By7eQuest

🎮 Game Overview

By7eQuest is a fast-paced educational arcade game that transforms abstract Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA) concepts into thrilling minigame challenges. Race against the clock as you master the fundamentals of Stacks, Queues, and Linked Lists through intuitive, reflex-driven gameplay.

Perfect for computer science students seeking an engaging way to visualize DSA concepts, or anyone looking for a unique puzzle-action experience with progressively challenging difficulty modes!

📚 What Is This Game About?

By7eQuest takes core programming concepts and makes them tangible:

• Stacks (LIFO - Last In, First Out) become karate-chopping challenges
• Queues (FIFO - First In, First Out) transform into fruit-slicing conveyor belt action
• Linked Lists (Sequential Node Traversal) turn into "Simon Says" memory tests

Each minigame is carefully designed to reinforce algorithmic thinking under time pressure while remaining accessible to players of all skill levels.

🎯 How to Play

Core Mechanics

• One-Hand Friendly Controls: The game is designed for rapid, accessible gameplay using primarily the Spacebar for all major actions
• Four Difficulty Modes: Progress through Easy → Medium → Hard → God Mode, each increasing speed and reducing time limits
• Lives System: Start with 3 lives. Fail a minigame, lose a life. Lose all lives, and it's Game Over!
• Score & Leaderboard: Earn base points for completing minigames, plus time bonuses. Compete on the global leaderboard powered by PlayFab!

🕹️ Minigame Mechanics

1. Karate! (Stack)

Data Structure: Stack Concept: Last In, First Out

Objective: Break at least 8 wooden boards before time runs out!

How It Works:

• Items spawn in a vertical stack (wooden boards and stone rocks mixed randomly)
• You can only break the TOP item on the stack (LIFO principle)
• Press Spacebar to karate-chop the top item
• Wooden boards can be broken (counts toward your goal)
• Stone rocks cannot be broken and will remain, blocking access to boards underneath
• Strategy: You must carefully manage when to chop, as rocks create permanent obstacles

Win Condition: Break 8 or more wooden boards Lose Condition: Time expires before reaching 8 boards, or hit a rock 4 times

Educational Value: Demonstrates Stack behavior - you must process items in reverse order of insertion, and obstacles can block access to deeper elements.

2. Simon Says (Linked List)

Data Structure: Linked List Concept: Sequential Node Access

Objective: Successfully follow 5 "Simon Says" commands!

How It Works:

• Commands appear one at a time in sequence, following a linked list structure
• Four command types:
  • "Simon says press me" → Press Spacebar (Correct)
  • "Simon says don't press me" → Don't press (Correct)
  • "Press me" → Don't press (Correct - Simon didn't say!)
  • "Don't press me" → Press Spacebar (Correct - Simon didn't say!)
• Each command has a time window to respond
• Mistakes deduct time: 1st mistake = -1s, 2nd = -3s, 3rd = -5s, 4th = Instant fail
• The list grows infinitely, adding new nodes as you progress

Win Condition: Complete 5 correct commands Lose Condition: Make 4 mistakes or run out of time

Educational Value: Shows Linked List traversal - you move sequentially through nodes (commands) one at a time, with the list dynamically growing.

3. Slice 'Em All (Queue)

Data Structure: Queue Concept: First In, First Out

Objective: Slice 10 fruits before time runs out!

How It Works:

• Fruits and bombs spawn on a conveyor belt moving from right to left
• Items are processed in FIFO order - the first item spawned arrives first
• Press Spacebar to slice the item when it reaches the cutting zone
• Fruits (apple, banana, watermelon, etc.) can be sliced and count toward your goal
• Bombs will explode if sliced, causing instant failure
• The queue automatically refills with randomized batches

Win Condition: Slice 10 fruits Lose Condition: Slice a bomb or time expires

Educational Value: Demonstrates Queue behavior - items are served in the exact order they arrive, mimicking FIFO processing in data structures.

💯 Scoring System

• Base Score: Awarded for completing a minigame (varies by difficulty)
• Time Bonus: Remaining seconds × 1 point added to your score
• Total Score: Accumulates across all successful minigames
• Leaderboard: Submit your final score to compete globally via PlayFab integration

🎨 Features

✅ Three unique minigames teaching different DSA concepts 

✅ Four difficulty modes with escalating challenge 

✅ Cloud-based global leaderboard 

✅ Lives system for strategic risk/reward gameplay 

✅ Background music and satisfying sound effects 

✅ Clean, minimalist art style focused on gameplay clarity 

✅ Accessibility-focused single-hand controls

🔗 Open Source & Development

By7eQuest is an open-source educational project built with Unity and C#. The game was created as a school project to help students master Data Structures and Algorithms concepts through interactive gameplay.

Interested in the development process, architecture, or contributing? Check out the project on GitHub:

GitHub Repository: by7equest