Echoes of the Signal — Extended Edition

Welcome to the extended "Echoes of the Signal" sci-fi mystery thriller game. This README provides an overview and usage instructions so you can experience the narrative-driven exploration in a terminal-based or GUI-based format. This project took me around 3 months to make. Hope you enjoy it!

Table of Contents

1. Overview
2. Features
3. Setup
4. How to Play
5. Code Structure
6. Contributing
7. License

Overview

"Echoes of the Signal" is a text- or GUI-based game set aboard an abandoned orbital research station named ECHO-9. Earth has been receiving anomalous transmissions from this station, which was reportedly abandoned five years prior. As Dr. Alex Riven, you explore dark corridors and make crucial decisions about a dangerous, possibly sentient, cosmic signal.

This extended edition provides:
• A longer playtime (~20 minutes).
• More branching story paths.
• Thematically rich setting and puzzles.

Features

• Narrative-Driven Gameplay: Uncover the station’s mysteries through text-based interactions or a GUI.
• Branching Storylines: Multiple endings depending on your choices.
• Puzzles and Clues: Encounter riddles, circuit box puzzles, and cryptic logs.
• Replay Value: Try different decisions leading to unique outcomes.

Setup

1. Install Python 3 (if not already installed).
2. Clone or download the repository into a local directory.
3. Optionally, create and activate a virtual environment (recommended for Python projects):

   python -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate  # macOS/Linux
   venv\Scripts\activate     # Windows

4. Install any requirements (if a requirements.txt is provided):

   pip install -r requirements.txt

How to Play

Text-Based Version

1. Navigate to the project directory in your command line.
2. Run the text-based game script:

   python mega_adventure.py

3. Follow the on-screen prompts, read the story, and make your choices by entering the appropriate number.

GUI Version

1. Install a GUI library (e.g., Tkinter is usually included with Python on most systems).
2. Run the GUI script:

   python echoes_of_the_signal_gui.py

3. Use the buttons and on-screen text to progress through the story.

Code Structure

Below is a simplified overview of the main scripts:

1. mega_adventure.py
   • Extended text-based implementation with puzzles and branching paths.
2. echoes_of_the_signal_gui.py
   • A Tkinter-based GUI approach for users preferring a windowed interface.
3. brief_description.md
   • A concise summary of the game’s storyline and development timeline.
4. step-to-step_guide.md
   • Detailed instructions for installation, usage, and deployment.
5. README.md (this file)
   • High-level overview of the project.

Contributing

1. Fork this repository on GitHub.
2. Create a new branch for your feature or bug fix.
3. Commit your changes with clear messages.
4. Submit a pull request providing details about your modifications.

License

This project is released under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.