── minilibx-linux/
│   ├── libft/
│   └── ft\_printf/
├── assets/
├── maps/
├── main.c
└── Makefile

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🧩 Map Format (.ber)

Maps are built from characters:

Char	Meaning
1	Wall
0	Empty/floor
C	Collectible
E	Exit
P	Player start

✅ Must be rectangular
✅ Enclosed by walls
✅ 1 player P, 1 exit E, at least 1 C
✅ All collectibles and exit must be reachable

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🕹 Controls

• W → Move up
• A → Move left
• S → Move down
• D → Move right
• ESC → Quit game

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🚶 Game Flow

• Render map to window
• Capture keypress events
• Move player (check walls)
• Pick up collectibles
• Only allow exit when all C are collected
• Track and display move count

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🔄 Map Validation (DFS/BFS)

Check that all collectibles and the exit can be reached from the player’s position.

Common approach:

1. Duplicate the map
2. Use DFS/BFS to traverse from P
3. Check if you reached all C and E

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🎨 Assets

You can use your own sprite art if you're a digital illustrator like yours truly (chef’s kiss), or get free assets here I guess 🙄 :

• https://itch.io/game-assets/free/tag-sprites
• https://opengameart.org/

Make sure images are .xpm (MiniLibX requirement).

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🔧 Build & Run

🧱 Requirements

• Linux or WSL
• MiniLibX (included in repo)

🏗 Compile

make

▶️ Run

./so_long maps/map1.ber

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✨ Bonus Ideas

Feature	Status
🧟 Enemy patrols	❓
🎞️ Animations	❓
🎯 In-window counter	❓

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🛠 Helpful Resources

📺 YouTube

• MiniLibX Tutorial
• 2D Game in MiniLibX

📘 Guides

• so_long explained
• Map Validator Tool

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✅ Pre-Submission Checklist

• .ber map parsing is airtight
• DFS/BFS path validation is solid
• MiniLibX window displays correctly
• Player movement works with WASD
• Exit opens only after collecting all C
• Terminal move counter prints correctly
• No memory leaks (test with valgrind)
• Clean Makefile with all rules
• ESC and X button exit cleanly
• Bonus features (if implemented) work bug-free
• Git repo is clean, commented, and pushed

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🧪 Example Map

11111
1P0C1
10001
1C0E1
11111

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🧹 Memory Management Tips

valgrind ./so_long maps/test.ber

Don’t forget:

• Free the map array
• Free textures and MLX pointers
• Close window and destroy display

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🧵 Closing Thoughts

“If you stare into the abyss of MiniLibX long enough, the abyss starts leaking memory.”

Stay hydrated. Comment your code. And may your .ber files never segfault again.

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Made with 💀, 🎮 and maybe some tears by your local wizard

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