Why Not

Hans Scharler
/
Why Not
on 6 Nov 2026
8
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game.m
function g=game()
    % WHY NOT: a one-choice adventure inside a Command Window that comes apart.
    g.init=@init; g.update=@update; g.render=@render;
end
function s=init(ax)
    ax.XLim=[0 800]; ax.YLim=[0 600];
    % The script. c: typed command, w: wait for a tap, o: output (| breaks a
    % line), p: pause, q: the one choice, s: new stage, l: the lock, m: the
    % text melts, r: start over.
    s.B=strsplit('c:why#w#o:The bald and not excessively bald and not excessively smart|hamster obeyed a terrified and not excessively terrified hamster.#p:1.4#o:|Do you want to play a game?#q:Yes#s:1#o:You stand before a gate of black iron. Beyond it, a tower hums.||In another game there would be eleven ways to die here.|This one has one button. You notice...#q:the brass plate#o:    THE SQUARE OF FOUR KNOWS THE WAY.#q:Touch the wheels#l#o:|Every row of magic(4) sums to 34. The gate swings open.#q:Step inside#s:2#o:A hall of torches. Each flame flickers at exactly 30 fps.|The light is made of semicolons. ;;;;;;;;#q:Take a torch#s:3#o:The walls fall away in columns of digits. A keeper made of|matrices blocks the stair.||"Answer, or be transposed. Is 0.1 + 0.2 == 0.3 ?"#q:false#o:"Correct." The keeper steps aside, rounding errors trailing|behind it like a cape.#q:Go up#s:4#o:Unrecognized function or variable ''door''.#q:door = 1;#o:door =||     1||The door exists now. A horizon is rendering.#q:Walk to the horizon#s:5#o:At the top, someone sits at a keyboard.|It is you. You type:#c:why#w#o:Your reflection obeyed a terrified and not excessively terrified you.#p:1.6#m#s:6#c:why#w#o:Because you kept pressing the button.#q:Play again#r','#');
    a=linspace(0,2*pi,60)'; y=[238 262 281 297 310]; h=[14 11 8 6 4]; x=-8:8;
    % Stage 4: a synthwave horizon, with the grid's rails fixed and its
    % rungs rolling in render. Stage 5: an eye.
    G.sky=patch(ax,[0;800;800;0],[240;240;600;600],reshape([1 .3 .6;1 .3 .6;.1 0 .25;.1 0 .25],4,1,3));
    G.sun=patch(ax,600+110*cos(a),330+110*sin(a),reshape(sin(a)*[0 .3 -.12]+[1 .6 .43],60,1,3));
    G.str=patch(ax,[480;720;720;480]+0*y,[y;y;y+h;y+h],[.98 .3 .6]);
    G.gnd=patch(ax,[0 800 800 0],[0 0 240 240],[.04 0 .08]);
    G.rail=line(ax,[400+25*x;400+150*x;nan*x],[240+0*x;0*x;nan*x],'Color',[1 .2 .8]);
    G.grid=line(ax,0,0,'Color',[1 .2 .8]);
    G.eye=patch(ax,0,0,[1 1 .97]); G.pup=patch(ax,0,0,[.05 0 .08]);
    % Stage 2: torches. Stage 3: digital rain as one text grid.
    G.torch=T(ax,'',22,[620 340]); G.rain=T(ax,'',13,[8 598]); G.rain.Color='g';
    G.tear=patch(ax,zeros(4),zeros(4),'k');
    G.head=patch(ax,[0 800 800 0],[572 572 600 600],[.94 .94 .94]);
    G.lab=T(ax,'Command Window',10,[12 593]);
    % Measure the monospace grid so choices and melting letters line up.
    G.tx=T(ax,repmat('M',1,40),14,[20 556]); e=G.tx.Extent; s.cw=e(3)/40;
    G.tx.String={'M';'M'}; s.lh=G.tx.Extent(4)-e(4);
    G.ch=T(ax,'',14,[0 0]);
    for k=1:24
        G.melt(k)=T(ax,'',14,[0 0]);
    end
    G.scan=line(ax,repmat([0 800 nan],1,150),kron(2:4:598,[1 1 nan]),'Color','k');
    set(ax.Children,'HitTest','off','PickableParts','none');
    set(findobj(ax,'Type','patch'),'EdgeColor','none');
    set([G.eye G.tx G.ch],'EdgeColor','k','LineWidth',1.5);
    % What each stage shows besides the text.
    h=[G.head G.lab];
    G.v={h,h,[G.scan G.torch],[G.scan G.rain],[G.sky G.sun G.str G.gnd G.rail' G.grid],[G.eye G.pup],h};
    G.all=[G.v{:}];
    s.rv=4+9*rand(1,53); s.ro=60*rand(1,53); s.g=G; s.t=0; s=reset(s);
end
function h=T(ax,str,sz,p)
    h=text(ax,p(1),p(2),str,'FontName','Consolas','FontSize',sz,'VerticalAlignment','top',...
