XSOKOBAN(6) MIT Lab for Computer Science XSOKOBAN(6)
3 January 1994
NAME
xsokoban - Pushing objects around...
SYNOPSIS
xsokoban [{ -nn | -s[level] | -r | -u <username> -c[scorefile-text]} -C
-display <disp> {-w | -walls} {-rv | -reverse} {-f | -font} <fn> {-b |
-bitdir} <path> {-fg | -foreground} <color> {-bg | -background} <color>
{-bd | -border} <color> {-pr | -pointer} <color> -xrm <arg> ]
DESCRIPTION
xsokoban is an implementation of the game sokoban, written on top of
X(1).
The goal of xsokoban is to push all the round objects into the score
area of each level using the mouse or the arrow keys. The arrow keys
move the player in the corresponding direction, pushing an object if
it is in the way and there is a clear space on the other side. The
mouse buttons each have a distinct function.
If the left mouse button is pressed on a clear square, the player will
move to that location via the optimal path if such a path exists;
otherwise, the game will beep.
If the middle button is pressed on an object that is adjacent to the
player, the object will be pushed one step. If the middle mouse
button is pressed on an empty space, the player will move the closest
object that is on a straight line with the destination, such that the
object can be pushed in that direction, and the player is not directly
between the destination and the object. Before pushing the object,
the player is moved optimally to start the push.
Either the left or middle mouse buttons may be used to "drag" an
object from an initial to a final position. If a straightforward way
exists for the player to push the object without moving any other
objects, the player will execute appropriate moves and pushes to get
the object to the desired destination.
The right button mouse undoes the last user action, and may be used
any number of times.
The rest of the functions are bound to the keyboard:
? Display the help screen.
q Quit the current level.
h,j,k,l Move the man just like the arrow keys, as in vi(1).
s Save and quit.
- 1 - Formatted: December 17, 2025
XSOKOBAN(6) MIT Lab for Computer Science XSOKOBAN(6)
3 January 1994
u Undo the last action. Same as right mouse button.
U Restart a level.
c Snapshot the current position
^U Restore to the last snapshot
^R Redraw the screen.
S View the score file.
The score file can be viewed at any time during the playing of the
game. The scores are also displayed whenever a level is completed.
Scores of the current user are initially highlighted. While viewing
scores, the following keys may be used to control the listing:
q Quit the game
Return Return to the game and continue with the current level; or, if
the current level is completed, begin the next level.
<left> The left mouse button may be used to select a different user
to highlight. It also controls the scroll bar at the right
side of the screen.
<middle>
The middle mouse button selects a new level to play if a level
is not already in progress.
Scores are saved in the score file if they are of high enough rank. A
score is ranked according to how many scores are better than it; there
are no scores superior to a rank 1 score, only one score superior to a
rank 2 score, and so on. If two scores are identical, the first one
entered is ranked higher.
It is possible for other users to have the same username as you, and
thus collide in the score file. One symptom of this problem is that
when you first play the game, you are not started at level 1. To
avoid this problem, set your "xsokoban.username" X resource to the
desired unique username.
OPTIONS
-nn Start at level nn, provided that levels below it are
completed.
- 2 - Formatted: December 17, 2025
XSOKOBAN(6) MIT Lab for Computer Science XSOKOBAN(6)
3 January 1994
-s [level]
Print the scores on standard output. The optional level will
restrict the printout to scores on just that level.
-r Restore a saved game.
-u <username>
Set the name of the user playing the game. By default, the
user's login name is used.
-c [scorefile-text]
Create a new score file (can be ran only by the owner of the
game). If the argument "scorefile-text" is supplied, the file
of that name is assumed to contain the textual output
compatible with the output of "xsokoban -s -D". The scorefile
is initialized to contain the scores described in that text
file. If no argument is supplied, the score file is
initialized to be empty.
-C Create a new X colormap for display purposes. Ordinarily
xsokoban creates a new colormap automatically if the default
colormap does not contain enough free slots to allow it to run
properly.
-display <display>
Run the game on the named display.
{-w | -walls}
Use fancy walls. (This is the default unless an option bitmap
set is used)
{-rv | -reverse}
Use reverse video.
{-f | -font} <fontname>
Use the named font instead of the default 9x15 font.
{-b | -bitdir} <path>
Use the bitmaps found in <path> instead of the defaults.
