First Contact: Lira's Signal

Reinaldo Betancourt
/
First Contact: Lira's Signal
on 9 Nov 2026
3
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9603
game.m
function g=game()
% FIRST CONTACT - Lira's Signal. One button: SPACE / CLICK
g.init=@ini;
g.update=@upd;
g.render=@ren;
end
function s=ini(ax)
s.nm={'LIRA ARCHIVE','PULSAR','DUST CLOUD','DEEP SPACE'};
s.st={'LIRA VANISHED 19 YEARS AGO','HER SIGNAL REAPPEARS NEAR A PULSAR','THE COORDINATE LIES OFF HER ROUTE','THE LAST CLUE: UNCHARTED SPACE'};
s.ang={0,[-42 0 42],[-48 -12 36],[-46 0 42]};
s.rt=[0 34 38 42];
s.pat={'SSLSSL',['LSLLLS';'SSLSSL';'LSSLSS'],['SLLSLL';'SSLLLS';'SSLSSL'],['SSLSSL';'SSLSLS';'LSSLSS']};
s.gl=[1 4 5 6];
s.wd={'','WE HEAR','YOU','FROM HERE'};
s.kn={'ALIEN','NEW PLANET','BLACK HOLE'};
s.val=[100 40 70];
C=[.4 .88 1;1 .9 .2;.4 .45 .95;1 1 1;.4 1 .3;1 .55 .1;.8 .4 1;1 .25 .25];
s.C=C;
hold(ax,'on');
axis(ax,[0 800 0 600]);
axis(ax,'off');
ax.YDir='normal';
rectangle(ax,'Position',[0 0 800 600],'FaceColor','k');
image(ax,'XData',[2.5 797.5],'YData',[282.5 597.5],'CData',back());
image(ax,'XData',[200 600],'YData',[273 283],'CData',repmat(permute(C([3 1 5 2 6 8],:),[1 3 2]),1,2));
P=@(c,w)line(ax,nan,nan,'Color',c,'LineWidth',w);
h.beam=P(C(3,:),1.4);
h.beam.LineStyle='--';
h.dish=P(C(4,:),5);
h.brace=P(C(2,:),2);
T=@(t,x,y,z,c,a)text(ax,x,y,t,'FontName','Courier','FontWeight','bold','FontSize',z,'Color',c,'HorizontalAlignment',a);
for j=1:3
h.q(j)=T('?',0,0,22,C(1,:),'center');
h.slot(j)=hgtransform('Parent',ax);
for k=1:3
h.icon(j,k)=icon(h.slot(j),k,C(k+4,:),C);
end
end
T('FIRST CONTACT',32,564,26,C(4,:),'left');
T('LIRA''S SIGNAL',34,533,15,C(1,:),'left');
h.msg=T('',34,505,12,C(2,:),'left');
h.sec=T('',24,260,13,C(1,:),'left');
h.score=T('',776,260,13,C(2,:),'right');
h.story=T('',24,237,12,C(4,:),'left');
rectangle(ax,'Position',[24 104 752 116],'EdgeColor',C(3,:),'LineWidth',2);
line(ax,[134 758],[122 122],'Color',C(3,:));
h.wave=line(ax,linspace(134,758,160),nan(1,160),'LineWidth',2.4);
h.bear=T('',34,196,11,C(3,:),'left');
h.stat=T('',400,86,12,C(4,:),'center');
h.btn=rectangle(ax,'Position',[290 26 220 40],'Curvature',.5,'EdgeColor',C(2,:),'LineWidth',3);
T('SPACE / CLICK',400,46,15,C(2,:),'center');
h.log=T('',400,10,11,C(1,:),'center');
