Devcarpet

presents

Deerportal

Deerportal is an open source (free as speech, free as beer) hybrid game that utilizes board and card game mechanisms. The world of the game is driven by four classical elements along with the Almighty Deer God.

Current Version: 0.9.1 "Stability Improvements" (June 2025)

Homepage: https://devcarpet.net/deerportal/

Collect diamonds, execute actions on cards, and survive the chaos of nature! Compete against 3 other players.

Features

• 0-4 players mode
• Changing seasons and dynamic weather
• Advanced AI opponents with different strategies
• Open source (zlib / cc-by 4.0)
• Modern SFML 3.0 graphics engine
• Cross-platform support

Platforms: SFML 3.0, Linux, macOS, Windows.

Installation

Compilation

macOS

$ git clone https://github.com/bluszcz/deerportal-2025-Q3.git
$ cd deerportal-2025-Q3

# For a Release build (recommended for performance):
$ cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release .
# Or, for a Debug build (for development and debugging):
# $ cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug .

# To always show the FPS counter (e.g., in a Release build for testing):
# $ cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DSHOW_FPS_COUNTER=ON .
# The FPS counter is automatically shown in Debug builds.

$ make

# Install to Applications (optional)
$ sudo make install

# Run the app directly
$ open DeerPortal.app

# Create macOS DMG package for distribution (recommended)
$ make dmg

macOS Packaging Features:

• Complete app bundle with proper icon and metadata
• Self-contained distribution with bundled SFML libraries
• Professional DMG installer with Applications symlink
• Code-signed for macOS security compatibility
• No external dependencies required for end users

Requirements

• SFML 3.0 (automatically found by CMake if installed via Homebrew)
• C++17 compatible compiler (Clang++ 14+, GCC 9+, MSVC 2019+)
• CMake 3.16 or newer

Homebrew Installation (macOS)

$ brew install sfml cmake

Debian

If you would like to see Deer Portal in Debian repositories, there is an open bug: https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=826612 - please help :)

To make a deb package locally:

$ git clone https://github.com/bluszcz/deerportal-2025-Q3.git
$ cd deerportal-2025-Q3
$ fakeroot debian/rules binary

What's New in 0.9.0 "Welcome Back"

• SFML 3.0 Migration: Complete upgrade to modern SFML 3.0 API
• C++17 Support: Modern C++ features and improved memory management
• Enhanced Stability: Smart pointer implementation for memory safety
• Cross-Platform Excellence: Improved macOS app bundle and Linux package support
• Performance Optimizations: Better resource management and loading
• Professional macOS Packaging: Native app bundle with proper icon, self-contained libraries, and DMG installer
• Library Conflict Resolution: Complete SFML library isolation for reliable macOS distribution

🎮 New Game Features

• Card Notification System: Beautiful overlay notifications when players pick up cards, showing card images, player portraits, and contextual messages
• Intro Shader Animation: Professional grid-based reveal animation using GLSL shaders with dynamic zoom effects
• Enhanced Card System: Complete documentation of all 128 cards across four elements with visual reference guide

⚡ Performance Improvements

• VertexArray Optimization: Replaced 112 individual diamond sprites with single batched draw call (99.1% draw call reduction)
• Advanced Shader Pipeline: Blur, pixelation, and animation shaders with SFML 3.0 compatibility
• Memory Management: Comprehensive smart pointer implementation for better stability
• Conditional Rendering: Performance-optimized rendering pipeline with state-aware updates

🔧 Technical Enhancements

• Windows Documentation: Complete Windows compilation guide with dependency management
• macOS DMG Packaging: Automated DMG creation with professional installer UI and code signing
• SFML Library Isolation: Resolved "Class SFApplication is implemented in both" conflicts on macOS
• Build System Improvements: Enhanced CMake configuration with better cross-platform support

📚 Documentation & Resources

• Comprehensive Game Manual: LaTeX-generated PDF handbook covering all game mechanics
• Cards Reference Guide: Complete visual guide to all 128 cards with mechanics and strategy
• AI Documentation: Enhanced memory bank system for development context
• Development Guides: Platform-specific compilation and packaging instructions

Developed with Devcarpet platform. Contact: Rafal Zawadzki bluszcz@gmail.com