{-fg | -foreground} <color>
Use the named color as the foreground color. (default is
BlackPixel())
{-bg | -background} <color>
Use the named color as the background color. (default is
WhitePixel())
{-bd | -border} <color>
Use the named color as the border color. (default is
foreground color)
- 3 - Formatted: December 17, 2025
XSOKOBAN(6) MIT Lab for Computer Science XSOKOBAN(6)
3 January 1994
{-pr | -pointer} <color>
Use the named color as the mouse pointer foreground. (default
is foreground)
-xrm <arg>
<arg> is an X Resource specification.
OTHER INFORMATION
There is more information about xsokoban in the WWW, at
http://xsokoban.lcs.mit.edu/xsokoban.html
A global score file is also located there.
AUTHORS
Unknown Hacker - Original curses(3) implementation.
Joseph L. Traub - X windows interface.
Kevin Solie - simultaneously developed X implementation (merged in).
Mark Linderman, Christos Zoulas - Mouse code (added to Solie's
version).
Andrew Myers(http://www.pmg.lcs.mit.edu/~andru) - Improved mouse UI,
score ranking, color and WWW support.
Code has also been donated by many xsokoban users. Thanks for all your
contributions and suggestions!
RESOURCES
xsokoban understands the following resources.
username : string
The name you would like to use when playing xsokoban. It
defaults to your real username. If you are playing in WWW
mode, some domain information is appended to your real
username to disambiguate from other users with the same name.
This domain information is not appended to the username if
specified through the resource.
fancyWalls : boolean
Use fancy walls.
fontName : font
Use named font.
reverseVideo : boolean
Reverse foreground and background pixels.
- 4 - Formatted: December 17, 2025
XSOKOBAN(6) MIT Lab for Computer Science XSOKOBAN(6)
3 January 1994
foreground : color
Use color as foreground color.
background : color
Use color as background color.
borderColor : color
Use color as border color.
pointerColor : color
Use color as pointer color.
bitmapDir : string
Look for bitmaps in path specified by string.
border.color: color
Color of borders in the score display
text.font: font
Font of text in the score display
text.color: color
Color of text in the score display
text.highlight: color
Color of highlighted text in the score display
text.indent: int
Indenting of text in the score display
scrollbar.width: int
Width of the scrollbar in the score display
scrollbar.background: color
Color of the scrollbar background
scrollbar.thumb.height: int, scrollbar.thumb.width: int
Size of the scrollbar thumb
scrollbar.thumb.color: color
Color of the scrollbar thumb
panel.height: int
Height of the help panel in the score display
panel.font: font
Font of the help panel in the score display
bevel.width
Width of the Motif-like bevels
- 5 - Formatted: December 17, 2025
XSOKOBAN(6) MIT Lab for Computer Science XSOKOBAN(6)
3 January 1994
sep.color: color
Color of the lines separating different score levels
SPECIAL BITMAPS
In order to define your own bitmaps for xsokoban you only need to know
the names of which files it is looking for. The standard bitmap files
are:
man.xbm -- The player bitmap.
goal.xbm
-- The goal area bitmap.
wall.xbm
-- The standard wall bitmap.
object.xbm
-- The object that gets pushed.
treasure.xbm
-- The bitmap for the object when it is on the goal.
saveman.xbm
-- The bitmap for the player when it is on the goal.
To use the fancy walls option, you need the following additional files.
lonewall.xbm
-- a wall with connections on no sides.
southwall.xbm
-- a wall with only northern connections
northwall.xbm
-- a wall with only southern connections
eastwall.xbm
-- a wall with only western connections
westwall.xbm
-- a wall with only eastern connections
llcornerwall.xbm
-- a wall with northern and eastern connections
ulcornerwall.xbm
-- a wall with southern and eastern connections
lrcornerwall.xbm
-- a wall with northern and western connections
- 6 - Formatted: December 17, 2025
XSOKOBAN(6) MIT Lab for Computer Science XSOKOBAN(6)
3 January 1994
urcornerwall.xbm
-- a wall with southern and western connections
north_twall.xbm
-- a wall with connections on all BUT northern side
south_twall.xbm
-- a wall with connections on all BUT southern side
east_twall.xbm
-- a wall with connections on all BUT eastern side
west_twall.xbm
-- a wall with connections on all BUT western side
centerwall.xbm
-- A wall will connections on all four sides.
BUGS
Auto bitmap resizing code doesn't take into account font sizes.
Feedback on user error is poor (only beeps).
- 7 - Formatted: December 17, 2025