Fractal Dithering & Visual Enhancements

🎨 Visual Enhancements

Fractal Dithering Rendering

• New fractal dithering algorithm ported from Dither3D for sophisticated ASCII character selection
• Per-pixel dithering creates smoother transitions and pattern-based texture variation
• Finer detail on closer objects, coarser patterns on distant walls
• Maintains the classic ASCII aesthetic while adding visual depth

Improved Color System

• Regularized HSL color scheme for consistent, vibrant level colors
• Level 3 now features a lighter violet color for better visibility
• All colors use consistent saturation and optimized lightness values

🌐 Landing Page Updates

• YouTube gameplay video embedded
• Improved layout with video and controls in left column
• Compact controls section with grid layout
• Cleaner design

🔧 Technical

• Ported Dither3D fractal dithering algorithm to Rust
• Added dither module with proper MPL 2.0 licensing
• Per-pixel dithering calculation for natural texture variation

Matrix Maze 1.2.2 - Bug Fixes and Improvements

Bug Fixes

• Fixed spacebar input handling on win screen - Resolved issue where some devices required multiple spacebar presses to advance to next level or restart. Improved focus management ensures viewport maintains focus, especially on win screens.

• Fixed viewport overflow - Viewport now properly fits within the green-bordered container without overflowing past the game area boundaries. Viewport width is now measured from actual rendered content for accurate sizing.

• Adjusted movement speed - Reduced movement speed to better match original feel (1.8 units/sec movement, 3.6 rad/sec turning) for more consistent gameplay experience.

• Best times reset - Best times are automatically reset when upgrading to version 1.2.2 due to movement speed changes, ensuring fair competition with the new speed values.

Visual Updates

• Updated level colors for better visual consistency:
  • Level 1 (Green): #00ff25
  • Level 3 (Orange): #ff5800
  • Level 5 (Blue): #003bff

Technical Improvements

• Frame-rate independent movement - Game now runs at consistent speed across all refresh rates (60Hz, 120Hz, 144Hz, etc.) using delta time calculations

• Improved input handling - Better spacebar event processing with proper async handling and focus management

Matrix Maze v1.2.1 - Bug Fixes and First Windows Release

Matrix Maze v1.2.1

What's New

First Windows Release

• Matrix Maze is now available for Windows 10/11
• MSI installer automatically installs Microsoft WebView2 Runtime if needed (no manual setup required)
• Same great game experience as macOS version

Bug Fixes and Improvements

Win Screen Layout

• Adjusted spacing for "Press SPACE to continue" message (2 blank lines instead of 3)
• Added "Press SPACE to play again" message to level 5 win screen
• Improved text positioning and centering

Icon

• Added explicit icon configuration to ensure app icon displays correctly
• Icon now appears properly in DMG installer and app bundle

Technical Improvements

• Fixed frame line padding to ensure exact width matching
• Improved bounds checking for text overlay operations
• Better handling of viewport dimensions

Installation

Windows:

• Download: Matrix Maze_1.2.1_x64_en-US.msi
• The installer automatically handles WebView2 Runtime installation
• Creates Start Menu shortcut

macOS:

• Download: Matrix Maze_1.2.1_aarch64.dmg

System Requirements

Windows:

• Windows 10 or later (64-bit)
• Microsoft WebView2 Runtime (installed automatically by the MSI installer)

macOS:

• macOS 10.13 or later

---

Full Changelog: See commit history

Matrix Maze v1.2.0 - 5-Level System

Matrix Maze v1.2.0

Major Update: 5-Level System

Matrix Maze now features a complete 5-level progression system with increasing difficulty and color-coded themes!

New Features

5-Level Progression System

• Navigate through 5 progressively challenging levels
• Maze sizes increase from 8×8 (Level 1) to 12×12 (Level 5)
• Each level features a unique color theme:
  • Level 1: Green
  • Level 2: Pink/Magenta
  • Level 3: Orange/Red
  • Level 4: Purple
  • Level 5: Blue

Personal Best Tracking

• Track your best time for each individual level
• Improve for the best total time across all 5 levels
• "PERSONAL BEST!" notifications when you set new records
• Persistent best times saved between sessions

Enhanced Win Screen

• Total time and best total time display
• Level-by-level time breakdowns of your run
• ASCII art "LEVEL COMPLETE!" message

Improved Gameplay

• Randomized starting positions (no more always spawning in the corner!)
• Randomized exit positions for varied gameplay
• "FIND THE EXIT!" flashing message at level start
• Improved maze generation with better randomization

Visual Improvements

• New pixel art icon featuring the running figure in the maze
• Dynamic color theming that matches each level
• Improved controls display with level-specific colors
• Better visual feedback throughout the game

Controls

• WASD: Move (W/S forward/backward, A/D strafe)
• Q/E: Turn left/right
• SPACE: Next Level/Play Again (after win)

Installation

macOS Users: If you see "app is damaged" after installation, right-click the app and select "Open", or run this in Terminal:

xattr -cr /Applications/Matrix\Maze.app

Bug Fixes

• Fixed total time calculation to show actual run times
• Improved maze generation seed randomization
• Fixed exit position randomization edge cases

Technical Improvements

• Centralized color system for easy theme customization
• Improved state management for multi-level progression
• Better file handling for best times persistence

---

Download: Matrix Maze_1.2.0_aarch64.dmg

Full Changelog: See commit history

v1.1.0 - Randomized Mazes

What's New

• Randomized exit positions - Exit can now appear on any edge (top, right, bottom, left)
• Random starting positions - Each game starts from a different location
• Improved seed generation - Better randomness prevents duplicate mazes on fast restarts
• Larger mazes - Increased from 7x7 to 10x10 for more challenging gameplay

Enjoy the enhanced maze experience!

Matrix Maze v1.0.0 (macOS)

Matrix Maze v1.0.0

First release of Matrix Maze - a first-person 3D ASCII labyrinth adventure game.

Features

• 3D ASCII raycasting engine
• Procedural maze generation
• Timer system
• Quick restart functionality

Downloads

• macOS: Available now (Apple Silicon)
• Windows: Coming soon
• Linux: Coming soon

Build from Source

cd app
npm install
npm run tauri build

Full Changelog: https://github.com/ledoit/Matrix-Maze/commits/v1.0.0