Arcadian Trail
An Oregon Trail-inspired climate migration game. Lead your family through wildfires, floods, and failing infrastructure to reach a climate refuge.
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Arcadian Trail is a browser-based strategy game set in 2045, when climate collapse has made the American coasts and sunbelt unlivable. Players manage resources (fuel, water, food, health, morale) while navigating real US routes from endangered cities to climate refuges in the north.
The game integrates real-time weather data from OpenWeatherMap to dynamically influence in-game events — if it’s actually hot in Phoenix, heatwave events become more likely. Players make meaningful decisions during 20+ narrative events, each with multiple outcomes that affect survival.
Tech: Vanilla JavaScript, ASCII art rendering, CSS, OpenWeatherMap API. No frameworks, no backend — runs entirely in the browser.
Features:
- 6 origin cities and 4 climate refuge destinations with real waypoint routes
- Post-apocalyptic ASCII terrain art that changes with terrain, weather, and events
- Character traits (Resilient, Resourceful, Medic, Mechanic, Navigator) with passive bonuses
- Inventory system with 10 purchasable items within a budget
- Real weather data influences event probabilities and narrative text
- Scoring system based on resources, speed, family survival, and events overcome