Show HN: LightCycle, a FOSS game in Rust based on Tron

LightCycle

A classic TRON-inspired light cycle game built with Rust and ggez.

Features

• Single-player and Two-player modes – Battle against AI or a friend
• Adjustable AI Difficulty – Easy, Medium, and Hard AI opponents
• Boost Mechanic – Limited energy boost system for strategic gameplay
• Visual Effects – Particle trails, screen shake, and glow effects
• Pause Menu – Full pause functionality with in-game controls
• Retro Aesthetic – 8-bit styled graphics with neon colors

Controls

Menu

• 1 – Start single-player game
• 2 – Start two-player game
• D – Cycle AI difficulty (Easy/Medium/Hard)

Player 1

• W/A/S/D – Movement
• Left Shift – Boost

Player 2

• Arrow Keys – Movement
• Right Shift – Boost

General

• P – Pause/Resume
• ESC – Return to menu

Installation

Prerequisites

• Rust (latest stable version)
• Cargo

Building and Running

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/Tortured-Metaphor/LightCycle.git
cd LightCycle

# Build the project
cargo build --release

# Run the game
cargo run --release

Gameplay

Navigate your light cycle around the arena, leaving a trail behind you. Avoid crashing into walls, your own trail, or your opponent’s trail. The last cycle standing wins!

Use your boost strategically – it doubles your speed but drains energy quickly. Energy regenerates when not boosting.

AI Difficulty Levels

• Easy: Shorter reaction time, makes mistakes more often
• Medium: Balanced gameplay, moderate challenge
• Hard: Advanced pathfinding, optimal decision making, aggressive boost usage

Development

Built with:

• Rust – Systems programming language
• ggez – Rust game framework

Version History

• v0.2.0 – Added pause menu, boost mechanics, AI difficulties, visual effects
• v0.1.0 – Initial game implementation

License

This project is open source and available under the MIT License.