Protists Survival is an educational arcade-style game where you play as a protist from different eukaryotic supergroups. Your goal is to survive as long as possible by collecting energy and avoiding dangers in a dynamic, scrolling environment inspired by real protist biology.

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Features

• Playable Avatars: Choose from a variety of protists, each with unique traits and backgrounds.
• Dynamic Backgrounds: Each protist has a specific background representing its natural habitat.
• Energy & Danger: Collect food molecules to score points and avoid dangers like oxygen and radicals.
• Levels & Progression: Survive longer to increase your level and game speed.
• High Score Tracking: Try to beat your best survival time and score.
• Educational Content: Learn about different protists and their lifestyles through info screens.

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Requirements

• Python 3.x
• pygame library

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Recommended: Install with Conda

It is recommended to use a dedicated conda environment for the game:

# Create a new environment named 'protists' with Python 3.11 (or your preferred version)
conda create -n protists python=3.11

# Activate the environment
conda activate protists

# Install pygame (from conda-forge for best compatibility)
conda install -c conda-forge pygame

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Alternative: Install with pip

If you prefer pip, you can install pygame with:

pip install pygame

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How to Play

1. Start the Game:
   Run the game with:

   python protists_game/protist_survival.py

2. Select a Supergroup:
   Use your mouse to select a eukaryotic supergroup (currently only Metamonada is playable).

   

3. Pick Your Protist:
   Hover over a protist to see its info and click to select it as your avatar.

   

4. Survive!

   • Use the arrow keys to move your protist.
   • Collect energy molecules to increase your score.
   • Avoid dangers to stay alive.
   • Press SPACE to replenish your danger defence (costs points).
   • The game ends when you lose all lives.

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Controls

• Arrow Keys: Move your protist (left, right, up, down)
• Spacebar: Replenish danger defence (costs score)
• ESC: Quit the game
• Enter/Return: Advance from intro and game over screens
• Mouse: Select your protist

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Project Structure

protists_game/
   danger.py
   energy.py
   game_stats.py
   group_polygons.py
   high_score.txt
   moving_entity.py
   protist_survival.py
   protists.py
   scoreboard.py
   settings.py
   sounds.py
images/
   backgrounds/
   danger/
   food/
   metamonada/
   screen_images/
music/
   background/
   damage/
   food/
   game_over
   intro/
   level_up/
   select/

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Credits

• Game design and code: Alejandro Jiménez-González
• Protist illustrations and backgrounds: Alejandro Jiménez-González
• Music and sound effects: Download from opengameart and freesound (License CC0)

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License

This project is for educational and non-commercial use.
See LICENSE for details.

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Enjoy learning and surviving as a protist!