🏓 Terminal Pong Game

A modern, stable Pong game implementation in C++ with dynamic speed system and multiple AI modes. One command, instant play!

🎮 Game Modes

1. 🧠 Human vs Bot

• Challenge an intelligent AI opponent
• Smart AI that follows and predicts ball movement
• Perfect for single-player practice

2. 👥 Human vs Human

• Classic two-player mode on same keyboard
• Player 1: W/S keys, Player 2: I/K keys
• Great for local multiplayer fun

3. 🤖 Bot vs Bot (Demo)

• Watch AI battle: Smart Bot vs Patrol Bot
• Different AI strategies in action
• Just sit back and enjoy the show!

🚀 One-Click Play (Recommended) - You just need to copy the command, paste in your terminal / command prompts, that's all, no complex download required

🪟 Windows (Command Prompt/PowerShell)

🚀 ULTRA SMOOTH (Recommended) - High-performance rendering:

powershell -Command "iex ((New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadString('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/TomDevX/terminal-pong/main/pong_windows_smooth.ps1'))"

⚡ Standard - Try this if Ultra Smooth doesn't work:

powershell -Command "iex ((New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadString('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/TomDevX/terminal-pong/main/pong_windows_simple_powershell.ps1'))"

🐧 Linux/macOS (Terminal)

# Paste the command in terminal and play instantly:
sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/TomDevX/terminal-pong/refs/tags/v5/terminal_pong_installer.sh)"

📥 Manual Download (All Platforms)

Platform	Download Link	Instructions
Windows (Instant)	📥 Download & Run	Right-click → Save As → Run with PowerShell
Windows (Auto)	📥 Download pong_auto.bat	Right-click → Save As → Run as Administrator
Windows (Simple)	📥 Download pong.bat	Right-click → Save As → Double-click to run
Linux/macOS	📥 Download pong.sh	chmod +x pong.sh && ./pong.sh

🎯 That's it! The game will auto-compile and start.

💡 Windows Solutions Explained

Method	Requirements	Performance	Best For
🚀 Ultra Smooth	PowerShell 3.0+	60fps, Zero flicker	Most users - Smoothest experience
⚡ Instant Play	PowerShell 3.0+	Standard 30fps	For those who wanna try some bugs as features - Good performance

Recommendation: Try Ultra Smooth first for the best gaming experience!

🛠️ For Developers & Customization

Want to modify the game or see the source code?

Download Full Source

# Clone the complete repository:
git clone https://github.com/TomDevX/terminal-pong.git
cd terminal-pong

# Use the development launcher:
./run_game.sh

Or Download Source ZIP

1. Click [Download Source ZIP] → https://github.com/TomDevX/terminal-pong/archive/main.zip
2. Extract and explore the code
3. Main game file: pong_stable_fixed.cpp
4. Development launcher: run_game.sh

🕹️ Controls

Mode	Player 1	Player 2	Quit
Human vs Human	W/S	I/K	Q
Human vs Bot	W/S	AI	Q
Bot vs Bot	AI	AI	Q

✨ Key Features

🚀 Dynamic Speed System

• Speed increases every 3 paddle hits
• Real-time speed display (1x → 5x)
• Visual hit counter tracking
• Speed resets after each score

🎯 Enhanced Gameplay

• Stable display with no screen flickering
• Smooth ball physics with proper collision detection
• Smart AI with ball prediction
• Patrol AI with movement patterns
• No freeze issues during gameplay

🔧 Technical Excellence

• Non-blocking input handling
• ANSI escape sequences for smooth display
• Cross-platform compatibility (macOS/Linux)
• Optimized game loop for stability

⚡ What Makes This Special

🎯 Instant Play

• One file download - no git clone, no setup, and compatible for every OS!
• Auto-compilation - detects compiler and builds automatically
• Self-contained - all source code embedded in installer
• Auto-cleanup - temporary files cleaned after play

🎮 Enhanced Gameplay

• Dynamic speed system - gets faster every 3 paddle hits
• Freeze-free - completely stable, no mid-game crashes
• Smart AI - intelligent bot with ball prediction
• Multiple modes - single player, multiplayer, AI demo

📝 Game Rules

1. Objective: Use your paddle to hit the ball and prevent it from passing
2. Scoring: First player to reach 5 points wins
3. Speed System: Game gets faster every 3 paddle hits (max 5x speed)
4. Physics: Ball bounces off top and bottom walls
5. Reset: Ball and speed reset to center after each score

🎉 Features Highlights

• ✅ Freeze-Free Gameplay - Completely stable, no mid-game freezes
• ✅ Real Speed Changes - Noticeable speed increases you can actually feel
• ✅ Smart AI - Intelligent bot that predicts ball trajectory
• ✅ Multiple Modes - Single player, multiplayer, and demo modes
• ✅ Easy Setup - One-click launcher with menu selection
• ✅ Clean Display - Smooth terminal graphics with emojis

🐛 Troubleshooting

Controls not working?

• Ensure your terminal supports non-blocking input
• Try running with different terminal applications
• Check that termios library is available

Display issues?

• Verify your terminal supports ANSI escape sequences
• Try resizing the terminal window
• Ensure minimum terminal size (40x20 characters)

🏆 Game Stats

• Ball Speed Levels: 5 (140ms → 35ms delay)
• Paddle Size: 4 characters
• Game Field: 40x18 characters
• Win Score: 5 points
• Speed Increase: Every 3 hits

🎥 Demo

🧠 HUMAN vs BOT (Frame: 45)
Score: P1=2 P2=1 | Speed: 3x | Hits: 7
Controls: W/S (You), Q=quit
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Video

Complete.all.gamemode.walkthrough.mp4

📱 Quick Links

Action	Link
🎮 Play Now with Mac	Download Game
🎮 Play Now with Windows	Download Game
🔧 Source Code	Download ZIP
📖 Full Repo	Browse GitHub
🐛 Report Issues	Create Issue

Made with ❤️ by TomDevX

Last updated: August 18, 2025 - Stable release with dynamic speed system