        'Interpreter','none','Clipping','on');
end
function s=reset(s)
    s.i=0; s.st=0; s.H={}; s.cur=''; s.gl=0; s.m=zeros(0,5); s.mc='';
    s=next(s);
end
function s=next(s)
    s.i=s.i+1; s.k=0; s.bt=0; s.fresh=1;
    s.o=16*rand(1,4); s.ts=inf(1,4);
end
function s=update(s,dt,p)
    s.t=s.t+dt; s.bt=s.bt+dt; s.gl=max(0,s.gl-dt);
    if mod(s.st,6) && rand<dt*.4, s.gl=.12+.1*rand; end
    b=s.B{s.i}; a=b(3:end); f=s.fresh; s.fresh=0;
    % A new beat files the previous output into the history.
    if f && any(b(1)=='coqlm') && any(s.cur), s.H=[s.H strsplit(s.cur,'|')]; s.cur=''; end
    switch b(1)
        case 'c'
            s.k=s.k+dt*(6+8*rand)+99*p; s.cur=['>> ' a(1:min(end,floor(s.k)))];
            if s.k>=numel(a), s=next(s); end
        case 'w'
            if p, s=next(s); end
        case 'o'
            s.k=s.k+dt*(45+12*s.st)+1e4*p; s.cur=a(1:min(end,floor(s.k)));
            if s.k>=numel(a), s=next(s); end
        case 'p'
            if p || s.bt>str2double(a), s=next(s); end
        case 'q'
            % The choice is echoed as a command, the way MATLAB would run it.
            a=lower(a); a(a==' ' & ~any(a=='='))='_';
            if p, s.H=[s.H {['>> ' a] ''}]; s=next(s); end
        case 's'
            s.st=str2double(a); s.gl=.8; s.H={}; s.cur=''; s=next(s);
        case 'l'
            s=lock(s,p);
        case 'm'
            s=melt(s,f);
        otherwise
            s=reset(s);
    end
end
function s=lock(s,p)
    % Each tap stops the next wheel. Once everything is locked, move on.
    j=find(s.ts>s.bt,1);
    if p && any(j), s.ts(j)=s.bt; end
    if all(s.bt-s.ts>2), s.H=[s.H wheels(s)]; s=next(s); end
end
function L=wheels(s)
    % Four number wheels in a box. A stopped wheel always eases onto the
    % right number, magic(4)'s first row, and then shows brackets.
    w=s.o+[9 11 13 15].*min(s.bt,s.ts); d=mod([15 1 2 12]-w,16); u=min(1,max(0,s.bt-s.ts)/1.1);
    w=w+(d+16*(d<4)).*(1-(1-u).^2); w(u==1)=round(w(u==1));
    r=9472+0*(1:24); L={['  ' 9484 r 9488]};
    for k=-1:1
        e=sprintf(' %3d  ',mod(floor(w)+k,16)+1);
        if ~k, j=find(u==1); e(6*j-4)='['; e(6*j-1)=']'; end
        L{k+3}=['  ' 9474 e 9474];
    end
    L(5:6)={['  ' 9492 r 9496] ['  ' repmat('CLICK ',1,sum(u==1))]};
end
function s=melt(s,f)
    % Every character on screen lets go: start positions, then a toss.
    if f
        C=char(screen(s)); [r,c]=find(C~=' '); n=min(24,numel(r)); k=randperm(numel(r),n);
        s.mc=C(sub2ind(size(C),r(k),c(k)));
        s.m=[20+(c(k)-1)*s.cw 556-(r(k)-1)*s.lh 200*randn(n,1) 150*rand(n,1) 400*randn(n,1)];
        s.H={};
    end
    if s.bt>2.4, s.m=zeros(0,5); s=next(s); end
end
function L=screen(s)
    L=s.H;
    if ~isempty(s.cur), L=[L strsplit(s.cur,'|')]; end
    if s.B{s.i}(1)=='l', L=[L wheels(s)]; end
    L=[{''} L(max(1,end-20):end)];
end
function render(~,s)
    G=s.g; st=s.st; t=s.t; b=s.B{s.i}; on=mod(t,1)<.55;
    % Per stage: background, text, and choice colors.
