Tilt-Controlled LED Maze Game

A tilt-controlled LED maze game implemented using an Arduino Nano 33 BLE Sense and an ESP32. The Arduino streams real-time accelerometer data over Bluetooth, while the ESP32 handles game logic and renders gameplay on a 32×32 RGB LED matrix. Audio was prototyped but removed due to Bluetooth timing interference. This project was developed as a final project for CS 335 - Inside the Box: How Computers Work.

Demo

Controlling the player:

IMG_2426.mov

Getting key -> Unlock door:

IMG_2427.2.mov

Reaching destination -> Win state -> Next Level:

IMG_2427.3.mov

Blinking blue walls:

IMG_2428.2.mov

Colliding with red walls -> Death state:

IMG_2429.mov

(Thank you, Sophia, for being our first ever gameplay tester 🙏)

Game Logic Overview

Player Movement

The Arduino reads accelerometer data from its onboard IMU.

• Tilt values (X and Y axes) are scaled, dead-zoned, and sent via Bluetooth to the ESP32.
• The ESP32 updates the player's position on the LED matrix accordingly, moving the player smoothly while following collision rules.

Collision Types

Tile Type	Color	Behavior
Standard Wall	Magenta	Solid wall; player cannot pass through
Death Wall	Red	Instant death on contact
Flashing Wall	Blue	Turns on and off, solid when on; lethal if player is standing when it turns back on
End Zone	Yellow	Triggers level completion / win condition
Key Pickup	Gold	Opens corresponding gates when collected

Reset Button

The Arduino has a dedicated reset button.

• Pressing it sends a reset signal to the ESP32, returning the player to the first level and the initial position.

Installation & Setup

....Will eventually finish writing this

Wiring

Library

Known Issues & Limitations

• Audio system was scrapped due to Bluetooth overhead, causing low sample rate playback (Sounded like haunted house music...)
• Adafruit_Protomatter is incompatible with the Nano 33 BLE Sense due to the missing g_Adigitalpinmap array in newer MBED OS versions