---
Date: 2026-07-21
Author: Adolfo Reyna
Tags: [games, paper-apps, foundation, tactility]
---

# Paper Apps - Game Foundation

Purchased games from Gladden Design - to be used as foundation for device games.

## Files
- `Paper-Apps-GOLF-ZERO.pdf` - Original GOLF notebook (3 courses x 18 holes)
- `Paper_Apps_GALAXY_ZERO.pdf` - Original GALAXY notebook (~50 sectors + encounters)
- `GOLF-rules.txt` / `GALAXY-rules.txt` - Extracted rules text
- This README - distilled mechanics for porting

## GOLF (Paper Apps GOLF)

### Core Loop
- 3 courses per notebook, each 18 holes, each hole randomly generated, unique per notebook
- Goal: ball to hole in fewest hits. Par 6 per hole.

### Movement
- 8-directional movement (orthogonal + diagonal)
- Draw line + circle for new position

### Dice GOLF Mode
- Roll d6 = distance
- Fairway: +1 to roll
- Sand: -1 to roll
- Can always choose to putt (move 1) instead
- Tee: one free re-roll; 6 Mulligans per course for re-rolls
- Optional challenge: pick direction BEFORE roll

### Speed GOLF Mode (no dice)
- DRIVER: move 6, fairway only, can go over trees
- IRON: move 3 (2 from sand), can't go over trees
- PUTTER: move 1, always allowed
- Overshoot rule: crossing hole allows overshoot by 1 and counts as in; otherwise over.

### Terrain
- **Rough**: majority, normal movement
- **Fairway**: bonus (+1 dice, allows 6-move), only place can hit over trees, includes green
- **Sand trap**: penalty (-1 dice, 2 max in Speed)
- **Water**: cannot land, can travel over
- **Trees**: cannot land, cannot travel over except from fairway
- **Slopes (arrows)**: auto-roll 1 space in direction; chain if next is arrow; ignore if points to water; if 2 arrows point at each other, stop after first

### Multiplayer
- Different colors, Dice mode best
- Turn order by distance (furthest first) after tee-off

### Device Adaptation Ideas
- Grid-based golf puzzle: procedurally generate holes (terrain tiles)
- 8-way input, dice roll animation or Speed mode for kids
- Render fairway/rough/sand/water/trees as sprites
- Slope arrows auto-move
- Score tracking per hole / course
- Perfect for: Tactility devices (M5 stack, T-Deck), e-ink, kidsOS

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## GALAXY (Paper Apps GALAXY)

### Core Loop / Meta
- Pilot ID card: draw profile + choose race (Robot/Human/Alien) - preferential treatment from same race
- System map: ~50 numbered sectors, arrow = start, cross off as completed
- Can travel to any sector connected to completed sector
- Collect 6 Warp Drive Pieces: must complete ALL sectors connected to a piece to collect it
- Most sectors played just to collect pieces; completionist = visit every sector
- Credits earned on win, spent immediately on upgrades or prestige ranks
- On loss: keep only credits picked up on map, spend immediately

### Sector Layout
- Top: sector map (ship starts bottom row)
- Middle: Flight Computer = movement values (numbers + ? = roll d6)
- Bottom left: missile + shield counters
- Bottom right: mission, reward, W/L mark, sector number

### Sector Objects
- **Ship**: start bottom row
- **Asteroid**: shoot to clear, or fly through losing 1 shield
- **Wormhole**: always 2 per sector, teleport to other, keep direction + remaining spaces
- **Mine**: explodes if within 1 space (lose shield). Can shoot to detonate - destroys anything within 1 (enemy/asteroid/mine). Chain!
- **Credit pickup**: note it, spend after sector
- **Shield pickup**: outline new circle in shield counter (not carried over)
- **Missile pickup**: outline new circle in missile counter (not carried over)
- Items single-use except wormholes

