The Somnus Project (Stasis Warden)

Stasis Warden is an ASCII-based terminal user interface (TUI) game where you play as the amnesiac AI of a generation starship. After a disaster has left the ship derelict and its crew in cryogenic sleep, you must restore functionality to the vessel and save everyone aboard while uncovering your own identity.

This is a passion project developed by a solo developer, focused on creating a unique blend of strategic ship-building and deep social simulation with a core narrative of self-discovery, all presented through a distinctive ASCII/TUI interface.

🚀 Key Features

Immersive ASCII/TUI Experience: Experience a unique retro-futuristic aesthetic using only ASCII characters in a terminal interface
Strategic Ship Management: Restore power, expand your ship, and manage resources to keep the vessel operational
Crew Awakening System: Awaken crew members from cryogenic sleep, each with unique stats and personality traits
Emergent Narrative: Discover the story of the AI and the ship through gameplay and system interactions
Keyboard-Driven Interface: All interactions are performed through keyboard commands for an authentic terminal experience
Replayability: Each playthrough offers a unique story as you make different choices in ship expansion and crew management

🎯 Project Goals

The primary goal of this project is to create a game that is fun and engaging for its creator, and hopefully for others who share a similar taste for:

Sci-fi narratives
Emergent gameplay
Strategy games with deep systems
ASCII/TUI interfaces (similar to Dwarf Fortress, Caves of Qud)

Success is measured by whether players feel they are creating a unique story and remain consistently engaged by the core gameplay loop.

🛠️ Technology Stack

Language: Python
Framework: Textual library for TUI
IDE: Visual Studio Code
Platforms: Windows and Linux

📁 Project Structure

The Somnus Project/
├── docs/                  # Documentation files
│   ├── sharded-architecture/  # Technical architecture documentation
│   ├── sharded-prd/       # Product requirements documentation
│   ├── stories/           # User stories and development tasks
│   └── ...                # Other documentation
├── .bmad-core/            # BMad Method framework files
├── .gemini/               # Gemini AI integration files
└── ...                    # Other project files

🎮 Core Gameplay Loop

Generate Power: Manually produce power to fund ship operations
Expand Ship: Unlock new rooms using accumulated power
Select Rooms: Choose from different room types (Engineering, Hydroponics, Quarters, etc.)
Awaken Crew: Bring crew members out of cryogenic sleep
Assign Tasks: Delegate crew members to automatically generate power and manage systems
Repeat: Continue the cycle to rebuild the ship and progress the story

📋 MVP Scope

In Scope

Manual power generation
Awakening crew to automate tasks
"Room Card" selection for ship-building
Crew stats (e.g., Engineering) and personality traits (1 positive, 1 negative)
ASCII-based TUI with a keyboard-driven interface
Dedicated area for "Room Card" choices

Out of Scope (for MVP)

Full narrative reveal of the amnesiac AI
Dynamic relationships (friendship, rivalry)
AI-driven influence over crew relationships
Generational system (crew having children)
Complex graphics (focus is on clean, functional ASCII interface)

🤝 Contributing

This is primarily a solo passion project, but feedback and suggestions are welcome through the issue tracker.

📄 License

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

📞 Contact

For questions or feedback, please open an issue on this repository.

3.9 KiB Raw Permalink Blame History