Bagh Chal - A JavaScript Game Library

Description

Bagh Chal is a traditional board game originating from Nepal. The game features two types of pieces: Tigers and Goats. Tigers move across a grid to capture Goats by jumping over them, while Goats aim to block Tigers' movements or trap them. This library allows you to play Bagh Chal in a JavaScript environment, providing an easy-to-use API for game logic, board setup, piece placement, and move validation.

Inspired by the design principles of chess.js, this library allows you to simulate Bagh Chal with a simple yet powerful API.

Features

• Game Initialization: Start a new game with predefined positions for Tigers and empty spots for Goats.
• Game State: Retrieve the current board state at any time.
• Move Logic: Tigers can move and capture Goats based on valid moves defined in the rules.
• Goat Placement: Place goats on the board, following the placement rules.
• Turn-Based Gameplay: Alternating turns between Goats and Tigers, with Goats starting.
• Rule Validation: Ensures all moves and placements are valid according to the game’s rules.

Installation

To install the Bagh Chal library in your project, run the following npm command:

npm install baghchal

Usage

1. Basic Example

const BaghChal = require("baghchal");
const game = new BaghChal();

// Retrieve the initial state of the game
console.log(game.getBoardState());

// Place a goat on the board
game.placeGoat(2, 2);
console.log(game.getBoardState());

// Make a move for Tigers
game.move([0, 0], [1, 0]);
console.log(game.getBoardState());

2. Class API

BaghChal

The main class used to interact with the game.

Methods:

• constructor(): Initializes a new game instance with an empty board and places the Tigers at their initial positions.
• getBoardState(): Returns the current state of the board as a 2D array.
• placeGoat(x, y): Places a Goat at the given coordinates if the spot is empty.
• move(from, to): Moves a piece from one coordinate to another, ensuring the move is valid according to the game rules.

Board

A helper class that handles the board’s internal state and piece placement.

Methods:

• getState(): Returns the current state of the board.
• placeGoat(x, y): Places a Goat at the specified coordinates.
• movePiece(from, to): Moves a piece from one coordinate to another.

Rules

A class for defining and validating the game’s rules.

Methods:

• isValidMove(board, from, to): Checks if a move is valid based on the game’s rules.

Example: How the Game Works

• Initialization: The game starts with 4 Tigers placed at the corners of a 5x5 grid. The rest of the board is empty.
• Goats' Turn: Goats are placed on the board by calling the placeGoat(x, y) method. Each player takes turns placing Goats until all Goats are placed.
• Tigers' Move: Tigers can move from one square to another, following specific movement rules (e.g., they can capture Goats by jumping over them).
• Game Over: The game ends when one side (Goats or Tigers) achieves a win condition, or no more valid moves are possible.

Running Tests

This project uses Jest for testing. To run the tests:

1. Install the dependencies:

npm install

2. Run the tests:

npm test

Example Test Output:

PASS  tests/game.test.js
  BaghChal Game
    ✓ should initialize with 4 tigers (xx ms)
    ✓ should place a goat on an empty spot (xx ms)
    ✓ should not place a goat on a taken spot (xx ms)

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for more details.

Contributing

We welcome contributions! If you'd like to improve the library or add features, please fork the repository and submit a pull request. Here's how you can contribute:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a new branch (git checkout -b feature-name)
3. Make your changes and commit them (git commit -am 'Add new feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature-name)
5. Open a pull request on GitHub

Acknowledgements

Bagh Chal is an ancient game with deep roots in Nepalese culture. This library was created to digitally bring this game to a wider audience while respecting the traditional gameplay mechanics.

Special thanks to the creators of chess.js for inspiring the design patterns and principles used in this library.

Let me know if you need any other adjustments!