Moongazer - Story-Driven Arkanoid Game

Author

Group vibEcoderS - Class INT2204 6

Nguyễn Thế Hưng - 24020150
Nguyễn Quốc Khánh - 24022671
Phạm Quang Minh - 24020239
Nguyễn Gia Quang - 24020619

Instructor: Kiều Văn Tuyên Semester: HK1 2025-2026

Description

Moongazer is a story-driven Arkanoid game that combines classic brick-breaking gameplay with visual novel storytelling elements. Set in the world of Wuthering Waves, players experience an engaging narrative while enjoying challenging Arkanoid mechanics.

Key features:

Dual Game Modes: Story Mode with narrative chapters and Endless Mode for infinite gameplay
Visual Novel Integration: Fully voiced story scenes with character dialogues
Modern Tech Stack: Built with Java 25 and LibGDX framework
Comprehensive Save System: Multiple save slots with progress tracking
Rich Visual Effects: Parallax backgrounds, combo animations, and smooth transitions
Database-Driven: SQLite database for high scores, saves, and leaderboards
Professional UI: Wuthering Waves-inspired interface with custom fonts and assets

Game mechanics:

Control a paddle to bounce balls and destroy bricks
Collect power-ups for enhanced abilities (Expand Paddle, Multi Ball, Laser Gun, etc.)
Progress through 5 story chapters with unique narratives
Compete in Endless Mode with increasing difficulty waves
Track high scores for each stage and endless mode
Experience smooth parallax effects and dynamic visuals

UML Diagram

Class Diagram

Design Patterns Implementation

1. Scene Management Pattern

Used in: Game class and all Scene implementations

Purpose: Manages game states and transitions between different scenes (Main Menu, Story Mode, Endless Mode, etc.)

2. Factory Pattern

Used in: Brick creation system

Purpose: Creates different types of bricks (breakable, unbreakable, power-up bricks) with various durability levels

3. Observer Pattern

Used in: UI callbacks and game event handling

Purpose: Handles button clicks, menu actions, and game state changes through callback systems

4. Strategy Pattern

Used in: Different game modes (Story vs Endless)

Purpose: Different scoring, progression, and win/lose conditions for each game mode

Multithreading Implementation

The game uses multiple threads to ensure smooth performance:

Main Game Thread: LibGDX's application thread handles the game loop at 60 FPS
Asset Loading Thread: Asynchronous loading of audio files and resources
Audio Playback: Background music and sound effects play on separate threads
Database I/O Thread: SQLite operations for saves and high scores run asynchronously
Video Playback: Background video in main menu runs on dedicated thread

Installation

Prerequisites

Java 25 or higher
Gradle 9.0+ (included via wrapper)

Steps

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/teppyboy/Moongazer.git
cd Moongazer

Build the project:
```
./gradlew build
```
Run the game:
```
./gradlew run
```

Usage

Controls

| Key | Action | | --------------- | -------------------------- | | ← (Changable) | Move paddle left | | → (Changable) | Move paddle right | | SPACE | Launch ball / Shoot bullet | | ESC | Pause game / Go back | | Mouse Click | UI interactions |

Game Modes

Story Mode

Select Story Mode from the main menu
Choose from 5 chapters (Victory?, Echoes of Oblivion, The Realm of Chaos, Fate Rewritten, A New Beginning)
Experience visual novel scenes between gameplay
Complete objectives to progress through the story
Save your progress at any time
Track high scores for each chapter

Endless Mode

Select Endless Mode from the main menu
Survive through infinite waves of bricks
Difficulty increases with each wave
Compete for the highest score on the leaderboard
Track your best wave and score

Power-ups

| Power-up | Effect | Duration | | ------------- | ------------------------------------------- | ---------- | | Expand Paddle | Increases paddle width | 10 seconds | | Extra Life | Grants an additional life | Permanent | | Fast Ball | Increases ball speed by 100% | Temporary | | Slow Ball | Decreases ball speed by 50% | Temporary | | Multi Ball | Spawns 2 additional balls | Permanent | | Super Ball | Ball passes through bricks without bouncing | 15 seconds | | Laser Gun | Shoot lasers to destroy bricks | 12 seconds | | Explosive | Destroys nearby bricks on impact | Instant |

