# Candy Cane Conundrum

## Overview

Multi-room puzzle adventure game set in the Candy Cane Power Plant. Players solve riddles to unlock button sequences, then play endless arcade-style games. All stations feature endless gameplay - players go until they fail, competing for high scores.

## Game Concept

**Setting:** Candy Cane Power Plant room with giant illuminated candy cane tubes and vintage industrial control panels

**Gameplay:**
- Phase 1: Solve riddle/puzzle to get button sequence (some tiers skip this)
- Phase 2: Endless arcade game - unique mechanic per tier
- Candy cane tube lights up green for correct, red for incorrect
- Score displayed on completion - compete for high scores!

## Station Breakdown

**8 Stations Total:**
- 1 Intro station (3 buttons)
- 2 Easy stations (3 buttons)
- 3 Medium stations (5 buttons)
- 2 Hard stations (5 buttons)

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### INTRO - "Training Mode"
- **Buttons:** 3 buttons (RED, GREEN, BLUE)
- **Stations:** 1
- **Phase 1:** None - goes straight to gameplay
- **Phase 2:** Whack-a-Mole
  - Single button lights up
  - Press it before it times out
  - Next button lights up
  - Gets slightly faster over time
  - No memory required - pure reaction
- **Target Age:** Young kids (3-6), first-timers
- **Score:** Total successful hits before first miss

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### EASY - "Power Up"
- **Buttons:** 3 buttons (RED, GREEN, BLUE)
- **Stations:** 2 (identical)
- **Phase 1:** Easy riddle (TBD)
- **Phase 1 Solution:** GREEN → BLUE → RED
- **Phase 2:** Standard Simon
  - Round 1: 1 button lights → repeat
  - Round 2: previous + 1 new → repeat both
  - Round 3: previous + 1 new → repeat all 3
  - Continues until fail
  - Slow, forgiving tempo
- **Target Age:** Kids (5-10), families
- **Score:** Highest round reached

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### MEDIUM - "System Sync"
- **Buttons:** 4 buttons (RED, BLUE, YELLOW, WHITE)
- **Stations:** 3 (identical)
- **Phase 1:** Medium riddle (TBD)
- **Phase 1 Solution:** RED → YELLOW → WHITE → BLUE
- **Phase 2:** Count Simon
  - Button flashes X times (1-3 flashes)
  - Press that button X times
  - Sequence is cumulative
  - Example:
    - Round 1: BLUE ×2 → press BLUE twice
    - Round 2: BLUE ×2, RED ×3 → press BLUE twice, then RED three times
    - Round 3: All previous + new button with count
  - Memory for button AND count
- **Target Age:** Older kids (10+), adults
- **Score:** Highest round reached

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### HARD - "Master Control"
- **Buttons:** 5 buttons (RED, GREEN, BLUE, YELLOW, SILVER)
- **Stations:** 2 (identical)
- **Phase 1:** Find 5 RIDDLE tags in the Power Plant - solve each riddle to discover the color
  - Tags are neutral gray industrial labels (no color hints!)
  - Each tag has a number (#1 to #5) and a riddle
  - Press in order #1 → #2 → #3 → #4 → #5 using solved colors
- **Phase 1 Solution:** BLUE → RED → SILVER → GREEN → YELLOW
- **Phase 2:** Rhythm Simon
  - Sequence plays with varied timing gaps
  - Must repeat buttons AND match the rhythm
  - Wrong timing = fail (even if button order correct)
  - Example:
    - Sequence: RED (pause) GREEN-BLUE (quick) YELLOW
    - Player must match: tap... tap-tap... tap
  - Tolerance window tightens as rounds increase
- **Target Age:** Teens, adults, puzzle enthusiasts
- **Score:** Highest round reached

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## Technical Requirements

**Hardware (per station):**
- Button panel with illuminated buttons (3 or 5 per station)
- LCD display (20×4)
- Arduino Mega 2560 controller with DMX shield
- Giant candy cane tube with RGBW LED strip (DMX controlled)
- Success/failure indicator (green/red lighting via candy cane tube)
- Passive buzzer for audio feedback

**Button Colors:** 5 colors total
- RED
- GREEN
- BLUE
- YELLOW
- SILVER

**No duplicate colors per station. No stripe patterns.**

**Button Distribution:**
- 3-button stations (Intro, Easy): RED, GREEN, BLUE
- 4-button stations (Medium): RED, BLUE, YELLOW, WHITE
- 5-button stations (Hard): RED, GREEN, BLUE, YELLOW, SILVER

**Button Inventory:**
- Intro (1 station × 3): 3 buttons
- Easy (2 stations × 3): 6 buttons
- Medium (3 stations × 4): 12 buttons
- Hard (2 stations × 5): 10 buttons
- **Total: 31 buttons**

By color:
- RED: 8
- GREEN: 5 (Intro, Easy, Hard only)
- BLUE: 8
- YELLOW: 5
- WHITE: 3 (Medium only)
- SILVER: 2

## Room Integration

Game uses existing room elements and decor from other Christmas rooms:
- Toy Assembly Room
- Post Office
- Santa Tracking Room
- Great Hall
- Elf Recreation Room
- Other decorated areas

## Staff Requirements

**Zero active staff during gameplay**
- Self-guided challenges
- Automatic validation and reset
- Visual feedback only

**Setup/Maintenance:**
- Daily power-on and verification
- Reset if system errors occur
- Monitor for any technical issues

## Materials Needed

- Printed instruction cards (posted at each station)
- Button panels with illuminated arcade buttons (custom build)
- Arduino Mega 2560 controllers with DMX shields
- DMX decoders for RGBW LED control
- Candy cane tube RGBW LED strips
- 12V 5A power supplies
- Passive buzzers for audio feedback

## Files & Resources

**Arduino Code:** Located in `tech-build/` folder (needs update for new design)

**Wiring Guide:** `tech-build/wiring-guide.html`

**Interactive Demo:** `demo/candy-cane-demo.html`

**Design Note for Zach:** `NOTE-FOR-ZACH-COMPLETE-REDESIGN.md`

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**Last Updated:** December 8, 2025