Error Monster

Error Monster is a retro indie creature collector with visuals strongly influenced by 1993 Game Boy-era graphics, paired with a modern educational twist.

In this game, players catch, collect, and battle digital Error Monsters who each represent real programming exceptions in real programming languages.

The two core gameplay loops are:

• Battling Error Monsters
• Collecting Error Monsters

Getting started:

• Starters. Choose one of three starters:
  • Stacky (Python)
  • Anchor (C#)
  • Orby (Web: JavaScript, HTML, and CSS)
• Zones. Explore the prototype overworld and its three zones:
  • Python Grove
  • Sea Sharp Shore
  • Web Woods
• Monster encounters. Error Monsters roam their own patches of ground. Walk too close and a battle begins.
• Persistent health. Your starter's HP loss carries over between battles. Heal at the Debug Bench.

Battle loop mechanics:

• The Type-A-Dex. To land a hit or defend your team, you write, break, or patch real code snippets inside the built-in "Type-A-Dex": a full-color micro-IDE / text editor encased in a retro handheld frame. It supports multiple files with tabs. Python challenges can span modules with imports, and Web challenges always include index.html, style.css, and script.js.
• Attacking with your Error Monster. Each Error Monster has two attacks, and each attack is tied to a specific error type. Choose FIGHT and your monster uses one of its attacks at random. The Type-A-Dex pops up showing clean, working code alongside a draining timer. If you can modify the code to trigger that attack's error type before time expires, the attack lands and damages the opponent!
• Defending with your Error Monster. When an opponent attacks, the Type-A-Dex displays code that already contains an error. You must debug and fix the code before the timer runs out to block the hit!
• Speed matters. The timer is split into three percentage zones:
  • Top 25%: Attacking: Double damage. Defending: No damage.
  • Middle 50%: Attacking: Normal damage. Defending: Half damage.
  • Bottom 25%: Attacking: Half damage. Defending: Normal damage.
  • Timeout: Attacking: No damage. Defending: Double damage.

• Risk the Run. Every failed code RUN costs 35% of the total time, so think before you run!

Collecting mechanics:

• Choose CATCH at any point in a battle to attempt a capture. You'll get a tougher, multi-bug challenge in the wild monster's language. Fix every bug and hit RUN before time runs out to catch it. Otherwise it escapes.
• The weaker the wild monster, the more time you get, so wear it down first.
• Press SPACE in the overworld to open the Error-Dex and see which monsters you've caught.

Controls:

• WASD / Arrow keys: Move character in overworld
• SPACE: Open the Error-Dex
• Click (or Enter): Advance text
• CTRL+Enter: RUN code

Current Status:

This build is an early playable alpha with an overworld, nine catchable Error Monsters, and three languages: Python, C#, and Web (JavaScript, HTML, and CSS). All monsters are currently level 1. Future updates will add leveling and training, more monsters, more challenges, and a larger world to explore.