Rat Race is a non-realtime game based around the pre-existing game Snakes and Ladders. It was built from scratch chiefly using React and Javascript. We chose these languages due to the extensive customisability, animation and user interaction that creating such a game would require.
One of the greatest challenges of this project has been consistently implementing tests. While this can be partially attributed to the time pressure surrounding the project and our relative unfamiliarity with the technologies used, given more time and a second attempt we would certainly place more emphasis on a test driven approach.
Despite this, we're extremely proud of the final product we've achieved, creating our own version of a classic game with several personal touches to differentiate it as our own and we're hugely excited to have you here playing our game.
To correctly install Rat Race on your computer, please run the following commands in your Command Line Interface:
gh repo clone Ollie-HB/rat-race
This will clone the repository containing Rat Race onto your machine.
npm install
This will install the various dependencies required to run the game.
In addition, please install the font used in the game by visiting https://www.dafont.com/8-bit-pusab.font and clicking 'Download'.
Once you have installed the above depencies, simply navigate to the correct directory using:
cd rat-race
From here, boot up the server using the following command:
npm start
Open http://localhost:3000 to view it in your browser.
Now that you have Rat Race installed, you can enjoy it to its fullest extent, including features such as:
- Themed custom game board (designed in-house)
- Bespoke 8-bit rats to match the games theme (designed in-house)
- Original music (created in-house)
- Animated background, loading screen and game pieces
- A 2 player rollercoaster to provide you with a classic boardgaming experience with a rodent twist
Initial planning and MVP diagram Code review and explanation Game Board
- Rolling a 6 allowing a player to roll again
- Additional players and character selection screen (up to 4 players)
- Audio cues for different in-game events e.g. jingles for drain pipes/notes and game wins.
- Wild card squares, applying a different effect to the player that lands on them. This could include:
- Rat Trap - skip a turn
- Banana skin - Player has to roll 2 dice and take the lower score
Rat Race was built using an Agile Teamwork Structure by:
Follow the Project Installation guide above to build upon our existing project. Open source contributions can include translating to other languages, adding new features, and improving and expanding test functionality.
We welcome any and all contributions.