EscapeTheLabGame 1.2.0

🎮 Escape The Lab - AI-Powered Puzzle Game

A fast-paced, AI-driven escape room where you have 10 minutes to solve 20 challenging questions. Compete globally, unlock achievements, and test your skills against an intelligent AI game master!

🚀 Quick Start

Installation (Global Tool)

dotnet tool install -g EscapeTheLabGame
escape-lab

Update

dotnet tool update -g EscapeTheLabGame

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✨ Features

🤖 Multiple AI Providers (NEW!)

• OpenAI GPT-4o-mini (default, fastest & cheapest)
• Claude Sonnet 4.5 (most intelligent)
• Google Gemini 2.0
• DeepSeek

🌐 Online Features

• User Authentication - Secure password-protected accounts
• Global Leaderboards - Compete with players worldwide via Supabase
• Profile Stats - Track games played, best scores, and ranks
• Cloud Database - Centralized user management

🎯 Database-Driven Events (NEW in v1.1.0!)

• Seasonal Prompts - Auto Christmas, New Year, Halloween events
• Event Scheduling - Start/end dates for time-limited games
• Multiple Game Modes - Different challenges for variety
• Auto-Activation - Events activate/deactivate automatically

💾 Smart Game Management

• Auto-Save - Progress saved after every answer & every minute
• Resume Anytime - Pick up exactly where you left off
• Game History - All sessions stored as JSON logs
• Local + Cloud Backup - Dual storage for safety

🎮 Gameplay

• ⚡ Real-time Streaming - Typewriter effect for AI responses
• 🎨 Colorful CLI - Vibrant, readable interface
• ⏱️ Time Pressure - 10-minute countdown with warnings
• 🎯 Power-Ups - Speed Boost (skip) & Micro Hint (clue)
• 📊 Scoring & Ranks - 5 achievement levels

📋 Requirements

• .NET 8.0 Runtime or higher - Download
• AI API Key (choose one):
  • OpenAI - Recommended (Free $5 credit)
  • Anthropic Claude
  • Google Gemini
  • DeepSeek

🛠️ Setup

Install as Global Tool (Recommended)

# Install
dotnet tool install -g EscapeTheLabGame

# Run
escape-lab

Configuration (Optional)

The game works out-of-the-box but you can customize settings.

Option 1: Environment Variable (Easiest)

# Windows
set OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-proj-your-key-here

# Linux/Mac
export OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-proj-your-key-here

Option 2: Config File Find and edit appsettings.json in the tool directory:

{
  "OpenAI": {
    "ApiKey": "your-openai-api-key-here",
    "Model": "gpt-4o-mini"
  },
  "Supabase": {
    "Url": "https://your-project.supabase.co",
    "AnonKey": "your-anon-key"
  }
}

🎮 How to Play

1. Install & Launch

   dotnet tool install -g EscapeTheLabGame
   escape-lab
   

2. Create Account (Optional but Recommended)

   • Register with username, email, and password
   • Your scores sync to global leaderboard
   • Track your stats and compete worldwide
   • Or play as Guest (local scores only)

3. Start a New Game

   • Game loads the current active event prompt from database
   • Falls back to cloud or local prompt if needed
   • 10-minute timer starts immediately

4. Answer 20 Questions

   • IQ puzzles and pattern recognition
   • Logic challenges and mysteries
   • Coding problems and algorithms
   • Tech scenarios and debugging tasks

5. Use Power-Ups Wisely

   • Type Speed Boost to skip tough questions (once per game)
   • Type Micro Hint for helpful clues (once per game)

6. Beat the Clock

   • Auto-saves after every answer
   • Resume anytime if interrupted
   • Final score and rank at the end

Note: Progress auto-saves every minute and after each answer!

🎯 Question Categories

The game includes 20 questions across 3 categories:

• IQ Puzzles (8 questions): Pattern recognition, logic puzzles, spatial reasoning
• Mystery Challenges (6 questions): Whodunit scenarios, contradiction detection
• Dev Challenges (6 questions): String manipulation, algorithms, SQL queries

🏆 Ranking System

• 0-5: Junior Human Lifeform
• 6-10: Bug Hunter in Training
• 11-15: Senior Logic Warrior
• 16-19: Elite Engineer
• 20: Legendary Cyborg Architect

⚙️ Settings

Access the Settings menu to:

• Toggle Streaming Mode: Enable/disable real-time response streaming
• Change Time Limit: Adjust from 5 to 15 minutes
• View Current Settings: See all configuration options

📂 Game Data

All game data is stored in organized folders:

GameHistory/ - Completed games

• leaderboard.json: Top scores from all players
• game_[PlayerName]_[Timestamp].json: Complete game transcripts

SavedGames/ - In-progress games

• savegame_[PlayerName]_[Timestamp].json: Saved game states

💾 Auto-Save Feature

NEW! The game automatically saves your progress!

• Auto-saves after each answer - Seamless and instant
• Auto-saves every 1 minute - Never lose progress
• Startup detection - Resume or start fresh when launching
• Time remaining is preserved exactly
• All answers and progress are automatically saved

See AUTO_SAVE_GUIDE.md for complete guide.

☁️ Cloud Prompts Feature

NEW! Load game prompts from the cloud!

• Google Drive - 15 GB free storage
• OneDrive - 5 GB free storage
• Dropbox - Easy direct links
• GitHub Gist - Best for version control (recommended)
• Any web server - Full control

Benefits:

• Update questions without rebuilding the app
• Central management for teams
• Multiple prompt versions for different events
• Works offline with caching

Quick Setup:

{
  "Prompt": {
    "UseCloudPrompt": true,
    "CloudPromptUrl": "YOUR_CLOUD_URL_HERE",
    "CachePrompt": true,
    "FallbackToLocal": true
  }
}

See CLOUD_PROMPT_GUIDE.md and CLOUD_SERVICES_GUIDE.md for complete instructions!

🎨 CLI Commands

While playing:

• Type your answer and press Enter (auto-saves after each answer)
• quit or exit: Exit game (asks to save first)
• Speed Boost: Use skip power-up
• Micro Hint: Get a hint

Note: Game auto-saves every minute and after each answer!

🔧 Troubleshooting

"API Key not configured" Error

Make sure you've replaced YOUR_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY_HERE in appsettings.json with your actual Anthropic API key.

"Configuration file not found" Error

Ensure appsettings.json is in the same directory as the executable. If running with dotnet run, it should be in the project root.

Connection Issues

• Check your internet connection
• Verify your API key is valid and has available credits
• Check Anthropic API status at https://status.anthropic.com/

🌟 Tips for High Scores

1. Think fast but carefully - wrong answers count against you
2. Use power-ups strategically - save them for the hardest questions
3. Read questions thoroughly - some have tricky wording
4. Practice makes perfect - patterns repeat across playthroughs

📝 License

This is a demonstration project showcasing Claude AI integration in C# console applications.

🤝 Contributing

Feel free to fork this project and customize the game:

• Add new question categories
• Modify the Game Master personality
• Add multiplayer features
• Create themed question sets

📧 Support

For issues with:

• The game code: Check the README and code comments
• Anthropic API: Visit https://docs.anthropic.com/
• Claude AI capabilities: See https://www.anthropic.com/claude

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Built with ❤️ using Claude Sonnet 4.5

Happy gaming! 🎮⚡