Pairents - A Cooperative Networked Game

Pairents is a lightweight, networked, 1v1 cooperative game with elements of a social application, inspired by Tamagotchi-style virtual pets. The game encourages collaboration between two players without direct communication, focusing on taking care of a virtual pet. Players are matched randomly, and through real-time interactions, they guide the creature through different stages of growth.

Project Overview

Goal

The goal of the project is to create a simple yet engaging game where two players take care of a virtual pet by collaborating. It incorporates elements of logic, cooperation, and trust, with the ultimate objective of achieving synchronized teamwork between the players.

Features

• Real-time collaboration between two players
• Matchmaking system for pairing compatible players
• Retro pixel art style with minimalist GUI elements
• Mini-games that require cooperation, rewarding players with benefits in the main game
• Synchronization of pet state (e.g., hunger, happiness, sleep, etc.) between clients
• Communication using TCP sockets for real-time data exchange
• Client-server architecture for managing sessions and interactions

Key Functionalities

• Cooperative care of a virtual pet
• Collaborative gameplay without direct communication
• Real-time synchronization of actions and pet status
• Server-side logic for matchmaking and room management
• Minimalistic graphical user interface (GUI) using SDL2
• Multiplayer support with a server-client model

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Project Setup

Prerequisites

• C compiler (e.g., GCC)
• SDL2 library (for graphical user interface)
• POSIX sockets for TCP communication
• Make tool (to build the project)
• Git for version control

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/DevStranger/Pairents.git
   cd Pairents/game
   

2. Install necessary dependencies (e.g., SDL2): For Ubuntu:

   sudo apt install git gcc make
   sudo apt-get install libsdl2-dev libsdl2-ttf-dev
   

3. Build the project using make:

   make
   

Running the Game

Step 1: Start the Server

1. Open the first terminal window or tab.
2. Run the server with the following command:

   ./server

Step 2: Start the Client

1. Open the second terminal window or tab.
2. Run the client with the following command:

   ./client <server_IP_address> <port>

   The client will attempt to connect to the server and join a pair.

Step 3: Play the Game

Players will now collaborate to take care of the virtual pet!

Demo

A demo video showcasing the game is available on my Google Drive: Watch the demo

Disclaimer

Comments in the code and server logs are written in Polish because this was a project for a course at a Polish uni, I am Polish — and also simply because I can, lol.

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	Pairents	Maja Chlipała	VI.2025