Special Features

Combo System

Hit bricks consecutively without missing to build combo multiplier
Visual feedback with Iuno character appearance at 10x, 20x, 30x combos
Combo resets when ball is missed

Save/Load System

Story Mode: Save progress at any time during gameplay
Multiple Slots: Support for 3 separate save slots
Auto-save: High scores are automatically saved
Load Game: Resume from last checkpoint

Demo

Screenshots

Main Menu with Parallax Effect

Story Mode Selection

Visual Novel Scene
VN Scene

Gameplay with Combo System

Endless Mode

Save/Load System
Save Load

Leaderboard

Video Demo

[Video Demo Coming Soon]

Gameplay videos will be available in docs/demo/ folder

Project Structure

Moongazer/
├── app/
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── main/
│   │   │   ├── java/org/vibecoders/moongazer/
│   │   │   │   ├── arkanoid/          # Core game objects
│   │   │   │   ├── dialogue/          # Visual novel system
│   │   │   │   ├── managers/          # Asset & Audio managers
│   │   │   │   ├── scenes/            # Game scenes
│   │   │   │   │   ├── arkanoid/      # Arkanoid gameplay
│   │   │   │   │   └── story/         # Story stages
│   │   │   │   ├── ui/                # UI components
│   │   │   │   ├── Game.java          # Main game class
│   │   │   │   └── SaveGameManager.java # Database management
│   │   │   └── resources/
│   │   │       ├── textures/          # Game sprites
│   │   │       ├── audio/             # Music & SFX
│   │   │       ├── videos/            # Background videos
│   │   │       └── fonts/             # UI fonts
│   │   └── test/                      # Unit tests
│   └── build.gradle.kts               # Build configuration
├── docs/                              # Documentation
└── README.md

Technologies Used

| Technology | Version | Purpose | | --------------- | --------------- | ------------------- | | Java | 25 | Core language | | LibGDX | 1.13.0 | Game framework | | Gradle | 9.0.0 | Build tool | | SQLite | 3.46.1.0 | Database (via JDBC) | | SLF4J + Logback | 2.0.16 / 1.5.12 | Logging | | JUnit Jupiter | 5.11.3 | Unit testing | | gdx-video | 1.3.3 | Video playback |

For all dependencies please referer to build.gradle.kts

Testing

The project includes comprehensive unit tests for core game mechanics:

# Run all tests
./gradlew test

# Run specific test class
./gradlew test --tests "org.vibecoders.moongazer.arkanoid.BallTest"

Test Coverage:

Ball mechanics (velocity, launch, combo, properties)
Brick system (durability, power-ups, destruction)
Paddle movement and controls
Bullet mechanics

Future Improvements

Planned Features

Enhanced Story Mode
- Additional chapters and story branches
- Multiple endings based on player choices
- More character interactions and voiced dialogues
Gameplay Enhancements
- More power-up varieties (Shield, Time Slow, Magnet, etc.)
- Boss battles with unique mechanics
- Challenge mode with special objectives
- Co-op multiplayer support
Technical Improvements
- Achievement system with rewards
- Cloud save synchronization
- Steam integration for leaderboards
- Mobile version (Android/iOS)
- Modding support for custom stages
Visual & Audio
- More particle effects and animations
- Additional background music tracks
- Customizable themes and skins
- Replay system for recording gameplay

Known Issues

None currently reported

Please report any bugs or issues on the GitHub Issues page

License

GNU GPLv3, Wuthering Waves assets belong to KURO GAMES.

Acknowledgments

Instructor: Kiều Văn Tuyên for guidance and support
Kuro Games: For inspiration from Wuthering Waves
LibGDX Community: For excellent documentation and support
Group Members: For vibe coding and collaborative effort

Contact

For questions or feedback about this project:

GitHub: teppyboy/Moongazer
Group: vibEcoderS

Notes

The game was developed as part of the Object-Oriented Programming with Java course curriculum
All code is written by group members with guidance from the instructor
Project demonstrates practical application of OOP principles, design patterns, and modern Java development
Assets are used for educational purposes o

Moongazer

Install / Use

README