The Gems Said NO 🚫💎 | Gaming Life Ep.5

The Gems Said NO 🚫💎 | Gaming Life Ep.5

In this episode, Bug and Loopi try their hand at a match-3 puzzle game that refuses to cooperate. The gems unpredictably slide too far, reshuffle combos, and even dodge the player's touch, turning a simple game into a chaotic challenge.

Code

// Simple simulation of a match-3 board where gems "dodge" the player's moves
const boardSize = 5;
let board = [];

// Initialize board with random gem colors
function initBoard() {
  const colors = ['🔴', '🔵', '🟢', '🟡', '🟣'];
  for (let i = 0; i < boardSize; i++) {
    board[i] = [];
    for (let j = 0; j < boardSize; j++) {
      board[i][j] = colors[Math.floor(Math.random() * colors.length)];
    }
  }
}

// Attempt to swap two gems, but gems might "dodge" and swap different positions
function attemptSwap(x1, y1, x2, y2) {
  // 50% chance gems dodge and swap different random positions instead
  if (Math.random() < 0.5) {
    const rx1 = Math.floor(Math.random() * boardSize);
    const ry1 = Math.floor(Math.random() * boardSize);
    const rx2 = Math.floor(Math.random() * boardSize);
    const ry2 = Math.floor(Math.random() * boardSize);
    console.log(`Gems dodge! Swapping (${rx1},${ry1}) and (${rx2},${ry2}) instead.`);
    [board[rx1][ry1], board[rx2][ry2]] = [board[rx2][ry2], board[rx1][ry1]];
  } else {
    console.log(`Swapping (${x1},${y1}) and (${x2},${y2}) as requested.`);
    [board[x1][y1], board[x2][y2]] = [board[x2][y2], board[x1][y1]];
  }
}

// Display the board in console
function printBoard() {
  for (let row of board) {
    console.log(row.join(' '));
  }
  console.log('---');
}

// Demo gameplay
initBoard();
console.log('Initial board:');
printBoard();

// Player tries to swap two adjacent gems
attemptSwap(1, 1, 1, 2);
printBoard();

// Player tries another swap
attemptSwap(2, 2, 2, 3);
printBoard();

Key Points

• Match-3 games rely on predictable gem swaps to create combos and clear the board.
• Introducing randomness or "dodge" behavior can frustrate players by breaking expected game mechanics.
• Simulating gem dodging involves swapping unexpected positions instead of the player's intended move.
• Such unpredictable behavior can be used humorously or to increase game difficulty.
• Visual and gameplay feedback is essential to communicate when the game is "rebelling" against the player.