Games

This page contains a collection of games that I have written for, or ported to, RISC OS over the years. Most of them play on the desktop, though there are a few simple full-screen BASIC programs.

Hopefully some of the games are fun...

Boxes

A non-desktop version of the join the dots to build squares game. Quite old, with no computer player, but it may be useful to someone. If anyone would like to improve it, drop me a line.

Download Boxes

In order to use Boxes, you will require a minimum of RISC OS 2.00.

Crosses

Crosses is a desktop version of Noughts and Crosses, which plays the familiar two-dimensional game as well as a more tricky three-dimensional version. You can play against another human or the computer.

[Crosses Screenshot]

Noughts and Crosses against the computer

Download Crosses
Crosses is released under Version 1.2 of the European Union Public Licence. Its source code can be found on GitHub, and copies can also be obtained from PackMan or the PlingStore.

In order to use Crosses, you will require a minimum of RISC OS 3.10.

Decode

Decode is a desktop version of the ‘guess the hidden code’ game. Can you guess the sequence of colours selected by the computer in only twelve attempts? Complete with a drag and drop interface.

[Decode Screenshot]

How quickly can you guess the code?

Download Decode
Decode is released under Version 1.2 of the European Union Public Licence. Its source code can be found on GitHub, and copies can also be obtained from PackMan or the PlingStore.

In order to use Decode, you will require a minimum of RISC OS 3.10.

Hangman

This is a computer version of the ‘classic’ game, hangman. It doesn’t have the graphics (you don’t see a little man getting executed), but it does have variable difficulty, a large dictionary (as it uses the Computer Concepts’ Impression Spell module) and quite a good display.

[Hangman Screenshot]

Can you identify the word?

Download Hangman
Hangman is released under Version 1.2 of the European Union Public Licence. Its source code can be found on GitHub, and copies can also be obtained from PackMan or the PlingStore.

In order to use Hangman, you will require:

  • a minimum of RISC OS 3.10, and
  • the Impression Spell module, which can be found in the ZapSpell module inside the OMAP build of Zap or in the Zap download from PlingStore.

Pairs

Pairs is a Desktop memory game. The playing area is covered in pairs of picture cards, placed face down. Each player takes it in turns to flip over two cards; trying to memorise and keep matching pairs. Pairs contains a variable strength computer opponent and allows you to define your own sets of playing cards (supporting low and high resolution modes).

By using Rick Hudson’s FreeWare PlayIt module (now maintained by Chris Martin), sounds can be attached to cards when they are turned over.

Please note the installation instructions if upgrading from Pairs 0.20 or earlier.

[Pairs Screenshot]

Find the matching paris of cards

Download Pairs
Pairs is released under Version 1.2 of the European Union Public Licence. Its source code can be found on GitHub, and copies can also be obtained from PackMan or the PlingStore.

In order to use Pairs, you will require:

  • a minimum of RISC OS 3.10, and
  • PlayIt (if you wish to use sounds), which can be obtained from Chris Martin.

Pegs

Pegs is a desktop version of the traditional game known as Peg Solitaire (that is, not the card game we know as Patience in the UK). Clear the playing board by jumping the counters over each other; can you end up with one counter left?

[Pegs Screenshot]

Remove all of the counters from the board

Download Pegs
Pegs is released under Version 1.2 of the European Union Public Licence. Its source code can be found on GitHub, and copies can also be obtained from PackMan or the PlingStore.

In order to use Pegs, you will require a minimum of RISC OS 3.10.

Puzzles

Puzzles is a RISC OS port of Simon Tatham’s Portable Puzzle Collection, a collection of 40 one-player puzzle games which are mainly focussed on logic and maths.

I discovered the collection through the Android port, and have also played the GTK version available from Simon’s site. Since it is described as “portable”, I decided that RISC OS needed its own version – and so here it is.

[Puzzles Screenshot]

A selection of the 40 puzzles

Please report issues with the RISC OS port to me in the first instance, via the contact details in the download (or use the address below). The licence of the RISC OS port differs from that of the upstream code: that is under the MIT Licence, whilst the RISC OS port uses the same Open Source licence as the libraries used to create its front end.

The RISC OS port of Puzzles is still very much a work in progress, with many features missing, incomplete or not working correctly. Please see the documentation in the download for more details – feedback on new bugs is welcome!

Download Puzzles Test Build
Puzzles is released under Version 1.2 of the European Union Public Licence. Its source code can be found on GitHub.

In order to use Puzzles, you will require:

  • a minimum of RISC OS 3.50,
  • the 32-bit Shared C Library (version 5.43 or later), which is a standard part of RISC OS 5 and can be obtained for other systems as part of the System Resources download from RISC OS Open Ltd, and
  • the Nested Window Manager, which is a standard part of RISC OS  4, 5 or Six, or can be soft-loaded on RISC OS 3.
This download is a test build. It may contain bugs, be unstable and have the potential to cause data loss. Those using it are advised to maintain adequate backups of important data and follow sensible precautions.