Retro Run

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  Retro Run

Inspiration

We knew we wanted to create a retro-style game, and we were inspired by the classic Google Dinosaur game, which perfectly captures that nostalgic, pixelated look. Since this is HackNC, we thought it would be fun to give it a local twist by turning it into a UNC vs. Duke rivalry game—because what’s more iconic than the Tar Heels versus the Blue Devils?

What it does

Retro Run begins when you press the space bar. You play as the UNC Ram, running away from Duke’s Blue Devil mascot. Press the space bar or up arrow to jump over obstacles, and use the down arrow to slide under them—all while trying to stay ahead of the chasing Blue Devil. The game ends if you trip over an obstacle and the Blue Devil catches up to you. Along the way, you can also collect power-ups to boost your performance and survive longer.

How we built it

We built the game using Python and Pygame. We designed the characters, backgrounds, and obstacles to match a retro aesthetic while incorporating UNC-themed elements throughout the game.

Challenges we ran into

One major challenge was getting the Blue Devil to behave realistically—staying just behind the Ram and maintaining a steady chase speed. At first, the Blue Devil would catch up too quickly, so we had to fine-tune the movement logic and speed progression to make the gameplay fair and engaging.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We’re really proud that we were able to create a fully functional game from scratch, especially as beginners. None of us had built a game before, so seeing it all come together—with animations, collisions, and a working chase mechanic—was really rewarding. We’re also proud of how we maintained a cohesive retro aesthetic and kept the theme fun and true to UNC spirit.

What we learned

We learned how to use Pygame to handle graphics, animations, and collisions, as well as how to structure a game loop and manage events in Python. Beyond that, we gained experience in teamwork, debugging, and balancing gameplay mechanics to make the experience enjoyable.

What's next for Retro Run

Next, we want to expand the game’s universe to include other school rivalries—like UNC vs. NC State or even rivalries from other conferences. We also plan to add more obstacles, power-ups, and terrain variations to make the track more challenging and dynamic. Eventually, we’d love to polish the graphics further and add multiplayer or online leaderboard features.

Built With

• pygame
• python