🎮 Game State Example

State in action: Your game isn’t always running — sometimes it’s paused, sometimes it’s over. Each mode changes how the game behaves.

Why it matters: Instead of scattering if (paused) checks through your code, the State Pattern lets the current state decide what happens — making game logic clean, modular, and easy to expand.

Scenario

The entire game has states:

• Playing → normal gameplay.

• Paused → input frozen, timer stopped.

• Game Over → no more actions possible.

Again, the State Pattern makes this clean and extensible.

---

GameState Interface

public interface GameState {
    void handle(Game game);
}

---

Concrete States

// Playing state
public class PlayingState implements GameState {
    @Override
    public void handle(Game game) {
        System.out.println("The game is running...");
    }
}

// Paused state
public class PausedState implements GameState {
    @Override
    public void handle(Game game) {
        System.out.println("The game is paused.");
    }
}

// Game Over state
public class GameOverState implements GameState {
    @Override
    public void handle(Game game) {
        System.out.println("Game over! Thanks for playing.");
    }
}

---

Game Context

public class Game {
    private GameState state;

    public Game() {
        this.state = new PlayingState(); // default
    }

    public void setState(GameState state) {
        this.state = state;
    }

    public void update() {
        state.handle(this);
    }
}

---

Using Game State

public class EscapeRoomGame {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Game game = new Game();

        game.update(); // "The game is running..."
        game.setState(new PausedState());
        game.update(); // "The game is paused."
        game.setState(new GameOverState());
        game.update(); // "Game over! Thanks for playing."
    }
}

---

Sample Output

The game is running...
The game is paused.
Game over! Thanks for playing.

---

Why is this Useful?

• Puzzle State: Makes puzzles reactive and trackable — you can log progress, allow retries, or block access.

• Game State: Keeps game logic clean — instead of if (paused) checks everywhere, the current state decides what happens.

• Extensible: Adding states like Victory, Tutorial, or Cutscene is straightforward.

---

✅ Key Takeaway:
The State Pattern shines when you have progression (like puzzles) or modes (like the game itself). Each state gets its own class, keeping logic simple and modular.