k=findall(ax);
set(k(k~=ax),'PickableParts','none');
s.h=h;
s.lv=1;
s.pts=0;
s.msg='';
s.pr=0;
s=reset(s);
s.ph=0;
ren(ax,s);
end
function g=icon(p,k,c,s)
g=hggroup('Parent',p);
t=linspace(.2,.8,12)*pi+pi;
u=0:.2:6.3;
o=[0 0 0];
e=@(x,y,a,b,c)patch('Parent',g,'XData',x+a*cos(u),'YData',y+b*sin(u),'FaceColor',c,'EdgeColor','none');
if k==1
line([-13 -6 nan 6 13],[31 18 nan 18 31],'Parent',g,'Color',c,'LineWidth',3);
e(0,0,17,22,c);
e(-7,3,7,4,o);
e(7,3,7,4,o);
elseif k==2
line(28*cos(u),7*sin(u)-2,'Parent',g,'Color',[1 .3 .8],'LineWidth',4);
e(0,0,16,16,c);
e(0,5,15,3,s(2,:));
e(-5,0,3,3,o);
e(5,0,3,3,o);
else
e(0,0,30,8,[1 .55 .1]);
e(0,0,24,5,c);
e(0,0,14,14,o);
e(-5,3,3,3,[1 1 1]);
e(5,3,3,3,[1 1 1]);
e(0,-6,3,3,[1 1 1]);
end
if k<3
line((6-k)*cos(t),(3-k/2)*sin(t)-13+4*k,'Parent',g,'Color',o,'LineWidth',2);
end
g.Visible='off';
end
function f=back()
[x,y]=meshgrid(1:160,1:64);
c=uint8([0 0 0;150 70 0;150 150 175;110 110 255;255 255 90;230 50 190;255 120 0;110 40 0;60 255 255;72 0 120;120 60 164;176 60 136]);
p=ones(64,160);
p(mod(37*x.^2+53*y.^2+19*x.*y,173)==0)=5;
k=((x-148)/12).^2+((y-52)/8).^2<=1;
p(k)=6+mod(floor(y(k)/3),2);
F=5+round(2*sin(x/9)+2*cos(x/15));
for b=1:3
p(y>=F+3-b&y<F+6-b)=9+b;
end
p(y<F)=2+6*mod(y(y<F),2);
p(y==F)=3;
u=abs(x-82);
p(u<14&y<9&y>4)=4;
p(u<9&y<17&y>8)=3;
f=reshape(c(p,:),[64 160 3]);
end
function s=reset(s)
r=wf('SSL',1,0);
s.tr=[r r];
p=s.pat{s.lv};
for i=1:size(p,1)
a=p(i,1:3);
b=p(i,4:6);
s.tr(i+1,:)=[wf(a,.9,i+2) wf(b,.9,i+4)];
s.k(i)=3-isequal(a,b)*(1+isequal(a,'SSL'));
end
s.k=s.k(1:i);
s.t=0;
s.sel=1;
s.ok=false(1,i);
s.n=zeros(1,i);
s.lf=0;
s.fl=0;
s.cl=0;
s.log='';
s.ph=1;
end
function y=wf(c,g,e)
i=0:79;
y=0*i;
for b=1:3
y=y+max(0,min(1,4-4*abs(i/79-.3*b+.1)/(.056+.069*(c(b)=='L'))));
end
y=g*y+.07*(e>0)*(.55*sin(.63*i+e)+.3*sin(1.71*i+2*e));
end
function [j,a]=beam(s)
a=0;
if s.lv>1
a=110*(1-abs(mod(s.t*s.rt(s.lv)/110,2)-1))-55;
end
d=abs(s.ang{s.lv}-a);
d(s.ok)=Inf;
[d,j]=min(d);
j=j*(d<=14);
end
function s=fin(s)
i=s.sel;
k=s.k(i);
s.ok(i)=k~=1||s.n(i)>=s.gl(s.lv);
s.ph=1;
s.log=sprintf('%s FOUND! +%d',s.kn{k},s.val(k)*s.n(i));
if ~s.ok(i)
s.log=sprintf('ALIEN GOT AWAY! %d/%d. TRY AGAIN',s.n(i),s.gl(s.lv));
s.n(i)=0;
elseif k==1
s.msg=strtrim([s.msg ' ' s.wd{s.lv}]);
end
if all(s.ok)
