A puzzle matrix module designed for a space panel to be used by the Christa McAuliffe Space Center.
The matrix module will be a matrix of 6x6 LED buttons that will allow different puzzles to be played. The matrix will also have a small LCD display and 3 additional buttons for added functionality. The games will be played on the button matrix and encourage problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
The games will be programmed with scalable difficulty. A few games that will be implemented:
- Puzzle Panel: Tap one tile to flip the surrounding tiles. You have a limited number of flips to match the reference matrix, and the number of flips increases with difficulty. Based on this game from New Super Mario Bros DS.
- Simon Says: One button will light up, then the player must push that button. Then, a sequence of two buttons will light up on after the other, and the player must push those buttons in the order they appeared. This is essentially just a normal game of simon says, played on a larger matrix.
- Minesweeper: Several mines will be placed on the matrix that the player cannot see. When a player taps on a tile, it lights up, and its color indicates the number of mines adjacent to it.
- Flow: Connect several pipes to allow water to flow from them. Each pipe has two endpoints on the matrix, and the player connects the endpoints by pushing adjacent buttons to create a path.
- Maze: A maze randomly generates on the matrix, and the player has to draw a path from the start to the finish to succeed. In higher difficulties the player's path must be the shortest possible path in order to succeed.
- Navigation: The player must guide a robot to a few target spaces in a maze. The player must provide the robot with a set of instructions (move forward, rotate left, rotate right) in order to map the robot's route. Based on The Navigator from Club Penguin.
More detail on each game and how they will be implemented will be added to Games & Implementation.
The matrix module will use a 6x6 matrix of LED buttons, along with an LCD display and a few additional buttons on the side. A more comprehensive list of parts will be added to Part List.