ARC.RUNNER

A high-octane, ember-core evasion arcade game inspired by Chrome's Dinosaur Runner. Built with vanilla HTML5, CSS3, and Web Audio API in a single file.

Top row: Boot sequence with progress bar | Main menu with PLAY/EXIT | Live gameplay with HUD stats
Bottom: The ember-core mech jumping over server stacks and dodging aerial drones

ARC.RUNNER is a retro-futuristic runner game featuring:

• An autonomous ember-core mech unit evading server stacks and aerial drones
• JARVIS-inspired HUD interface with pulsing corner brackets and scanning animations
• Dynamic difficulty that scales with your distance
• Full 8-bit style synthesized sound effects (jump, duck, crash, boot beeps, milestone chimes)
• Responsive design for desktop, tablet, and mobile

Built as a single-file HTML game — no external dependencies, no assets, no API keys. Just download and play.

• Endless runner with procedurally spawned obstacles
• Jump over ground-level server stacks
• Duck under flying drone hazards
• Speed ramps automatically as you progress (1.0x → 2.7x)
• Milestone chimes every 500 meters for psychological rewards
• Collision detection with screen shake + red flash feedback

• Ember-red HUD theme (charcoal background, glowing amber text, crimson accents)
• Retro-futuristic UI with:
  • Pulsing corner brackets
  • Animated scanline sweep
  • Grid-pattern floor
  • Real-time particle effects on jump/duck/crash
  • Responsive HUD stats (distance, best score, speed multiplier)

All sounds are synthesized live using the Web Audio API:

• Boot sequence beeps
• Menu clicks (sine wave)
• Jump/duck blips (frequency sweeps)
• Impact crash (noise burst + descending tone)
• Milestone fanfare (triangle wave chimes)
• Toggle audio on/off from the HUD (AUDIO button)

1. Boot Sequence — 2.6s animated loading with system diagnostics
2. Main Menu — PLAY or EXIT options
3. Game Screen — Endless runner with pause/resume
4. Pause Overlay — P to resume, ESC to quit to menu
5. Game Over — "CORE BREACH" message with relaunch option
6. Exit Screen — Graceful shutdown message

1. Download arc-runner.html
2. Open it in any modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, etc.)
3. That's it! No server, no build process, no node_modules.

arc-runner.html       ← The complete game (45 KB, single file)
README.md            ← This documentation
SCREENSHOT.svg       ← Visual preview of all game screens

• Timing is everything — jump just as obstacles approach
• Duck when possible — it's faster to dodge low hazards than leap
• Watch the speed multiplier — difficulty ramps smoothly; stay calm
• 500m milestones — listen for the chime; it's a mental checkpoint
• Best score tracking — beat your personal record on the next run

• HTML5 Canvas for rendering
• Web Audio API for procedural sound synthesis
• Vanilla JavaScript (ES6) with no external libraries
• CSS3 animations for boot sequence, pulsing effects, screen shake
• Responsive design — works from 380px (mobile) to full desktop

┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│   ARC.RUNNER Game Engine            │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│ • Boot sequence & screen state      │
│ • Physics & collision detection     │
│ • Obstacle spawning & movement      │
│ • Particle effects (jump/duck/hit)  │
│ • Web Audio synthesizer             │
│ • Canvas rendering loop (60 FPS)    │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘

• boot — Animated boot sequence
• menu — Main menu (PLAY/EXIT)
• exit — Exit confirmation screen
• game — Active gameplay

• ready — Waiting to engage (at menu or pre-start)
• playing — Active gameplay
• paused — Pause overlay active
• gameover — Core breach; waiting for relaunch

• File size: ~45 KB (single HTML file)
• Memory footprint: <5 MB
• Frame rate: 60 FPS (locked via requestAnimationFrame)
• CPU usage: Minimal (canvas-based, no DOM animations except UI)
• Mobile-friendly: Optimized for touch input, works on iOS Safari & Android Chrome

Want to tweak colors, difficulty, or gameplay? Open the HTML file in a text editor:

Look for :root CSS variables (lines 8–20):

--void: #0b0907;           /* Background */
--ember: #ff4620;          /* Primary accent (red) */
--amber: #ffb545;          /* Secondary accent (gold) */

In the JavaScript, find these constants:

• nextSpawn — how often obstacles appear (lower = harder)
• speed — base speed and ramp rate
• GROUND_Y - 50 — player height (affects jump/duck hitboxes)

Edit the BOOT_LINES array (line 391):

const BOOT_LINES = [
  'INITIALIZING CORE...',
  'CALIBRATING EMBER REACTOR...',
  // ... customize here
];

• Obstacles spawn at increasing frequency as score rises
• Mix of ground stacks (~68%) and aerial drones (~32%)
• Random sizes for visual variety
• Wave intervals shrink from 1.25s to 0.6s minimum

• Gravity constant: 0.62 px/frame
• Jump velocity: -11.4 px/frame
• Terminal velocity: capped by ground collision
• Duck reduces hitbox to 58×26 pixels (vs 42×50 standing)

• Base score: 0.9 points/frame
• Multiplied by speed factor (1.0x to 2.7x)
• Speed ramps at 0.0045 per meter
• Milestone bonus: audible chime every 500m

• Audio context: Browser may require user interaction before audio plays (security policy)
• Fullscreen: Not available (intentional — retro HUD aesthetic)
• Mobile Safari: Muted by default (requires tap to unmute); works after first interaction
• Window.close(): Browsers block programmatic window closure for security; Exit screen shows prompt instead

1. Rhythm over reflexes — develop muscle memory for jump timing
2. Stay centered — keep the mech near the middle of the screen
3. Duck low hazards — save jumps for tall stacks
4. Audio feedback — listen for the start chime and milestone beeps
5. Multiple runs — first run is always hardest; you'll improve

Creator: MR. NILARNAB
GitHub: MR NILARNAB GITHUB
Built: July 2026
Engine: HTML5 Canvas + Web Audio API
License: Free to use, modify, and share

If you enjoy ARC.RUNNER, try:

• Chrome Dinosaur Game (the inspiration!)
• Flappy Bird
• 2048
• Crossy Road

Found a bug? Have a feature idea? This is a single-file game made for fun — fork it, modify it, share it!

Last Updated: July 26, 2026
File: arc-runner.html (45 KB, single file)

"Arc-core evasion unit online. Clear the hazard grid. Hold the line." ⚡🎮