The aim of this project is to implement the original Free Tools Association (FTA) version of their Fun Columns game in SDL, which I really enjoyed playing back in the day.

For those who may not have heard of the Free Tools Association (FTA) and their influence within the Apple IIGS community many decades ago, a website is still maintained by Olivier Goguel (one of the original members of the group).

Please Note: This source code is very much in a state of flux and is currently a bit of a mess. I will provide updates as best as I can 😄

UPDATE:
Game in playable state now, feature complete. still needs a bit of a polish.
I really enjoyed programming this game. I hope you find it enjoyable to play.
Much thanks to Olivier Goguel for inspiration and moral support. 😄

Change-log:

04/05/2024 - Foundation code.
20/07/2024 - Making progress, albeit slowly when I can find time between work and personal life.
12/08/2024 - Code refactoring and tidyup.
18/08/2024 - Code starting to come together and take shape. Overall structure begining to settle. Squashing bugs.
30/08/2024 - It's been four months already. More incremental progress.
16/10/2024 - All features nearly complete, bugs need to be squashed. Code still a bit rough around the edges.
28/10/2024 - Feature complete
10/11/2024 - Added game instruction manual to repository.
10/11/2024 - This project is now concluded.

Compilation

Make sure to install the following development libraries
- SDL2
- SDL_image 2.0
- libsodium
Type the following commands:

cd src
make

Screenshot

Misc.

Run from command line or GUI
To move game window using GNOME (Press Super [win] key) and right click/hold mouse) anywhere in game window.

Todo

Nothing

In Progress

Nothing

Done

Cluster detection
Display updated board (render/update)
No more moves / Game over
Random brick selection
Brick: Rotation [R], Left [←], Right [→]
Random column selection
Display in play brick (falling brick)
Backdrop Colour selection [^C]
About screen [A]
Menu screen
Info screen [I]
Pause [P]
Quit [Q]
Restart [^R]
Keyboard input (Event Handling)
Invert backdrop gradient [ctrl + X]
Next piece preview [N]
Tile Shape [^S]
Brick (drop) [SPC] - improvment needed
Game (loop / timing / logic) - still some issues need to be ironed out - improvment needed
Brick (cluster elimination & explosion)
Levels [1 - 6]
High scores (entry & panel)
Status (panel) - needs improvment
Score (points allocation) - needs improvment
High score dotfile (~~in user home dir~~)

Nice to have (Future features)

Intro (page / music)
Game play (music / Sound FX)

Bugs

Visual artifacts
Intermittent tile elimination issues

Author(s)

Apple IIGS Version: FTA (1990/91)
SDL Version: Jason Bou-Samra (2024)