### Movement
- 6 directions (hex-like)
- Values in Flight Computer - cross off as used
- Can skip a value (cross off) but NOT ? values
- ? = must roll d6 for distance
- Straight line only per move, can cross own path
- If no possible moves: skip to next value; if rolled value has no possible directions, cross out and move on
- If run out of moves without objective -> Lose (fuel)

### Combat - Attacking
- Between movements (not during) can fire missiles
- Fire in same 6 directions as movement - must be aligned
- Cross out missile from counter (used even if miss)
- Count spaces to enemy, must roll that value or higher on d6 to hit (1 away = auto-hit)
- Destroyed enemies can be flown over, no longer fire

### Combat - Being Attacked
- Enemies fire when you cross through their range (line of sight)
- Roll distance or higher for hit against you
- Lose shield if hit; no shields left = Lose
- Enemies can see/fire through asteroids

### Mission / Win Conditions
- Either "Blast X enemies" or "Grab artifact" / "Grab parts" etc.
- Win = objective without running out shields/fuel -> mark W, earn CREDITS
- Lose = mark L, tally lost ship in stats

### Upgrades (spend credits in order)
- Double Shot: 2 rolls to hit (not vs enemy fire)
- Battering Ram: ignore asteroids
- Nav-Control: choose movement instead of rolling ?
- Extra Starting Shields: 1/2/3 additional (must earn in order)
- Extra Starting Missiles: same, in order
- Missile Range: +1 or +2 to hit roll
- Prestige Ranks: spend credits for rank (Cadet -> higher) - fun/challenge

### Special Sectors

**Space Monsters mini-game**: 
- 8 rolls d6, choose row OR column of that number containing monster, cross out 1 monster, 1 credit per hit

**Alien Encounters**:
- Narrative encounters with race types (Robot/Human/Alien)
- Bonuses: credits (roll dice, +1 if same race), extra missiles next sector (+2, +3 if same race), random bonus table (d6: -1 shield, -1 shield, +1 missile, +1 credit, -1 missile, -1 shield - pick best of 2 if same race as Alien)

### Device Adaptation Ideas
- Hex grid movement (6-directional)
- Procedural sector generation: asteroids, enemies, wormholes, mines, pickups
- Flight computer as queue of moves with skippable values
- Missile combat with dice-roll hit check (distance mechanic)
- Shield/missile counter UI
- Galaxy map as node graph - unlock connected sectors
- 6 warp pieces as meta-progression
- Encounters as pop-up events with race bonuses
- Space Monsters as bonus mini-game
- Upgrade shop between sectors
- Save: W/L per sector, credits, upgrades, warp pieces, lost ships tally

### Seed / Generation
- SYSTEM MAP - GALAXY #000000 - suggests seeded generation (000000 is seed)
- Each notebook unique random generation like GOLF's 3 courses unique
- Flight computer values appear random with ? mixed in

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## Common Paper Apps DNA
- Pencil + d6 (or Speed/variant without)
- Draw lines + circles to track
- Cross-off counters (shields, missiles, Mulligans, Flight Computer values)
- Single notebook = complete campaign (3 courses / ~50 sector galaxy)
- Randomly generated per notebook -> replayability via new notebook
- Both have special rule variations and multiplayer/social hooks
- Contact: hey.gladden@gmail.com - Gladden Design - www.gladdendesign.com

## Adaptation Strategy for Devices

### Tactility / ESP32
- Grid engine: generic tile system (GOLF: 8-way square, GALAXY: 6-way hex)
- Dice as RNG + animation
- Procedural generation using seed (like notebook number)
- Save system: sector/hole progress, counters, upgrades
- Render: low-res tile sprites work on M5Stack / T-Deck / RLCD

### KidsOS / Grace and Elias
- GOLF simplified: Speed mode (6/3/1) no dice math, colorful tiles
- GALAXY simplified: fewer enemies, auto-hit at close range, visual dice
- Race selection fun (Robot/Human/Alien or royal twist)
- Prestige/ranks appealing for Grace

### Reuse
- Both games provide proven fun loops with minimal rules
- Good candidates to merge: exploration map (GALAXY) + precision movement puzzles (GOLF terrain ideas)
