Snake Game in x86 Assembly

A Snake game implementation in x86_64 Assembly for Linux, with a leaderboard system and terminal-based graphics.

Overview

This project implements the classic Snake game in pure Assembly language. The game runs in the terminal using ASCII graphics and ANSI escape codes for colors and positioning. It includes features like:

• Terminal-based graphics
• Real-time keyboard input handling
• Score tracking system
• Leaderboard functionality
• Collision detection
• Random apple placement
• Player name registration

Technical Details

• Architecture: x86_64
• Platform: Linux
• Input: Arrow keys for movement, 'q' to quit
• Display: Terminal-based using ANSI escape sequences
• File I/O: Uses system calls for leaderboard persistence

Building the Game

1. Assemble the code:

nasm -f elf64 snake.asm -o snake.o

2. Link the object file:

ld snake.o -o snake

3. Execute the compiled binary:

./snake

Gameplay Instructions

• Use arrow keys to control the snake's direction
• Eat apples (O) to grow and increase your score
• Avoid hitting the walls or the snake's own body
• Press 'q' to quit the game then enter to exit the leaderboard screen and terminate the program.
• Enter your name after the game to save your score to the leaderboard

Game Features

Snake Movement

• The snake moves continuously in the current direction
• Direction can be changed using arrow keys

Scoring System

• Each apple eaten increases the score by 1
• Current score is displayed below the game field
• Score is saved to the leaderboard upon game over

Leaderboard

• Top 10 scores are maintained
• Scores are persisted between game sessions
• Displays player names and scores
• Automatically updates when new high scores are achieved

Terminal Handling

• Uses custom terminal mode settings for real-time input
• Implements proper cleanup to restore terminal state
• Handles ANSI escape sequences for display

Technical Implementation

The game uses several low-level system features:

• Jumps for conditional and unconditional branching
• Arithmetic operations for score keeping and leaderboard.
• Loops to iterate through the program.
• System calls for file I/O and terminal manipulation
• ANSI escape sequences for terminal graphics
• Non-canonical terminal mode for real-time input
• Binary file I/O for leaderboard persistence