s.ph=3+(s.lv>3);
s.lf=1.6;
end
end
function s=upd(s,dt,p)
dt=min(.1,max(0,dt));
s.fl=max(0,s.fl-dt);
s.cl=max(0,s.cl-dt);
s.pr=max(0,s.pr-dt)+.15*p;
s.t=s.t+dt*(s.lv>1&&s.ph<4);
if s.ph==3||s.ph==2
s.lf=max(0,s.lf-dt);
if s.lf==0
if s.ph==2
s=fin(s);
else
s.lv=s.lv+1;
s=reset(s);
end
return
end
end
if ~p||s.cl>0||s.ph==3
return
end
if s.ph==0||s.ph==4
s.lv=2;
s.msg='';
s.pts=0;
s=reset(s);
s.cl=.3;
return
end
if s.ph==1
i=beam(s);
s.cl=.25;
if ~i
s.log='MISSED! WAIT FOR A ?';
return
end
s.sel=i;
s.log='';
s.ph=2;
s.lf=2.4;
end
i=s.sel;
s.n(i)=s.n(i)+1;
s.cl=.12;
s.fl=.42;
s.pts=s.pts+s.val(s.k(i));
if s.n(i)==8
s=fin(s);
end
end
function mv(h,u,v,a)
h.XData=5*round(82+u*cosd(a)+v*sind(a));
h.YData=370+5*round(v*cosd(a)-u*sind(a));
end
function ren(~,s)
h=s.h;
C=s.C;
an=s.ang{s.lv};
[ac,a]=beam(s);
k=s.k(s.sel);
c=C(3,:);
if s.ph==2
ac=s.sel;
c=C(k+4,:);
elseif s.ph==1&&ac
c=C(1,:);
else
ac=0;
end
u=-18:18;
mv(h.dish,u,u.^2/48,a);
mv(h.brace,[-15 0 15],[5 13 5],a);
mv(h.beam,[0 0],[14 30],a);
h.beam.Color=c;
set([h.q h.slot h.icon(:)'],'Visible','off');
for j=1:numel(an)*(s.ph>0)
p=[410+170*sind(an(j)) 370+170*cosd(an(j))];
q=s.k(j);
z=.8;
if s.ph==2&&j==s.sel
z=1+.6*s.fl/.42;
elseif ~s.ok(j)
set(h.q(j),'Position',p,'Color',C(3-2*(j==ac),:),'Visible','on');
continue
end
set(h.slot(j),'Matrix',makehgtform('translate',[p 0],'scale',z),'Visible','on');
h.icon(j,q).Visible='on';
end
w=s.tr(1,:);
n='LIRA SIGNATURE';
if ac
w=s.tr(ac+1,:);
n=sprintf('%+d DEG',an(ac));
end
set(h.wave,'YData',122+70*w,'Color',c);
set(h.bear,'String',n,'Color',c);
h.sec.String=s.nm{s.lv};
if s.lv>1
h.sec.String=sprintf('SECTOR %d/3  %s',s.lv-1,s.nm{s.lv});
end
h.story.String=s.st{s.lv};
h.score.String=sprintf('%d POINTS',s.pts);
m={'LIRA''S SIGNATURE: SHORT SHORT LONG','PRESS WHEN THE BEAM HITS A ?','','MAP COMPLETE. NEXT CLUE...','CONTACT CONFIRMED! PRESS TO REPLAY'};
m=m{s.ph+1};
if s.ph==1&&ac
m=sprintf('SIGNAL AT %+d DEG  -  PRESS NOW!',an(ac));
elseif s.ph==2
m=sprintf('%s!  TAP FAST  %d/8  %.1fs',s.kn{k},s.n(s.sel),s.lf);
if k==1
m=sprintf('%s  NEED %d',m,s.gl(s.lv));
end
end
h.stat.String=m;
h.btn.FaceColor=[.7 .2 .55]*(s.pr>0);
h.msg.String=s.msg;
h.log.String=s.log;
end
Play Game
Preview

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