Waffle Puzzle Game

A Java Swing-based puzzle game inspired by Wordle, where players unscramble six intersecting words on a waffle-shaped grid by swapping letters within a limited number of moves.

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📑 Project Overview

This project is a desktop implementation of the popular web-based Waffle word puzzle. The application is built using Java's Swing toolkit for the graphical user interface. A key focus of this project was to move beyond a simple script and engineer a robust application by refactoring the original codebase into a Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture. This approach separates the core game logic from the user interface, resulting in a more maintainable, scalable, and testable product.

The puzzles used in this game are sourced from the original wafflegame.net.

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🎯 Objectives

1. Develop a fully functional puzzle game with an interactive graphical user interface using Java Swing.
2. Implement core game logic, including letter swapping, a dynamic hint system (correct, wrong position, not in word), and win-state detection.
3. Apply the MVC design pattern to cleanly separate the game's internal logic (Model) from its presentation (View).
4. Ensure code quality and robustness by developing a test suite with JUnit to validate the core game logic.
5. Use professional build tooling by managing the project's build lifecycle and dependencies with Maven.

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📁 Project Structure

Files

• pom.xml: The Maven project object model file. It defines project dependencies (like JUnit) and configures build plugins.
• src/main/java/: Contains the primary application source code.
  • WaffleGUI.java: The main entry point for the application; responsible for creating the window (JFrame).
  • MainPanel.java: The primary UI component (JPanel) that renders the game grid and handles user input (the View).
  • WaffleGame.java: The core class containing all game logic, state, and rules (the Model).
  • Hint.java: An enum that defines the three hint states: CORRECT, WRONG_POSITION, and NOT_IN_WORD.
• src/main/resources/: Contains non-code resources.
  • waffles.txt: The text file containing puzzle and solution data.
• src/test/java/: Contains the testing source code.
  • WaffleGameTest.java: A suite of JUnit tests for the WaffleGame model class.

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🚀 Running the Code

Prerequisites:

• Java Development Kit (JDK) 11 or higher
• Apache Maven

Instructions:

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/your-username/waffle-game.git
   cd waffle-game

2. Compile the project:

   mvn compile

3. Run the JUnit tests to verify the logic:

   mvn test

4. Run the application:

   mvn exec:java

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✨ Key Features

• Interactive GUI: A clean, responsive graphical interface built with Java Swing.
• Dynamic Hint System: Tiles are instantly color-coded after each swap to provide feedback on letter placement.
• MVC Architecture: A well-structured codebase where the game's logic is fully decoupled from the UI, following professional design patterns.
• External Puzzle Data: Puzzles are loaded from an external waffles.txt file, allowing for easy updates and additions.
• Move Counter: With a limit of 15 swaps, the game provides a fun and challenging experience.

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📸 Screenshots

Game Start:

Game in Progress:

Winning State: