Lone game dev builds an explorable cyberpunk city almost entirely out of ASCII characters

A lone game developer from Grow Now! Games has crafted an entire cyberpunk city using only ASCII characters, an impressive feat that showcases the versatility of this seemingly simple text-based medium. Rather than relying on traditional 3D models, the developer utilized a custom ray-casting engine to render visible surfaces as ASCII art. The project, described as a "fun little prototype," runs from a single HTML file, eliminating the need for Unity, Unreal, 3D models, textures, or shaders.

The ASCII city is rendered on a grid-based 3D world, with roads, buildings, trees, cars, and people all stored within the system. At a resolution of 120 x 56 ASCII characters, the prototype is not the most visually appealing, but its flickering quality has garnered over 1 million views since its upload earlier this month. In response to viewer interest, the developer has since made the prototype accessible via their Ko-Fi, offering improved resolution at 180 x 80 ASCII characters for a more detailed and smoother experience.

Among the notable updates to the prototype, the developer has added interiors and multiple floors to the buildings, allowing players to explore the ASCII city from a fresh perspective. The project is far from complete, as the developer has begun considering the implementation of a dialogue system and a more fully-featured game. While ASCII art games are not uncommon, Grow Now!

Games' effort stands out as a unique and innovative approach to interactive storytelling, showcasing the potential of text-based artistry in the realm of gaming.