Robot in Knossos 🤖🏛️

A C++ console-based interactive maze game inspired by the legendary Labyrinth of Knossos from Greek mythology. Guide Theseus's robot through a dynamically generated maze while avoiding the Minotaur and using special items to reach the exit.

🎮 Game Overview

The Robot in Knossos combines strategy, randomness, and interactive gameplay through a console interface. Players must navigate a robot through a procedurally generated maze, avoiding the dangerous Minotaur while collecting and using special items that provide temporary advantages.

Gameplay snapshot showing the robot navigating the labyrinth with sword effect (1 turn remaining)

Key Features

• Dynamic Maze Generation: Uses Randomized Prim's algorithm to create unique mazes each time
• Interactive Robot Control: WASD movement controls with real-time response
• Special Items System: Four unique items with 3-turn duration effects
• Fog of War: Visibility-limiting item that adds strategic depth
• Performance Monitoring: Built-in timing for maze generation analysis
• Game State Persistence: Automatic saving of game results with timestamps
• No Labyrinth Reprinting⭐⭐⭐: ANSI escape codes edit the printed labyrinth, so there is no need for reprinting the maze after each move

🛠️ Technical Implementation

Architecture

The project follows object-oriented design principles with clean separation of concerns:

• Matrix Class: Handles maze generation and field management
• Gameplay Class: Manages game flow and user interaction
• MatrixField Hierarchy: Polymorphic system for different field types
• FileHandler: Manages game state persistence
• ConsoleHandler: Optimized ANSI-based display updates

Algorithms Used

• Randomized Prim's Algorithm: For maze generation ensuring connectivity

🎯 Special Items

Item	Symbol	Effect	Duration
Fog of War	🌫️	Limits visibility to 3x3 area around robot	3 turns
Sword	⚔️	Allows robot to defeat the Minotaur	3 turns
Shield	🛡️	Repels Minotaur to 2 squares distance	3 turns
Hammer	🔨	Enables passage through interior walls	3 turns

The Fog of War effect in action - visibility limited to 3x3 area

🚀 Getting Started

Prerequisites

• C++ compiler with C++11 support or later
• Terminal/Console with ANSI escape sequence support

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/mrsladoje/knossos.git
cd knossos

2. Compile the project:

g++ -std=c++11 -o knossos src/*.cpp

3. Run the game:

./robot_knossos [width] [height] [num_items]

Usage Examples

# Minimum size maze with 5 items
./knossos 16 16 5

# Medium maze with 12 items  
./knossos 30 30 12

# Large maze with 25 items
./knossos 50 50 25

🎮 Controls

Key	Action
W	Move Up
A	Move Left
S	Move Down
D	Move Right
Q	Quit Game
E	Fix Corrupted Console

📊 Performance Benchmarks

The game includes built-in performance monitoring for maze generation:

Maze Size	Generation Time
16x16	~631 μs
30x30	~1.55 ms
50x50	~5.12 ms
100x100	~17.75 ms

🎓 Academic Context

This project was developed as part of an Object-Oriented Programming 2 course at the Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad. It demonstrates practical application of:

• Object-oriented design patterns
• Dynamic memory management
• Algorithm implementation and optimization
• User interface design in console applications
• Software testing methodologies

👨‍💻 Author

Marko Sladojević

• Student ID: SV33-2023
• Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad
• Course: Object-Oriented Programming 2
• Mentor: Dr. Dušan Kenjić

---

Inspired by the legendary Labyrinth of Knossos and the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur 🏛️⚡