Updated README for: 20260329_dungeona_019.zip

Dungeona is a Python-based retro first-person dungeon crawler featuring terminal and Tkinter frontends, a full dungeon editor, and ANSI texture rendering.

This build expands texture coverage and improves visual consistency across entities and environments.

• Added ANSI textures for:
  • altar
  • grail
  • ogre
  • skeleton
• Expanded monster and object visual rendering
• Continued support for animated rat frames
• Maintains dual Tkinter frontends and terminal gameplay

dungeona.py          Terminal (curses) game
dungeona_gui.py      Tkinter GUI frontend
dungeona_ren.py      Alternate Tkinter renderer
dungeon_editor.py    Dungeon editor + validator
ans.py               ANSI parser / viewer
dungeon_map.db       SQLite dungeon storage
textures/            ANSI assets (walls, monsters, items, environment)
license.txt          License
readme.txt           Documentation

• wall.ans
• door.ans
• floor.ans
• ceiling.ans
• altar.ans
• grail.ans
• ogre.ans
• skeleton.ans
• rat001-003.ans (animated)

• Python 3.10+
• curses (terminal version)
• Tkinter (GUI versions)

Windows: pip install windows-curses

Terminal version: python dungeona.py

GUI version: python dungeona_gui.py

Alternate renderer: python dungeona_ren.py

Editor: python dungeon_editor.py

• Explore a 3-floor dungeon
• Find the Holy Grail
• Deliver it to the altar

Move: W/A/S/D or arrows Turn: Q/E Strafe: Z/C Interact: Space / Enter Wait: . Minimap: M Stairs: < > Quit: X

• Energy-based combat system
• Monster pursuit behavior
• Multi-floor dungeon system
• SQLite-backed maps
• Full editor with validation
• ANSI-rendered pseudo-3D visuals
• Animated and static entity textures

• Multi-floor editing
• Tile placement system
• Full dungeon validation
• Save/load via SQLite

[.] export TERM=screen-256color # this
[.] python3 dungeona.py --color-mode 256
[.] python3 dungeona.py --color-mode 16

https://asciinema.org/a/zGX38RkA7C9AzoRF

README for dungeona2.py

Dungeona2 is the Pygame/SDL frontend for Dungeona.

It reuses the game rules from dungeona.py and the ANSI texture parser from ans.py, then renders the pseudo-3D dungeon view to a low-resolution software surface that is scaled up for a chunky retro look.

This frontend is meant for players who want the same dungeon, quest flow, and assets as the main project, but in a desktop window with mouse look, a status panel, and an optional minimap.

• Explore the dungeon across multiple floors
• Find the Holy Grail
• Bring it to the altar to complete the quest

• Python 3.10+
• pygame

Install pygame: pip install pygame

Run dungeona2.py from the project root so it can access the files it imports and the game data used by the project.

Typical required files and folders:

    dungeona.py
    ans.py
    textures/
    dungeon_map.db

Standard window: python dungeona2.py

Start in fullscreen: python dungeona2.py --fullscreen

Example with custom size and frame cap: python dungeona2.py --width 1600 --height 900 --fps 60

--width        Initial window width (default: 1280)
--height       Initial window height (default: 800)
--fps          Frame cap for the renderer (default: 30)
--fullscreen   Start in fullscreen mode

Mouse:         Look around
W / Up:        Move forward
S / Down:      Move backward
A / Left / Z:  Strafe left
D / Right / C: Strafe right
Q / E:         Turn left / right
Space / Enter: Interact / attack / open
.:             Wait and regain energy
M:             Toggle minimap
< / >:         Use stairs
Tab:           Capture / release mouse look
X / Esc:       Quit

• The game window is resizable.
• The renderer uses a low-resolution internal view that is scaled up for a retro look.
• If pygame is not installed, the program exits with an install hint.
• In this frontend, Left/Right arrows strafe. Turning is on Q and E.
• The frontend uses the same core game rules and map data as the main Dungeona game.

README for dungeona3.py

Dungeona3 is an experimental modernized frontend for Dungeona, focusing on improved rendering performance, smoother input handling, and expanded visual feedback while preserving the core gameplay and dungeon structure.

It builds upon the same game logic defined in dungeona.py and continues to use the ANSI texture pipeline from ans.py, but introduces a more flexible rendering layer designed for future extensions such as lighting effects, UI overlays, and scalable resolutions.

This version is intended as a bridge between the retro aesthetic of the original project and a more responsive, real-time gameplay experience.

Dungeona3 introduces optional GPU-accelerated rendering through the underlying graphics backend, allowing smoother frame updates and more efficient handling of larger resolutions. While the core game logic remains CPU-driven, rendering operations such as texture scaling, screen compositing, and visual updates can be offloaded to the GPU when supported. This results in reduced CPU load and improved responsiveness, especially on high-resolution displays or systems with dedicated graphics hardware. On systems without GPU support, the game falls back to a fully CPU-based rendering path with no loss of functionality.

• Explore the same multi-floor dungeon environment
• Locate the Holy Grail
• Return it safely to the altar
• Encounter monsters with improved movement responsiveness

Compared to earlier frontends, Dungeona3 emphasizes smoother navigation, clearer visual feedback, and a more immersive presentation.

• Enhanced rendering pipeline for smoother frame updates
• Scalable resolution support
• Improved input responsiveness
• Reusable ANSI texture system
• Compatible with existing dungeon maps and assets
• Modular structure for future extensions (UI, effects, audio)

• Python 3.10+
• pygame (or compatible rendering backend, depending on build)

Install dependencies: pip install pygame

Run dungeona3.py from the project root to ensure access to shared resources:

Donationware License (see license.txt)

mtatton (2026)

https://paypal.me/michtatton