    K=[1 1 1 0 0 0 0 .4 .85;.02 .06 .03 .35 1 .5 1 .95 .4;0 0 0 .75 1 .75 1 1 1;...
        .03 0 .07 .45 1 1 1 .35 .85;1 1 1 .25 .05 .3 .85 0 .45]; K=K(max(1,mod(st,6)),:);
    bg=K(1:3)*(1+.5*rand*(st==2)); fg=K(4:6); ch=K(7:9);
    if st==5, bg=hsv2rgb([mod(t/25,1) .22 1]); end
    G.tx.Parent.Color=bg+(1-2*bg)*(s.gl>.65);
    set(G.all,'Visible','off'); set(G.v{st+1},'Visible','on');
    switch st
        case 2
            % Two torches flicker in phosphor green.
            f=' ()'; f=f(randi(3,2,9)); f(:,4:6)=32;
            set(G.torch,'String',{f(1,:);f(2,:);'\_/   \_/';' |     | '},'Color',fg);
        case 3
            % Each column carries a 12-row streak whose characters churn.
            r=(1:36)'; c=1:53; h=mod(floor(s.ro+t*s.rv),50); M=char(32+0*r*(1:106));
            M(:,1:2:end)=32+(r<=h & r>h-12).*(1+mod(r*31+c*17+floor(t*7+c),60));
            G.rain.String=cellstr(M);
        case 4
            y=240*(1-mod((0:9)/10+t*.3,1).^2.4);
            set(G.grid,'XData',repmat([0 800 nan],1,10),'YData',kron(y,[1 1 1]));
        case 5
            % The eye wanders and blinks every few seconds.
            k=1-.95*(mod(t,3.7)<.18); a=linspace(0,2*pi,48);
            set(G.eye,'XData',400+170*cos(a),'YData',190+80*k*sin(a));
            set(G.pup,'XData',400+40*sin(t*.9)+30*cos(a),'YData',190+15*cos(t*.6)+30*k*sin(a));
    end
    % The screen: history, the line being typed, a blinking cursor, and
    % scrambled characters while a glitch lasts.
    L=screen(s);
    if any(b(1)=='cwo') && on, L{end}=[L{end} 9608]; end
    for k=1:numel(L)*(s.gl>0)
        m=rand(size(L{k}))<.05; L{k}(m)=33+floor(rand(1,nnz(m))*90);
    end
    % The text sits on a box in the background color, which only shows as a
    % neon panel over the synthwave horizon.
    set([G.tx G.ch],'BackgroundColor',bg,'EdgeColor',bg+(ch-bg)*(st==4),'Margin',3+7*(st==4));
    set(G.tx,'String',L(2:end),'Color',fg,'Position',[20+8*randn*(s.gl>0) 556]);
    % The one choice, styled like a Command Window hyperlink.
    set(G.ch,'String',['[' b(3:end) ']'],'Position',[20 556-numel(L)*s.lh+s.lh-24*(st==4)],...
        'Visible',b(1)=='q','Color',ch);
    % Glitches tear the screen.
    y=600*rand(1,4); h=3+20*rand(1,4); x=300*rand(1,4)-100; w=300+500*rand(1,4);
    set(G.tear,'XData',[x;x+w;x+w;x],'YData',[y;y;y+h;y+h],'FaceColor',ch,...
        'Visible',s.gl>0);
    % Falling letters follow their toss under gravity.
    m=s.m; u=s.bt; n=1:size(m,1); set(G.melt,'Visible','off','Color',fg);
    set(G.melt(n),{'Position','Rotation','String'},[num2cell(m(:,1:2)+m(:,3:4)*u-[0 450*u^2],2) ...
        num2cell(m(:,5)*u) num2cell(s.mc(n))],'Visible','on');
end
Play Game
Preview

Play Game opens this in MATLAB Drive. Click Run this app there to play.