Flyin's Arcade

Flyin's Arcade

Note: this runs in-browser but needs a physical keyboard to play — it isn't supported on mobile or touch devices.

An interactive, pixel-art visualization of a pathfinding and capacity-constrained drone routing simulation.

Each level is a network of zones connected by links, each with its own capacity and cost. The routing is computed under real turn-based constraints — zone limits, link limits, multi-turn restricted zones, priority routing — then played back as an animated view of the algorithm's solution in action.

How it works

• The number in each zone's capacity badge tells you how many drones are allowed there at once — usually 1, but it can be higher
• The start zone and goal zone are the exceptions: drones can share the start freely, and any number of drones can arrive at the goal
• Links also have their own capacity — only so many drones can cross the same link on the same turn
• Zone types affect how long a move takes:
  • Normal — 1 turn
  • Priority — 1 turn, and must be taken over a normal route when both are available
  • Restricted — takes 2 turns to cross, and once a drone commits to entering, it must arrive on the next turn — no waiting partway through
  • Blocked — can't be entered at all
• All drones move simultaneously each turn — a zone only needs free capacity after accounting for drones leaving it that same turn
• Each level has a turn limit — get every drone to the goal before turns run out, or the simulation fails

Features

• 10 levels, from simple routes to tangled capacity puzzles
• Turn-based routing simulation with real capacity and timing constraints
• Retro pixel-art visuals with animated space and planet backdrops
• Original soundtrack and sound effects
• Built entirely from scratch in Python/pygame

Built as part of the Common Core curriculum at 42 Belgium.